The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1909-08-28

Developing New Flora-A Red Shirt for
Hot Day Ccmfort-The Ambidexterity
Delusion-A 0as-Light Balloon Fab
ric-x-Rays in Pearl Hunting-Ferm-
ing Without Water = The Way to
Starve-A Disturbed Tower.
Aside from the farcicaI distribution Of seeds
By Congressmen, the United States. through its.
Bureau Of Plant Industry. IL quietly doing re-
markable work In collecting the vegetable pro-
auctions Of the world that promise greatest
results In the diverse climate and soil of Amer
lea. and Is scattering seeds and plants for
thorough test. These seeds and plants are con-
tinually arriving from foreign countries. In q
year IN North China and Manchuria. collector
has secured over 1000 varieties of plants for
trial. including alfalfas. seedless persimmons
four inches in diameter. hardy Chinese pears,
peach for the dry southwest. North China
grapes the seedless Chinese date, timber bam-
boos. cowpeas. soy-beans. a rose; some remark
able shade trees. etc. Tests are made at the
State Experiment Stations and elsewhere. Two
date ardens-one with Se4 imported palms on
Is acres-have been established in California,
rush and sedge plants from Japan have been
distributed by the carload in California and the
South for experimental growth as material for
mating, and bamboos from China, India and
Porto Rico are being grown. with study Of
their possibilities. Besides all this, cotton, to-
bacco, melon and other plants are being i'm
ported.
That white clothing is unsuitable for use un-
der blazing tropical sun seems to have been
overlooked by physicians and manufacturers.
but was pointed out In late lecture In London
by Col. Maude. The disturbance of the nerves
of the spinal column by excessive actinic rays
reacts upon the stomach, unsetting digestion
a. well as causing sunstroke. The remedy is q
non-actinic covering for the skin, and red lin
ing for wearing apparel and helmet gives in
slant relief to the troubles from torrid sun,
and enables workman to stand severe expo
sure with comfort. Yet even red shirt is hardly
to be had in the tropics.
-
The cultivation of ambidexterity, making the
left hand as efficient as the right. has been
more or less favored. Sir ]. Crichton Browne
enters protest, and seeks to show that 1t is
both impossible and undesirable to give the left
hand the skill of the right. Our riehthanded-
ness depends not upon mere voluntary selec-
ton, but upon anatomical structure. In study
Of the third frontal convolution of the brain
known as Broca'a convolution-it has been
found that injury to this part of the left lobe
deprives a right handed man of speech, but
leaves a left-handed man with speech unim-
paired. It is inferred that voluntary preference
for the right hand is due to superiority of the
the left hemisphere in speech and other control.
Righthandedness prevailed in early times. as is
shown in the arts Of Greece, Assyria and Egypt.
and it can be traced even in the bronze ages and
among paleoithic remains. In some special
employments, ambidexterity is useful. To make
it complete and universal condition, how
ever, would be a social calamity, and the lobes
of the brain would be overtaxed to resist a
strain that is often mark of the imbecile.
A newly introduced balloon material sup
piled in any weight, width or color-is usually
built up from seven thin layers of rubber,
weighing ounces per square yard, placed be-
tween two layers of fine silk, weighing tx
ounces per square yard Silk and rubber are
vnlcanized together. Though very elastic the
fabric stands strain of 100 pounds per inch of
width. it is unaffected by heat and cold, and is
absolutely moisture and gas-proof. These and
other advantages over vanished silk more than
offset the high cost of about $3.50 per square
yard.
A great waste of oyster life has been stopped
by X-rays. The pearl fishers of Ceylon inspect
oysters under these rays at the rate of thou
sands an hour, retaining the few pearl bearing
individuals, but returning all others uninjured
to the sea-instead of destroying them as hith-
erto.
Successful farming on arid land without arti-
fetal watering has been brought to the notice
of the Agricultural Society of Germany. with
an explanation of the method. In Syria and
Palestine, with practically no rain from April
to October, the fields in July have fourishins
| nh, -
toes and other products and plants continue
green and thriving until autumn. 1.-THE secret
lies in SO blowing that the winter rains are alb
sorbed and retained in the subsoil. The plow
ing is shallow. averaging only four to six inches
in depth, and after the fall harvest. it follows
each heavy rain as soon as the ground begins to
dry. the purpose being to keep loose and fri
able surface to take upthe water and to prevent
its evaporation into the air from the subsoil. In
the spring the land is plowed to depth of
about six inches. The seed is dropped by the
pillow upon the moist subsoiI and it is covered
by the closing up of the loose soil. Protected
by the loose covering, the subsoil furnishes
sufficient moisture for plant growth during the
entire dry season.
If one feels bound to undertake starvation
for period. it is best, trained physician tells
US, to make the process not quite complete by
eating little at the usual intervals instead of
fasting absolutely for a comparatively long
time. This makes freak treatment quite harm
less. Psychologists find that as the body is
starved, fat and sugar disappear first, and then
the minor organs are drawn upon to support
the brain and heart, continuing until no more
material can be spared. Exhaustion is then very
near. Before this, however, disturbances ap-
pear that are attributed to a kind of auto-infec-
ton instead of a lack of food. and these are
avoided If a small quantity is eaten.
~
A compass-testing station, near Berlin, is q
unique adjunct of the German navy. The test
ing tower is subjected to pitching. rotating.
shaking and every motion to which warship is
liable in any service.