The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1908-11-06
.t>lm&n Science
|M TN8s2s. ANo
s. : 'ssseGnVenti0n|

In some countries, notably In the
Russian provinces north Of the Cau-
casus, the sunfiower serves other pur-
poses besides Ornamenting gardens with
its huge golden bosses. The seeds are
used to 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 sunfiOwer fac
tories Of the Caucasus produced $4,000
tons Of potash.
There are something over 5000 varie-
ties of orchids recognized and described
by the authorities In the botanical gar
dens of Rio de JanierO. A very large
portion of this list of plants is COM
posed Of varieties which have little or
no value from any standpoint. Some
varieties are very common, while a
great many of them are rare enough to
command from $50 to $50 in Brazil
Other varieties are very rare and the
| value of specimens Is mostly fixed by
what collectors will pay for Them vary
| ing greatly from time to time Probably
three-fourths of the orchid-eXportlng
business, in value, is in less than doz-
en- varieties of the plant.
| Major Holder is an Englishman who
has been wondering why the Barbados,
alone of the Antilles, are free from ma
laria. He thinks it must be because
the Barbados, alone Of the Antilles,
are free from gnats. But why no
gnats? Because Of the wild and benef-
cent profusion Of fish called millions"
The millions eat the gnats while they're
still Larvae. Acting on Major Holders
theory, the Jamaicans, 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 to rid the Roman
Campagna Of its insect foes.
8 Those who love experimentation may
try the following method Of making q
cheap barometer, practiced In France
Take grams of pulverlzed camphors
} grams Of pulverized nitrate Of potas-
: stun, 2 grams of pulverized nitrate OF
e ammonia, and dissolve in 90 grams OF
n alcohol. Put the whole in a long, slen.
G der bottle closed at the top with q
G piece of bladder containing a pin-hole
to admit the air. When rain Is coming
the solid particles will tend gradually
to mount, little star crystals forming II
| hn (which nj hnryxiSn rQnQ I'M
u clear; II high winds are approaching
the liquid will become thick, as II fer
le menting, while a film Of solid particle
" forms on the surface; during fai
r, weather the liquid will remain clea
III and the solid particles will rest at tn
i'd bottom
10 Since the colliery explosions a
COurrieres, in France, and the NOR
recent disasters In the United State
le and elsewhere, public demand ha
been awakened in Europe for some kin
X of organized rescue work in connection
with mines. In Austria and Franc
Ill provision of rescue apparatus In mine
" Is made compulsory. In Germany
Is optional, but has been voluntarily
III adopted. In Russia where over fit
men are employed In one mine 1t Is pre-
III vided that every colliery must have
rescue corps trained to work in IRE
spirable cases." that ''the number Q
" men In each corps must be eQuivalen
to 4 per cent of those engaged In tn
largest pit or shaftwork" and that tn
~ number Of completely equipped sets {
he breathing apparatus at each collier
a must not be less than three"