Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-30
SCIENCE NOTES.

The present state of development of the
storage battery and the recent production
of the efficient tungsten filament incandes-
cent lamp have opened up new POSSIBLE
tiles in the way of country home lighting
by private electric plants. In this connec-
ton report has been recently issued by
the engineering experiment station of the
University of Illinois giving some valu-
able information concerning artificial illu-
minaton. the selection of lighting fixtures
and the planning of housekeeping sys-
tenn. the design and estimate of the cost
of small private plant. suggestions about
ordering apparatus and instructions for
it's operation and care. In the bulletin
an attempt has been made to show the
steps in the design in such clear and
simple manner that any person could de-
eide upon the equipment needed and order
it intelligently.
The abandoned farms of New England
have been taken advantage of to con-
siderable extent for forestry work. Dur
ing the past year about 900 acres have
been planted with trees. and in the course
Of a few years these will prove profitable
investments. In addition to this. several
Of the water companies have adopted the
tree-planting policy as a means of foster
ing the water supply. The redemption OF
these farms Is a very important thing to
this section. for the increasing number
of abandoned farms has been a matter
of serious alarm for long time, and this
step seems to offer solution to the prob
lem of utilizing the land which has been
standing idle. In Massachusetts, this area
of waste has been computed at 10 per
cent of the total area, while in Rhode
Island alone there are no less than 228
of these abandoned farms.
The Australian dairy industry will be
saved about $2OO.OOO annually by the use
of straw boxes instead of those Of wood
in which shipments have been made to
England. White pine has been favored
for this purpose, but the export Of butter
has grown to such an extent that the
great demand for pine has had the effect
of sending the price upward at a star
Ting rate. composition board made Of
a mixture of straw and kaolin, of which
boxes can be made at very much re-
duced cost, are found to be just as salts
factory. and will be generally adopted by
the export trade. A $500 600 company has
been organized for the purpose of making
these boxes
The telephone traffic of a great city re-
fleets the business and social activities of
all of the different centers which go to
make I'D the whole. In New York, for
instance. the chart of the business at the
Broad station, which includes the Wall
street district. shows the exact course of
the activity Of day in the financial dis
trict 1t shows the rush of business which
comes with the opening of the exchange
and financial institutions at 10 O'clock; it
shows the temporary lull during the lunch
hour: II shows the almost instantaneous
cessation of all activity shortly after
pm.
The curve of Riverside, a typical resi-
dence section. reveals an entirely differ
eut type of activity. In this district also
the maximum OF traffic comes in the
morning. while the household shopping
and marketing arc being done. It falls
off more slowly. however and continues
to much later hour.