The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1902-12-10
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

maintains laboratory In which ques.
tions like that of obtaining economy
in feeding horses are studied. The first
managers of the company used only
hay, oats and straw, as food. During
recent years the ration has been mixed
with horsebeans. locust beans, oilcake,
etc. and the price of the daily ration
has thus been diminished from nearly
three francs TO about $40 francs. In
1855 the cost was about 2 $40; In
1857, 2 $40; In 1878, 2 2.10; in 1889,
2, and In 1900 1 $40 francs. The food
Is chopped and thoroughly mixed be-
fore using.
One Of the government forest on.
GERS In Cape Colony, South Africa,
suggests the advisability of planting
forests Of quick-growing trees for fuel.
1t would be cheaper, he says, than
importing coal The eucalyptus tree
would furnish an excellent wood, and
IL planted on tropical mountains,
would produce at the rate Of 20 tons
of fuel year per acre. But tree
might be found that would. In sunny
latitudes, with plenty of rainfall, pro.
duce twice as much as that, and this
would give the world the equivalent
Of at least 30 times it's present con-
sumption OF coal.
A young Brussels physician named
Leureaux says he has discovered the
serum of whooping cough, which is
injected under the skin in the abdom.
inal region. From the experiments
which he has conducted hitherto the
Injection appears to be quite harm.
less. The first effects are apparent
about 4S hours after the incubation.
The serum produces an early cessation
of the coughing fits and consider.
able diminution of the normal period
OF illness. II the Injection IL made i'm
mediately on the manifestation Of the
usual symptoms, the malady can be
cured in eight or 10 days. The usual
course is from six to eight weeks.
IL Is proposed to use electric light
signals at night and flags by day to
warn the fruit growers of the Santa
Clara valley as to the approaching
weather conditions. Professor A. q.
McAdie, OF the Weather Bureau, at
San Francisco has suggested that dur.
ing the months OF February, March
and April the orchardists be warned
by colored lights OF the approach of
frosts, which would enable them to
smudge by burning oil, etc. During
the September, October and Novem-
Der the approach OF showers could be
indicated. An electric tower, 220 feet
in height, located In San Jose, Cal,
can be seen over the greater part Of
the county.
The experiment, made several years
ago, of demonstrating foxes on the is.
lands off the coast of Alaska has
proved In every way successful. About
30 islands are now used as fox farms
with 800 to 1000 foxes on each farm
The animals soon become tame enough
TO have no fear of their keepers, and
readily assemble at feeding places
when called. The object of the farming
Is to provide pelts for the market the
animals being killed for that purpose
when they reach the right age. The
scheme originated In desire to pre-
serve the much-valued blue fox, which
was In danger of extermination, and
1t is suggested that other fur-bearing
animals might be farmed In the same
way.
A very ingenious seml-automatic
train indicator has been installed In
the Grand Central Station, New York
City. The novel feature of this indica.
tor is that when perforated card, the
holes In which correspond with the
stations at which any given train is
scheduled to stop. is placed In the bot
tom Of the device and a lever actuated,
all the stations appear on the indicator.
These cards are interchangeable In
the indicators provided for the differ
ent tracks, so that, no matter on what
track the train goes out, the corre-
spending indicator can be used by
simply inserting the proper perforated
card. In addition the name of the train
and the time of leaving are also indi-
Gated. Each indicator contains any
where from one to so, and a slot in
three sides, so that 120 stations can be
indicated on any one machine of this
size. To increase the capacity to
twice that number the indicators are
hung on hinpas like doors and two
placed in each frame. The South Sta.
tion, at Boston. also has its 2S tracks
equipped with these indicators. The
secret of operation is that each per.
foration in the card operates a cor.
responding vertical rod to the indica-
tor and this by means of lever
changes the destination slots.