The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1900-03-08
|g)MSClenCe
|s2sse4l1veantiOn

Sycose, having a sweetening power
$50 times greater than that Of sugar,
Is the newest substitute offered In dia-
bette conditions.
Stain of banana juice is almost indeli-
BILE. 1t does not proceed from the stalk
or plant, but exists In the green fruit
as well. from which. when cut or
bruised, 1t exudes In the shape of yiscid
or cream-like drops.
Monsieur Salome, French artist,
mixes his colors with petroleum In
stead of turpentine and drying oil, and
he thinks he has made an improve
ment. The colors are first ground In
oil, and then rendered with petroleum.
The reason kettles sing is very sim
pie one. As the water gets hot. little
bubbles Of steam are formed at the
bottom Of the kettle. These in their
rush upwards strike the sides of the
kettle, and set the metal 1t is made of
in vibration, thus causing the hum
ming sound we call singing You will
notice that a large copper kettle. the
sides of which are thin, will emit a
much louder and more musical note
than common iron kettle.
A new dredge for use on the Volga
river, in Russia, has just been built and
Is constructed In two parts so as to
pass through the canal system leading
from the Baltic. Each half Is ZIG feet
long, 31a feet wide and 8 feet deep, and
each half can be operated separately,
making bottom cut 81 feet wide. The
dredge has steel bulls and is propelled
and controlled by electrical machinery
generated by American boilers fired
with naphtha.
In the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand,
Is one of the most extraordinary ISL
ands In the world. 1t is called White
Island, and consists mainly of sulphur
linked with gypsum and a few other
minerals. Over the island, which Is
about three miles in circumference, and
which rises between 500 and 900 feet
above the sea, floats continually an
immense cloud of vapor attaining an
elevation of 10000 feet. In the center
is boiling lake of acid-charged water,
covering fifty acres, and surrounded
with blow-holes from which steam and
sulphurous fumes are emitted with
great force and noise. With care a
boat can be navigated on the lake. The
sulphur from White Island is very pure,
but little effort has yet been made to
procure 1t Systematically.
Young long-leaf pines, according to
Mr. Pinchot of the Department of Agri-
culture, protect themselves against for
est fires In most interesting and re-
markable manner. For four or FIVE
years the stems of the infant trees at
tain a height of only as many inches
above the soil. During this time their
bark is extraordinarily thick, and that
alone gives some protection. But in
addition, the long needles spring up
above the stem, and then bend over on
eall sides "in green cascade which
tails to the ground In a circle about the
seeding" This green barrier can with
difficulty be made to burn, while the
shade that 1t casts prevents lnfamma-
bile grass from growing near the pro-
Etected stem. Mr.. Pinchot thinks that 1t
lis owing TO this peculiar system of self
protection which the pine seedlings
have developed that the growth of ever
green oaks In Florida has been restrict
ed in regions where fires have ragged
while our pine forests have taken their
place.