The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-07

Is prevalent lQed blldI bOUdCOOJ 1AOiA
which snuff is made, is almost entirely OBJ
tanned from the tobacco plant. This is
mistake. Much manipulation is necessary
in the curing of the leaf and the fitting OF
it for snuff-making. For certain brands
of snuff the tobacco is mixed with scents,
licorice and molasses before being dried
and powdered. It is stated that in snuffs
alone one factory uses up 3O,0OO,000 roses
O year. 1t takes 10000 roses to make one
ounce of altar of roses, and the establish
ment mention buys 5000 ounces year. so
powerful is this perfume that 1t overpowers
the weaker although still strong odor OF
the tobacco. The manufacture OF snuff IS
very elaborate The main processes are
the cutting of the tobacco leaf, the fer
menting, the baking, the powdering, the
seeming and the packing, but there are at
least score of lesser operations before the
product is shipped to the dealer.
WooD CLoTHING.-Some of the Japanese
soldiers wear paper clothing. which proves
very durable, so it is hardly surprising
that q French chemist should have hit
upon method of producing artificial cot
ton from wood cellulose. The cellulose is
heated under pressure in a closed vessel
with zinc chloride, hydrochloric and acetic
acids, a little rice OIL caseine and gelatine.
A pasty mass is thus obtained, which is
placed in cylinder and expelled through
the base of the latter by means of a heavily
loaded piston The threads as they issue
are led first between two hot rolls, then
into weak solution of washing soda, and
finally between another pair of drying
rolls. The material weaves aud dyes well.
The strength of the cotton" is said to be
much increased by parchmentizing. AS
this cloth is waterproof and extremely
light, it has been suggested that it would
form an excellent material for the cloth
ing of the masses in India. In connection
with the subject of wood pulp, contem-
porary points out that the imports of that
substance into Manchester, England, dur
ing the month of March were the largest
on record, and show an increase, compared
with the previous month, OF more than
20, 900 bales.
JAPANESE SH1PPING.-The enormous de-
velopmeht in ship building of which
America gives promise adds interest to
paper which has been published in Eng
land on Japanese Shipping" The paper
contains many points which can be profit
ably considered by American ship builders.
In single generation the Japanese have
in many cases dispensed with their Euro
pean professors and teachers and are going
their own warships and engines, and there
are signs that they mean to become ship
building nation. They are building almost
all their own vessels. In 1892 there were
ffty-three ship-building yards in Japan,
turning out vessels for trading purposes on
modern lines 1t is said that vessel of
1000 tons can be built in Japan for about
S. a ton less than in Europe.
IMPROVED LAUNDRY MAcHINE-An i'm
proved ironing machine has appeared for
cuffs, collars and shirts. In the ordinary
ironing machine the table has to be re-
versed by moving the belt, which loses a
great deal of time. In the improved ironer
the table is moved by means of friction
pulleys, and is reversed or sent forward by
a simple arrangement operated by the foot.
The roller is so arranged that 1t can be
raised or lowered at will without the neees-
sity of repadding the table. The heating
apparatus has also been advantageously
modified and contains a special gas burner,
which admits equal parts of gas and air,
giving an even distribution of heat and do
ing away with smoky rollers, which are
usually such a source of trouble in ma
chimes of this class.
SALTS OF COPPER IN THE CULTURE OF Po-
TAToEs-The scare as to poisoned food
WHICH CTOpS up AIlully has VI ldIo IdhSH
for its object the employment of salts of
copper for the culture of potatoes and
vines, and it has been insinuated that
grapes and tubers grown in this way were
by no means harmless. AS generally hap
pens in such cases, as soon as the subject
has been thoroughly investigated its alb
surdity becomes apparent. M. Anne Gil
ward has made series of chemical an
alyses, and finds that there is not the
slightest grounds for the supposition that
salts of copper could impart to the fruit or
vegetable any poisonous qualities. The
trace of copper obtained from the ashes
of the incinerated grapes and potatoes is too
small to be of any Importance.
To PREVENT THE BLOWING OF SAND.-En-
gineers having in charge works on the
sea coast or lin sandy districts are some
times confronted with the problem of so
controlling the sand that it shall not shift
and blow away under the influence of high
winds. For this purpose the Dutch Gov
eminent has suggested the planting of a
special kind of broom, the sea reed and
the upright sea line grass on dunes and
along the sandy banks of rivers. 1t is I'M
certain whether this would prove effective
in dry and hot climate.
The Largest American Oak.