The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-04-27
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

United States during 1892 is estimated
at IS, oOo OOO 900, of which the largest
item is $3.50, 900, 900 worth of hay. The
animal products, Including meats, dairy
products poultry and eggs and wool,
are placed at 1865, OoO 900 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 projections of
the real diamond.
Asbestos was discovered at 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 fire-resisting properties
1t is now used in the manufacture of
cement. rubber cloth, felt, Irvine, wick
ing, yarns, roofing, rope, mats, stove
Innings, boards, tubes, etc. 1t is found
in ncarly every part of the globe.
The Geographical club of Philadel-
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
81, 900 or $40, 900 of the $40, 900 or SIS, 900
that will be required In return Mr..
Peary proposes to turn over to the club
whatever collection of scientific value
he nay 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
tons During January the southern
California railway shipped to the east
over ., 900, 900 pounds more of ca bbages,
caulitiowers and celery than in the
same month last year, an 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 indie
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 dogfsh, the her
ring and the Ulican fish. 1t gets its
name, says DIR. jackson, from the color
of the berry. There are two varieties
of berries, one of which is reddish, and
the other pure salmon color
The production of mercury reaches
about IS, 900 to go, 900 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 filled, about 100 pounds
The workmen at present employed
number about 1000. There are also
1000 worlSmen 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 disturba of
the atmosphere status quo has reached
our senses implying that they are 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 it's 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 India
rubber as the main ingredient. The
material employed for this purpose con-
sists of IS per cent. of India rubber,
per cent of wool dust, per cent. of
pulverzed fruit stones, 10 per cent of
bleached amber varnish and 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 bisalphide of
carbon in the most perfect manner into
a 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 a
curtain.