The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-06-22
C0rrs5p0ndencs Baltimore County Union.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

SCIENTIFIC MlSCELLAN1.
Atmospheric Electricity Necessary-sep-
aration Of Colors-Odd Uses Of Paper
Natural Death Unknown-A Pois on
Problem-A Platinum Substitute-Tne
New Fish-Farming-A Mine Retreat
Condensed Bean-Milk.
Summarizing the progress that has been made
in electro-culture, B. Tolksdorf. q German, finds
It fairly well proven that electricity is essential
to the growth Of vegetation, although the I'M
portant part played Is not yet understood. Prof.
Lemstrom has found that plants soon died under
& wire cage, which excluded atmospheric cleo
tricity, while freely admitting air, heat and
light. In Spitzbergen and Finnish Lapland
large crops are always connected with the early
appearance Of the Northern Lights. and in the
experiments that have been made-so far on a
small scale-the yield Of many plants has been
increased by an artificial supply Of electricity
and water. It is supposed that electricity slim
ulates the sap exchange of plants, while Lem
strOm has shown that it greatly magnifes capil-
larry power, thus probably enabling the plants to
take in more food from the ground.
~
To test our perception of hues, DR.. Eldridge
Green has devised special instrument, which
measures exactly the largest area of the spec
trum that seems to have one shade Of color. Hue
perception proves to be generally most accurate
in the yellow region, though sometimes in the
blue. with gradual diminution toward the CEN
ter and ends Of the spectrum, red being least
readily separated. The results accord with DIR.
Green's theory that color perception rests in
special brain centre, whose increased develop
ment adds to the number Of colors we see.
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Paper or wood-pulp has been used for wheels,
rails, cannon. paving bricks, water pipes, tele-
graph poles, lanterns. leather, textile fabrics,
COINS. barrels, milk bottles, straw hats sponges,
thread, porcelain, bullets, shoes, building boards,
paint. entire houses and even stoves that stood
fire well.
The idea that there is no natural death is fas-
cinating learned biologists. In the lowest or
ganisms. those of single CELL the individual is
reproduced By splitting into two parts, each of
which becomes q new living body, and the dis
tinguished Ellie Metchnikoff has ventured the
view that this form of life is immortal. Death
comes only by accident. Going further Naegeli,
German botanist, decides that there is no nat
ural death in the plant world and that trees liv-
ing thousands Of years are. destroyed at last by
catastrophe or some external action. Prof.
Loeb sees no certain evidence of natural death
although the cessation of life in certain eggs of
the sea-hedgehog few hours after being dis
charged may be such. Metchnikof rejects this
possible exception as accidental death, resulting
from kind Of starvation, and agrees that natur-
al death Is unproven. The so-called deaths from
old age, gentle and painless. prove to be violent
the action OF disease microbes being revealed by
LESSONS of the internal organs.
a*s
Mysterious poisonings that occur occasionally
to farm stock have been traced to the develop
ment Of prussia acid in fodder plants Dr. J. w.
Leather, in India, has found that green jowari
(Andropogum sorghum) fax, and the Rangoon
and certain other BEANS and the tapioca plant
contain glucosides that produce prussic acid
when acted upon by particular engine, and
that this ferment becomes active only under
rare conditions, when the ordinarily wholesome
plants become suddenly poisonous. Young jo-
wari that had proven fatal to cattle showed lbs
grains of prussic acid to the pound of green
fodder.
A new alloy. which serves electricians as
substitute for platinum consists of 16X ounces
Of silver, AZ pounds Of nickel, Il ounce of bis
muth and 50 pennyweights of gold. The cost is
about one-thirtieth Of that of platinum.
-.
One apple stump of an Oregon farmer has been
successfully grated with % varieties of fruit,
including peaches, plums, prunes and even some
nuts.
The late German fishery experiments promise
quite revolutionary results The test extending
over several months have shown that deep-sea
fishes may be acclimatized in fresh water, and
may be made to live and breed in our rivers.
Whiting, sole, herring, founders and other salt
water fish were first placed in pond of salt
water. Fresh water was then added gradually
until the salt was all carried away, but the fish
continued healthy and active. with no apparent
change. The effect upon habits and general
characteristics can be told only after the lapse
Of considerable time. The extensive introduce
ton of deepsea fish into ponds and rivers is next
in order. and with supplies near at hand in inte-
rior localities, the fishery industry is expected
to be transformed within few years.
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The ''rescue chamber is a safety provision of
some Of the large Austrian mines. tits strong
ly-timbered retreat, and its single entrance has
door that can be made tight against air and
water by means of rubber fittings. 1t has three
cylinders of oxygen, sufficient to enable thirty
men to breathe three days. Inhalation gear is
ct hand for parties leaving the chamber for re-
connaisance or signalling, and canned food, med
icines and frstraid appliances are also kept in
the place. The standard room will accommo-
date "a men for a reasonable time for rescue.
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A vegetable milk is prepared by the Japanese
from soy beans, which are soaked, crushed and
boiled In water, the resulting liquid resembling
cows milk, but differing much in composition.
It contains 92.5 per cent. of water, 3.O2 of pro-
tein, 213 of fat and SS of nitrogenfree extract.
A condensed milk is now made by T. Katayama
by adding sugar and a little dipotassium phos-
phate, and then evaporating. The yellowish
product, having an agreeable taste of cows milk
with slight odor of beans, is recommended as
cheap substitute for ordinary condensed milk.
EcmA mr. rcuur 1909