Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-01-05
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
Potatoes In Germany-Genesis Of Sand
HiIIs-PossibIe Rock columns-Sew-
age Purified by Growing Organisms
A Novel AIarm-Man and Engine
PLANT Poisoning by Plant-A
New Sugar PIant-commercial Ra-
dunn.
The scientific culture Of potatoes Is
nowhere practiced as in Germany. In
that country, states Consul General
Mason, dozens of skillful and expert
enced growers give their whole time
and energy to the propagation OF I'M
proved varieties. and the conditions OF
soil, exposure or purpose for which
each Is best suited are we'll under
stood. Certain varieties excel for food
others for starch and dextrine, others
for alcohol, and yet others for STOCK
feeding. Many Of the best sorts are
new, but not more than twenty varie-
ties are included in the crop OF prac-
tical growers. although about 100 are
listed by dealers, and as many as 500
were catalogued as long ago as 1863.
In India, the town Of Karachi and
its suburb of Clifton. two or three
miles distant. are curiously threatened
with separation by the growth OF sand
hills. Mr.. r. D. Oldham traces the
growth of these dunes from small oval
patches of sand on the stony surface
and shows that even a slight deposit
may defect the air currents and pro-
duce a calm space and an eddy OF
slowly increasing size, with steady en-
largement of the sand accumulation.
Planting native grasses is among the
remedies to be tried.
The crushing strength Of rocks IN
dicates that there must be a limit TO
the possible height of mountains. Mr..
E. H. L. Schwartz calculates that the
lower layer would be crushed IN
column Of wet sandstone from two
thirds of mile to five miles high, one
of granite from four to seven and
half miles, and one Of felsite from
seven to nine miles.
The greatest authentic flight OF
carrier pigeon is given by Maurice Du-
solier as 1900 miles; the greatest long
distance speed, as So miles an hour
for GIT miles.
The biological study of sewage has
been studied for number Of years at
Hamburg by DR.. Dunbar. The vari-
Gus processes Of this kind depend up
on the removal from solution Of the
putrefactive matters through absorp-
ton by porous material, and upon sub
sequent oxidation by micro organisms.
Without the activity Of the organisms,
absorption soon ceases. The absorp-
ton, which increases with the fine
ness Of the material and usually at
tains the maximum effect in four to
six hours. proves to be a purely sur
face action independent Of chemical
attraction, and so powerful Is 1t that
sterile clinkers In contact beds with
draw from the liquid not only color
ing matters but also the complex nj
trogenous substance found in sewage.
An interesting example Of absorption
is furnished by DR.. Dunbar's percolat-
ing filter, in which one-half Of the pu-
rification takes place in the six inch
layer Of fine material on the surface.
An alarm clock for the deaf Is an In
teresting bit Of work by Tommy
Stringer, a blind, deaf and dumb scien-
tific student of New York. The alarm
attachment utilizes several means OF
awakening the sleeper. 1t shakes
pillow in his face. 1t lights a small In
candescent lamp having a mirror To-
cussing the rays into his eyes, and 1t
explodes a Illuminating cap with a
shock perceptible by the deaf at close
range. The apparatus may also serve
as a burglar alarm or to give indica-
ton Of fire by electric. thermostats.
Human power and machine power
are found by Prof. SCHNEIDER Of Ber-
lin university, to have been equal In
Germany in 1850, when the population
was 100000, one half being laborers
In 1895, with q population Of 56,o00,OOo
and the same proportion Of laborers.
the machine power had reached six
times the manual, or, according to-
some authorities, ten times.
Only 54 per cent of Germany's young
men are fit for military service. DR..
Stricken finds that heart disease has
increased 300 per cent In a decade.
While strong plants destroy weaker
ones by crowding. or by depriving
them Of air, light or food, 1t Is rather
surprising to hear that one plant may
poison another. In a recent case re-
ported in England, the plant called
Eumea elegans. which exhales a pow
erful odor of Russia leather, was
placed in a greenhouse near a peach
vine, when the nearest leaves Of the
latter began to wither and fall off.
The influence was felt even at consid-
cradle distance, the result being that
at last the young leaves were all strip
ped from the peach.
The new saccharine plant discover