The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-11-02
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

pared with "a, 452. 900 acres for the pre-
vious season, an increase of over per
cent. This years yield amounted to
rather more than 267, 600, 900 bushels rs
compared with 206, $4,000 bushels n
year ago. being an increase of 90 per
cent. for the latest season.
-Washington's hop crop this year Is
one of the largest and finest ever
known. 1t is estimated at about so, 600
bales, Germany reports the shortest
hop crop for half century. and. while
the Washington farmers are not re-
joicing in the German hop growers.
misfortune, they think it is an espe-
cially fine season for American hops.
-Sei-i-Kwai, a medical journal of
Japan, points out the benefits to both
countryside sucking of child till it's
sixth year. The mother is herself bene-
flied by unusual care of diet and
health while nursing, and the children
are remarkably free from ricketts,,
tubercular meningitis and wasting dis
cases.
The statistics of the senior class mt
Yale college this year, furnished by the
class history, raise the que 'tion as to
the effects of hard study on the eyes.
Out of class of 1855 there are - who
wear glasses, and of these 2s have
taken to their use since entering cob
lege. The average age of the class In
about twenty-five years, and yet nearly
one-third of them are compelled al
ready to reinforce their eycs.-N. Y.
Medical Record
Some very Industrious students Of
microscopy, rs applied to medical prob
lens have been Offering pretty strong
evidence that parasites are the origin
of malignant and cancerous tumors; so
the Pathological society of London ap-
pointed a committee to investigate the
evidence, which committee unanimous
ly reports, that Notwithstanding the
labor expended, the point is not proven
the parasites are not demonstrated.
"A recent writer in the Magazine of
Natural History asks whether ants
talk, and relates that he saw drove
of small black ants moving apparently
to new quarters Every time two met
they put their heads together as though
they were chatting. To investigate
the matter he killed one, and the eve
witnesses of the murder fastened away
and laid their heads together with
every ant they met. The latter imme-
diately turned back and fled.
According to Mr.. Tegetmeicr, the
rabbit in Australia has been forced by
his environment to alter his European
habits The fore paws of some have
already become adapted for climbing
trees in search of the food which they
cannot find on the ground, and others
have begun to litter on the bare earth.
The antipodean rabbit also enters the
water and swims very well, both dur
ing his migrations and when he Is pur-
sued.
The seventh report of the Massa-
chusetts bureau of labor statistics af-
fords striking evidence of the trend of
modern industry to abandon great
number of small local concerns in favor
of large and well-equipped establish.
ments. 1t is stated that the total value
N as ss ID ssg 81 S5a sstaB H.
lishments was 5000, 444, OF; on the other
hand, the value of goods made and
work done in the same state in 1899 by
4, 935 establishments was $675, 1921, 503.-
Boston Globe.
Malaria is responsible for half the
deaths of all mankind, according to
DR.. H. NJ. Clark From his experience
in India he learns that malaria Is not
confined to rich, low-lying soils but ~
found even in sandy deserts. The ne
groes of the grain coast of western Afri-
ca and the Taurus of northern India arc
the only races proof against it. Both
modern medicine and sanitation arc
powerless in dealing with it. Sug-
gested preventives are the flooding of
swamp lands and the planting trees
that will retain water and shade the
soil-such as the plantain and banana,
but not the eucalyptus.
The use of coffee as a disinfectant
is generally known. but it Is doubtful
il the ma joritv of people are aware of
its true value in this direction They
probably know that IL is handy and
harmless: but besides these qualities it
is really one of the most powerful and
effective agents known, as has been
shown by repeated experiments. In
one case a quantity OF meat was placed
in n close room and allowed to decoin-
pose. A chatting dish was then intro
duced and 500 grams of coffee wese
thrown on the fire. In Il few minutes
the room had been en- tirely disinfected.
In another room the fumes of sulphur
eted hydrogen and ammonia were de-
velopcd and the smell-which no words
can express--was destroyed in half n
minute by the use of ninety grams of
coffee. housekeeping.
There is lobster farm-or pound,
as il is Gale twelve miles in extent
at Southport. Me. This pound Is the
most successful on the coast, whence
1000. 900 Holsters are shipped each year.
The pound is formed by building o.
solid dam across tidc-water cove.
This dam does not quite rise to high
water mark. but across the top is
placed fence of iron rods. permitting
"a daily change of water AID prevent
ing the Holsters from escaping. In the
spring and fall business is most brisk
When the fishermen bring the Holsters
TO the pound the fish" as they are
called. are hoisted TO the dam. meas
ured and those which are more than
1917 inches long the legal limit, are
thrown in. II lobster is clever his
life in the pound may be long and full