The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-02-09
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

I'm thunderstorm it is unsafe TO
take refuge under a white poplar. as
that tree seems to attract lightning
NJ. Ovaroff, a scientist OF Moscow,
suggests that householders be COM
PEELED to plant a white poplar before
each residence to prevent the houses
from being fired by lightning
A fine specimen of the egg of
Epyornis, the extinct giant bird of
Madagascar, and obtained from South
ern Madagascar, was exhibited at re-
cent meeting of the Geological society of
London. twill be remem bered that this
egg is about thirteen inches long and Of
the capacity of $50 hens eggs.
-Co-operative or joint stock farming
is being conducted on a large scale in
the region of the Dombes lying between
Bourg- Enbresse and Lyons, France.
Plantations, drainage, artificial ma
nures have in twenty years reduced the
area of marsh land by two-thirds, in
creased the population by one-third,
and in the same proportion diminished
mortality"
The staple of food for the 500, 900
natives of Natal and the Zulus alone is
white corn. 1t is ground into a coarse
meal and boiled with water, making or
binary porridge. Last years corn crop
was good one leaving $50 900 bushels
for export, but this year there is a short
age of 200, 900 bushels. An Importation of
corn began before the close of last year.
No living germ of disease can re-
sist the antiseptic power of essence of
cinnamon for more than a few hours y"
is the conclusion announced by NJ.
Cham berland as the result of prolonged
research and experiment in VI. Pasteur's
laboratory. 1t is said to destroy mi
crobes as effectively, if not as as rapid
ly as corrosive subimate. Even the
scent of it is fatal to microbes, and NJ.
Cumberland says a decoction of cinna-
mon should be taken freely by persons
living in places affected by typhoid or
cholera.
Recent reports, mainly in the ma
ture of sober statements of facts indi-
Gates a considerable quantity of gold in
Nova Scotia, AT Caribou, Halifax
county, the first week of this month, a
smelted from trifle more than thirty
tons of quartz The gold was worth
SIS, 900, and represented a clear profit
of S14, 900 over working expenses. Four
teen men were just twenty-six days get
ting out the quartz K is estimated
that the principal gold strike there is
worth 125 ounces to the ton of quartz
IN 10 4
miles of railroad were built in the
United States. This brings the total
railway mileage of the United States
up TO Ia, coo miles, or about ~ per cent
of the total railway mileage of the
world. The longest line constructed
was the Pacific extension of the St
Paul, Minneapolis K Manitoba railroad
to Puget sound, Dos miles, completing
another transcontinental route. No
railway was built in five states: but
one mile was built in Kansas, and the
greatest mileage was built in ashing-
ton, APO miles
There are very important evidences
of internal heat derived from the uni
versal phenomenon of a fairly uniform
increase of temperature in all deep
wells, mines, borings or tunnels. This
increase has been usually reckoned as
degree F. for each go feet of descent,
but a recent very careful estimate by
Prof. Prestwich, derived from the whole
of the available data, gives degree +.
for every AS feet of descent. 1t is a
curious indication of the universally of
this increase that even in the coolest
parts of Siberia, where the soil is frozen
to depth of go feet, there is a steady
increase in the temperature of this
frozen soil from the surface downward