Amador ledger., 1909-10-22

of Good Thing Disease-Killing
Paint
Among the believers in the influence
of atmospheric electricity on vegetation
is Prof. Lenlstroem, of the university
of Helsingfors, Finland. He finds that
plants in the polar regions escaping
night frosts have much more rapid
and luXuriant growth than those in
warmer climates, and that, despite
primitive cultivation with wooden plows
and halrows great crops are yielded by
rye, barley and oats. The rapid growth
is usually attributed to the continuous
daylight of two or three summer months.
This explanation is unsatisfactory, and
it has been proven that, even in these
months, the aggregate of heat and light
is less than at 6 deg. of latitude or
farther south. Various facts have con-
vnced Prof. Lemstroem that Arctic
vegetation is stimulated by the electr-
cal currents-so often manifested in the
aurora boreals--that flow between the
earth and the atmosphere in the north.
In the annual rings of conifers he has
found variations showing extra growth
in years and latitudes of great electrical
activity, and in experiments with
Holtz electrical machine he has fastened
the growth of barley, wheat and rye by
an artiticially charged atmosphere. The
theory suggests an eXplanat, on of the
pointed leaves of confers and barbed
ears of grain, which conduct the electric
currents to these plants.
At sea-evel atmospheric pressure is
balanced by column of pure water 80. 8
feet high, and it has seemed impossible
to raise water TO a greater height by a
suction pump. Yet pump operator Alzial,
on French warship, has accomplished
the fact of drawing up water from a
vessels hold TO height of so feet
One end of small bent tube was passed
into the bottom of the pipe attached to
the pump, the other end projecting
above the water in the hold, and the
working pump drew air through this
tube forming ali emulsion of air ard
water which, having less density han
water could be raised to a greater
height by pressure of the atmosphere
A mixture of pitch and wax. used by
European organnakers as glue subst
tute that resists dampness, is effective.
n Resinit, a new product, is described
by H. LebacH, German, as similar
to glass celluoid and hard rubber, but
superior to these and other substances
for many uses. 1t seems to be adopted
to a great variety of purposes. 1t differs
from shellac and other natural resins,
as we'll as from various artificial resins
prepared from phenols and aldehydes, in
being slow-burning, intusble, in
soluble, and unaffected by acids and
alkalies. A mixture OF crystallized car
bolic acid and 400 per cent solution of
formaldehyde is heated with potash,
soda, or other alkali or neutral salt.
The product is a yellowish, mobile
liquid, which is an impure resinit with
much water and is adapted for impreg-
mating porous substances, like wood and
paper, to render them hard and water
proof. SDistiling off the water leaves a
viscous liquid, of many possible appli-
cations. When the thick liquid is
heated for certain time to l76 deg. F.
and then to about 40 deg, 1t is changed
to glossy vitreous solid, which is pure
resinit red, brown or yellow in color,
transparent or translucent and having a
conchoidal fracture. Ii can be dyed, and
cut, turned, and polished. Its great
hardness and slight brittleness are un-
fitted for some purposes, but a more
elastic and easily worked material can
be had by simply mixing the pure resi-
nit whit kieselguhr, talcum or other
filler.
One of the recent surprising dis
coveries is that of the important in
fuence of manganese on. plant growth.
AT the Congress of Applied Chemistry
in London, Gabriel Bertrand stated that
the action varies with different soils,
but in the most favorable cases may
cause an increase of 400 per cent in the
crop. He prefers the sulphate, at the
rate of about 80 pounds to the acre He
believes that the effect is entirely cataly-
tic, the manganese salt undergoing no
hangc and suggests that the salts of
boron, iodine and zinc will have like
effect. All kinds of plants seem to be
affected,