Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1900-08-31
EklA@SCienCe
s. ; Es,esSssI11VentiOn

The fact that many profitable peach
orchards exist on the eastern shore of
Lake Michigan is explained by Nj. B.
White as due to the influence of the
lake in moderating the temperature
along its eastern coast This influence
is less decided on the western side, the
general direction of atmospheric move
ments being from west to east.
The average dietary of individuals in
different countries varies greatly. An
English statistician, R. F. Crawford,
tinds that an inhabitant of the United
Kingdom consumes much more meat
than Belgian, Frenchman or German,
but in smaller proportion Of bread and
potatoes. More bread and less meat
are eaten in Belgium than in any other
country considered, while French pc
culiarity is the apparent small use of
milk.
The experience of the French troops
In the Sahara has shown that dark
colored horses bear great atmospheric
heat much better than do those of a
that the same fact has been demon
strated in India, and adds that tropical
animals generally have darker coats
than are found upon those living in cold
climates Similarly the darkest-hued
races Of mankind inhabit the warmer
countries.
Before meeting Of the Biographical
Society of Washington, w. A. Orton
described the result of experiments
made to determine the cause of flow
of maple sap in early spring. His con-
clusiOn was that the flow has me-
chanical cause, being due to the in
creasing heat which expands the gases
in the wood cells, and thus forcibly
expels the sap. This contradicts the
view that the flow of sap Is due only to
physiological action in the plant.
The records of the Geological Survey
in Washington establish the fact that
the loftiest known mountain in North
America is Mount Mckinley in Alaska
about 200 miles from the shore Of Cook
Inlet. The aboriginal name of the peak
Is Tralega. 1t is 2O,464 feet high. This
Is not far from the elevation of Mount
Chimborazo, the highest peak of the
Andes, and is 2,440 feet greater than
that of Mount st. Elias, which was at
one time believed to be our loftiest
mountain.
1t is known to everybody that silk is
electrified by friction. Acting upon
the suggestion thus furnished French
savant, Monsieur Henry has made ex-
periments which show that the cleo
trification of the air enclosed in q It's
sue Of silk produces a circulation of it's
particles which tends to equalize the
temperature. A similar effect is OBJ
servable In wool, and hence the supe-
riority of silk and wool for garments
Intended to protect the body against
yicissitudes Of climate.
While Asia has the loftiest mountains
in the world, 1t also possesses the deep
est and most extensive land depres-
sions, several of them, as Is well
known sinking below sea-level, so that
If the ocean could flow into them they
would be filed to the brim. In the
deepest parts of most of them water
now stands, forming small seas. Others
are destitute Of water. Among these
Is the Lukchun depression in Central
Asia, concerning which Gen. Tillo
writes, in the Proceedings Of the Rus
sian Geographical Society,"" that in
places it sinks as much as 400 feet be-
low sea-level. This sink-hole in the
middle Of the largest of the continents
is also remarkable for its meteorolog-
ical features, the yearly amplitudes Of
the barometer being greater than are
recorded anywhere else on earth. In
summer the temperature rises to Sa-
haran heat, record Of 11S degrees
Fahrenheit having been obtained in
July, while the air is Of desert dryness.