The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-09-17
- Science
|Nseslnvention|

In some countries, notably In TIE
Russian provinces north of the eau
casus, the sunfower serves other pur
poses besides ornamenting gardens with
it's huge golden bosses. The seeds are
used to make oil, which is employed
both I'm the manufacture OF soap and
In cooking. The stems and leaves are
burned and the ashes used to make
potash. Last year the sunfower fac.
tories Of the Caucasus produced 1900
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 OF
no value from any standpoint. Some
varieties are very common, while a
great many of them are rare enough .to
command from SIS 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-exportins
business. In value, is In less than doz
en- varieties of the plant.
Major Holder is an Englishman who
nas been wondering why the Barbados,
alone of the Antilles, are free from ma
laria He thinks 1t must be because
the Barbados, alone of the Antilles,
are free from gnats. But why no
pats? Because OF the wild and benef.
cent profuslon 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.
Those who love experimentation may
try the following method Of making a
cheap barometer, practiced In France.
Take grams OF pulverlzed camphor.
grams of pulyerized nitrate Of potas-
SUM, grams Of pulverlzed nitrate OF
ammonia, and dissolve In 80 grams of
alcohol. Put the whole In long, slen-
der bottle closed at the top with a
piece of bladder containing q pin-hole
to admit the air. When rain is coming.
the solid particles will tend gradually
to mount, little star crystals forming In
the liquid, which otherwise remains
clear; If high winds are approaching.
the liquid will become thick, as IL fer
menting, while film Of solid particles
forms on the surface; during fair
weather the liquid will remain clear
and the solid particles will rest at the
bottom.
Since the colliery explosions at
Courrieres, in France. and the more
recent disasters In the United States
and elsewhere, public demand has
been awakened In Europe for some kind
Of organized rescue work in connection
with mines. In Austria and France
provision of rescue apparatus In mines
Is made compulsory. In Germany II
Is optional, but has been voluntarily
adopted. In Russia where over fifty
men are employed In one mine it is pro
vided that every colllery must have O
rescue corps trained to work I'm ire
spirable gases" that 1.-THE number OF
men in each corps must be equivalent
to per cent Of those engaged in the
largest pit or shaftwork" and "that the
number of completely equipped sets OF
breathing apparatus at each colliery
must not be less than three"