Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1901-04-13
EtsN5CienCe
n 4 10 40
) essI1verltiOrl

Telephone communication has been
established between st. Michael and
Nome by means of a temporary sub
marine cable. The toll is 81 for ten
words
1t has been demonstrated by actual
experiments, observes Science and In
dustry, that many of our wild forest
plants produce seeds that when buried
in the earth retain vitality for ten to
thirty years.
Recently an institution was opened
in Belgium for the alleged cure of tu-
berculosis by the exclusive raw meat
diet After a trial of few months the
experiment was abandoned, as it was
found that there was no efficacy in the
Richet cure.
Various scientific departments in En-
gland recently held a conference in
which they sought to obtain govern
ment powers for protecting the delicate
instruments in the Kew and Green
witch observatories from any magnetic
disturbances that arise from the work
Ing of electric tramways and railways
in their vicinity.
The hunming noise produced by the
bees and flies expresses musical no
tation. Thus the common house fly
often produces the sound f. In order
to do this the creature must vibrate
It's wings 81, 120 times a minute or 1856
times a second. The honey bee fire.
quently produces the sound A, and
vibrates it's wings 26,4Q0 times min
ute or 40 times a second. In this way
one can ascertain the number of vibra-
tons the little creatures are produc-
ing with their wings by finding out
what note they are humming.
The Rev. j. NJ Bacon, F. R. s., pro-
poses to make a balloon ascent during
one of the thick, impenetrable fogs
which visit London during the winter
months. He proposes to ascend to the
higher limits of the fog and to explore
scientifically its constitution. He also
proposes to discharge small cartridges
of guncotton at great heights, in order
to ascertain whether the conclusion
W III hlSlohSC vi st lut IOS Ill dhJ
way. He has carried out several ex-
periments with similar cartridges for
acoustical purposes, at varying alti-
tudes.
Mr.. E. N. Buxton, in discussing the
question of the preservation of big
game in Africa, points out the great
difficulty of protecting elephants, on
account of the high market value of
their tusks, and then aV4rs that per-
sonally he is opposed t9the destruc-
ton of elephants at all, SE the gro,gpd
that, valuable as they are for their
ivory, they might be still more valuable
as weight carriers. The idea of en-
ploying elephants as domestic animals
of burden is not new and many have
testified to the patient and effective
manner in which they apply their enor-
nous strength in the service Of man.
An age as great as 5000 years has
sometimes been ascribed to the giant
trees of California. Prof. Charles E.
Bessey, of the University of Nebraska,
regards this estimate as very much ex-
aggerated. He says that he once
counted with great care the rings of
growth of tree felled in 1853, and
which was fully "a or % feet in dame
ter, so that it's stump served as the
floor of dancing pavilion. The rings
numbered 1,147, and that number
would represent the age of the tree In
years. Prof. Bessey adds that he
gravely doubts whether any of the ex-
listing trees approach the age Of 1000
years.