Amador ledger., 1906-05-11


Water Penetrated Glass. s.-Pulver-
lied Milk.-Body Education.-An
Artificial Voice.
In the new theory of A. Debierne, a
French physicist, phosphorescence is
due to the formation of a new sub
stance, which makes up small pro-
portion of the whole mass. This new
substance may persist after phosphor-
esoonce has ceased, but when the tenn
pearture is raised to a ertain point it
is deomposed, giving up in thermo-
luminescence the energy stored up in
its formation. This heat glow is usu-
ally colored, when 1t is not, the new
substance is assumed to be either col
orless or of the same color as the or
iginal mass. When there is no ther-
moluminescence, the new substance,
which may vary with the exciting ra-
diation, is probably decomposed as
fast as formed.
Investigating the dispersal of seeds
by the winds, DR. Ridley, of the Sin
gapore Botanic Gardens, forms three
groups. L. winged fruits and seeds,
which are dispersed most slowly and
cannot cross a wide sea; 2. plumed
fruit and seeds, which may travel rap
idly over open country but are
checked by forest; and 3. powder or
dust seeds, snch as orchid seed, fern
spores, etc., which are dispersed read
lily and to great distance. 1t was cal
culated that certain forest tree with
winged fruit, would travel 300 yards
in century and would take one and
a half million years to spread from
the Malay peninsula to the Philip
pines If there we're land connection.
The humble bees of Nebraska have
been found by M. H. Swenk to in
clude not less than eighteen species.
belonging to three genera. This is a
greater variety than has teen recorded
for the entire United States east of
the Mississippi river.
An effort to follow the wanderings
of fishes, about which we know so lit
tie, is being made by the British
Marine Biological Association. A
mum bered tag has Eeen fastened to
many plaice, which have been re-
turned to the water, and about twenty
per cent of these marked fishes seem
to have been caught again and return
ed to the Association. AS a rule,
only the larger fishes migrate to any
considerable distance, the smaller
ones remaining at home. The mi
grants go south in winter and return
northward in summer, and one plaice
was foundt have travelled 175 miles
in six weeks, while another was
caught DAD miles from the spot where
it was placed in the water eight
months before.
The saving of the vast amount of
plant-food now carried away by the
rivers is great problem tor the
future agricultural chemist. In one
estimate the silt borne off by the
Mississippi in one year is placed at
443, $780, 900 tons, and analysis has
shown Mr.. G. H. Stone that in this
quantity there must be 8, 120, 625 tons
of lime, 1851, $50 tons of potash,
l, 100, 375 tons of phosphoric acid, and
665, 625 tons of nitrogen, besides soda
and other materials of uncertain use
fulness. The value of the fertilizinl
material removed IN one year by this
one river alone is estimated at about
1000 million dollars.
Deficient hearing is regarded by DR.
Lichtemberg, of Budapest, as greater
danger in railroad engineers thai
color blindness. In 80 out of $50 rail
road employees he has found tn
hearing affected, and, as the ca
troubles are Liable to come on at an,
time, he urges that all persons in rail
road employ should be examines
every two years.
The collections of the steamer Alba
tross, of the United States Fis
Comm: m:ssion, include strong glas
spheres that have been sealed an
sunk Is, 600 feet or more into the sea
Some are now filled with sea- waite
forced through the pores of the glass
, some are partially filled, and som
, we're broken by the tremendous pres
: sure of 6600 pounds per square foot.
} Many have wondered how milk ca
be reduced to powder without chang
ing its properties. In the proces
} patented in Germany, the milk
t evaporated IN vacuum, with Col
] tinual agitation, until it contain
9 from % to 80 per cent of water, an
= then, with access of air, at temperi
S ture below the melting point of tt
e milk fat, until the water is reduce
: to 16 to 20 per cent. The product
t then powdered, further drying at tt
: temperature stated leaving not mo-
= than IA per cent of water. Th
!, method, it is explained, yields mil
g powder in which the fat is present
9 small globules, surrounded by drit
x "blue milk" which prevents the +
It from decomposing.
IS The need of physical training
n schools is emphasized by the resul
l. of recent medical examinations