The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1908-11-19
|kgAs Science
y / Nss!eIllyeTnltiorl

in some countries hOihoiy 10 the
Russian provinces north Of the eau
casus. the suniiower serves other pur-
poses besides ornamenting gardens with
It's huge golden BOSSES The seeds are
used 10 make OIL which Is employed
both IN the manufacture OF soap and
IN cooking. The stems and leaves are
burned and the ashes used TO make
potash. last year the sunnower fac
tories OF the Caucasus produced 1900
IONS Of potash.
There are something over 6.0O0 yarie-
ties OF orchids recognized and described
by the authorities IN the botanical gar
dens OF Hio de Janiero. very large
portion OF this list OF plants is COM
posed Of varieties which haze little or
no value from any standpoint Some
varieties are very common. while
great many 81 them are rare enough TO
command from SIS 10 $50 IN Brazil.
Other varieties are very rare and the
value Of specimens r. mostly fixed By
what collectors VIII pay FOR them. vary
Ing greatly from time 10 time. Probably
three-fourths OF the orchid-exporting
business. IN value. is Ia less than doz-
en varieties OF the plant.
Major Holder Is an Englishman who
has been wondering why the Barbadoes.
alone Of the Antilles. are free from ma
laria. He thinks Il must be because
the Barbados. alone Of the Antilles.
are free from gnats. But why no
gnafsf Because Of the Wild and beneh-
cent profusion Of fish called millions"
The millions eat the gnats while they're
stlll larra. Acting on Major Holders
theory. the Jamaieans the people OF
Colon and the colOnists Of British Gull
ana imported millions and the gnats
vanished. In Africa. where rage the
most deadly swamp fevers. millions are
employed with immense success. The
same means has been adopted by the
Italian government 10 rid the Roman
campagna OF It's insect foes.
Those who love experimentation may
try the following method OF making
cheap barometer. praeticed In France.
Take grams OF pnyerized camphor.
grams OF pulrerized nitrate Of potas-
stun. ? grams OF pulrerlzed nitrate Of
ammonia, and dissolve IN 90 grams Of
alcohol Put the whole IN long. slen-
der bottle closed az the top with
piece OF bladder containing a pin-hole
10 admit the air. when rain is coming.
the solid particles will tend gradually
10 mount. little star crystals forming In
the liquid. which otherwise remains
clear: n high winds are approaching. /
the liquid win become thick. as n fer
meniing. while a flm II solid particles
forms on the surface: during fair
weather the liquid viii remain clear
and the solid particles win rest at the
bottom.
Since the coiliery explosions az
conrrlcrcs. IN France. and the more
recent disasters In the United States
and elsewhere. q public demand has
becn awakened IN Europe for some kind
~ organized rescue work IN connection
with mines In Austria and France
provision Of rescue apparatus In mines
Il made compulsory. In Germany II
Is optional. bat has been voluntarily
adopted. IN Russia where over fifty
men are employed in one mine II Is pro
glded that every coliicry must have a
rescue corps trained to work In ire
'pirable gases that the number OF
men IN each corps must be equivalent
o 4 per cent Of those engaged IN the
argcst pit or shaftwork- and that the
lumber Of completely equipped sets Of
breathing apparatus at each colliery
must not be less than three"