The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1894-06-02
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

| The gold product of west Australia
last year was double that of the previ-
GUS twelve months The total export
for the year was 10, 391 ounces The
prospects for the present year are most
promising.
Etching on glass was discovered by
an old gentleman named George
Schwankered. of Nuremberg, who. to
his own great disgust, spoiled his spec
tacles by splitting aquafortis on them
| and made fortune out of the accident
"A scientific observer says that it is
not improbable that Mashonaland was
the Ophir of the Bible, since the guam
tity of gold then used was so enormous
that no old world country except South
Africa was capable of supplying the
demand.
Measures are being taken by the
authorities of Crete to revive the silk
industry of the island. which was once
flourishing. but which has been dwind-
| ling for some years owing to the use Of
bad seed. A good supply is to be fur
nished free.
"A good extemporized apparatus for
removing carbonic acid gas from wells
is simply an opened-out umbrella let
down and rapidly hauled up number
of times in succession. The person who
made and reports this experiment
states that the effect was to remove the
gas-in few minutes from well SO
foul as to instantly extinguish candle
previous to the use of the umbrella.
The total sales of shares in the
New York Stock Exchange in 1892
were 7S.215, 74S; in 1891 were 66. 045, 217;
in 1890 were Sc, 1915, 1866; in 1889 were
60, S23, 904; in 1883 were SO. S45, 722; in
1887 were IS. ,02s; in 1886 were 102,-
$50, so4; in 1885 were 90. 900, 707; in 1884
were 6,s65, S25; in 1883 were 90, 037. 9O5;
in 1882 were 113, 7aO, 655; in 1881 were
113, 392, 6s5; in 1850 were 81, 200. 900; and
in 1879 were "A, 1866, 652.
The pitcher plants are so-called
from having a receptacle containing
clear water. The sides of the pitcher
are covered with a sweetish secretion
possessing narcotic properties. If a
fly tastes, he becomes paraIyzed and
falls into the water, where he is
drowned. If not rendered entirely in.
sensible, he attempts to crawl out, but
is prevented from doing so by stiff
down-pointing bristles on the inside OF
the cup. 1t is believed that in some
way the bodies of captured insects
contribute to the nourishment of the
plant.
The cultivation and manufacture.
of jute has grown to immense proper
tions in India. In 1854 the exports
were 63,646. 900 bags and 7,049, 600 yards
of cloth; in 1892 they were 1913, 975, 900
bags and 100000, 900 yards of cloth. This
does not, Of course, represent the
whole of the manufactured jute trade,
for very large quantities of bags and
cloth are shipped from Calcutta to
other parts of India, and are used as
coverings for raw produce and manu-
featured goods exported There are
twenty-five jute mills in Bengal, with
6,s14 looms and III. 7ls spindles Over
66 1000 persons were employed in these
mills.
Humboldt made long series OF
very interesting experiments with re-
gard to the work and rest of plants
He exposed them to constant light. to
constant darkness, and to light and
darkness at irregular intervals differ
ent from those of nature. The plants
in continual light kept awake long
time and then seemed to be overcome
by fatigue and went to sleep; those
kept in darkness had irregular inter-
vals of rest and activity; those which
were exposed to conditions of light
and darkness different from their
usual were not long in adapting them
selves to the new state of affairs.