The Van Buren press., 1893-04-29
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.


United States during 1892 is estimated
at ss. 600, 0oO, ,o0o, OF which the largest
item is $3.50, 900, 600 worth OF hay The
animal products. including meats, dairy
products poultry and eggs and wool,
are placed at s965, ,000, 600 more.
"A member of the French Academy
of Sciences has placed before that body
some specimens of diamonds made from
ordinary carbon which he crystalized.
While the specimens of the crystals ex-
hibited are very small, it is claimed
that they exhibit all the perfections OF
the real diamond.
Asbestos was discovered Mt very
remote period of history. 1t was known
to the Greeks in the time OF Herodotus,
and the Pompeiians left samples OF it
entombed in melted lava. In 1850 ex-
periments were systematically made in
Italy as to its fre-resisting properties
It is now used in the manufacture OF
cement rubber cloth, felt, twine wick
ing, yarns, roofing, rope, mats, stove
Innings, boards tubes, etc. 1t is found
in nearly every part of the globe.
The Geographical club of Philadcl-
delphia has decided to take an active
part in promoting the next expedition
of Lieut.. Peary toward the North Pole,
| and has agreed upon plan for raising
es, 900 or SO, 900 of the $40, 900 or SIS. 600
that will be required. In return Mr..
Peary proposes to turn over to the club
whatever collection of scientific value
he may make in the Arctic region.-N.
Y. Tribune
The supplies Of winter vegetables
received in the east from southern Cali
fornia are much larger than in previous
years, and have assumed large proper
tions During January the southern
California railway shipped to the east
over 2, 600, 600 pounds more of cabbages,
caulifowers and celery than in the
same month last year, en- increase of
100 per cent. These supplies come from
California, where the industry is grow
ing in the ratio of the increasing de-
mand.
DIR. Sheldon jackson tells the Inde-
pendent that it is impossible that the
salmon berry OF Alaska should get its
name from its being put up in salmon
OIL There is, he says, no such thing as
salmon oil in use there. The only oil
used is made from the dogfish. the her
ring and the Uliean fish. It gets its
name, says DIR. Jackson, from the color
of the berry. There are two varieties
of berries, one of which is reddish, aud
the other pure salmon color
The production of mercury reaches
about 55, 900 to 60, 600 frascos per annum.
The frascos are enormous bottles of
cast iron, which contain four arrobes
of about twenty-five pounds each. Each
bottle, which measures twenty-five CEN
timeters in height by sixth in width,
weighs, when filed, about 100 pounds
The workmen at present employed
number about 1000. There are also
l.00o worlmen who are employed out
of the mines with machinery, furnaces,
transports and other works.
1t is the Old World saying that
..the pigs can see the wind.' their be-
havior long before any disturbance of
the atmosphere status quo has reached
our senses implying that they arc in
possession of faculties we know not Of.
Precisely as the cat can hear and the
dog can smell things that escape our
organs, SO does the vulture see objects
that elude our sight. and the domestic
fowl possess capacities of divination
denied to her superiors. To him who
has watched the fields it is no unusual
thing to have seen the cattle take pre-
cautions against shower before any
premonition of its coming had other
wise reached him. and the sheep seek
the shelter of the wood or of hillside,
in preparation for disturbances of the
atmosphere that to us have made no
sign.
One of the recent industries added
to the already numerous manufactures
carried on in Chemnitz Saxony, is the
production of curtains made Of Iudia
rubber as the main ingredient The
material employed for this purpose con-
sists of rs per cent of India rubber, s
per cent of wool dust, per cent OF
pulverzed fruit stones 10 per cent OF
bleached amber varnish and 5 per cent
of bleached leather waste to these
being also added, if deemed necessary,
quantity OF infusorial earth. The
various substances thus named are
together worked up with bisulphide OF
carbon in the most perfect manner into
thick mass. and from this are rolled
out thin leaves, which are capable of
being decorated with the greatest vari-
ETY. of ornamental patterns, and several
of these leaves are combined to form q
curtain.