Amador ledger., 1909-02-26

dlCOuOl duu lOILudlu6uyues anu buo
initial product may be either liquid,
pasty, or solid and brittle, each form
rapidly changing under suitable tenn
perature into the hnai hard, strong
and resisting substance. The material
has some of the chief characteristics
of am ber, vulcanite and celluloid. But
it is claimed to be practically infus-
ible and insoluble, unaffected by
chemicals, and harder than oelluloid
or hard rubber. 1t can be nodded
into billiard balls or fancy articles in
electric ipsulator, and is adapted for
various engineering purposes. The
diversity of the uses to which it may
be put has been illustrated by employ
ing it for a grindstone and for self
lubricating bearing that run dry
many hours at high speed without
over heating. 1t has interesting possi
bilities as a wood preservatve. giving
extraordinary finish to hard wood,
and so impregnating soft wood, like
cheap poplar, that it becomes as hard
as ebony and absolutely proof against
rot.
Mist and rain so often follow great
earthquakes, like that of Messina,
that it is thought there must be some
connection, and Prof. Milne has sug
gested that the shock, transmitted to
the air, may cause the condensation
Of water vapor. Comparing the
magnitude of earthquakes by the area
shaken, it is found that the M Messin ma
shock affected not more than 90, 600
square miles, while that of California
in 1906 was felt over 72,50O square
miles, and that in India in 1897
shook up I.750, 600 square miles.
Nipporlum, the new element of M.
| Ogawa of the University of Toxic, has
probable atomic weight of 100,
placing it between molly bdenum and
rutheuium. 1t is found in the
minerals thorine, reinite and moIyb
denite.
Briefly stated. the second report of
the Royal Commission on Coast Fro
sion and dAHorestation makes estimates
on two plans for converting the rough
mountain land of Great Britain into
productive forest. About 9,O00,0 900
acres, of small present. value, are
found to be suitable for tree-growth
with several million acres more in
lreland), and one scheme is to plant
the 9, 00O, 900 acres at the rate of l50,
00J acres annuallyfor 60 years, third
of tte area to be worked on a 40
years rotation, and two-thirds on an
80 years rotation. At the end of the
rotation the value of the states pro-
perty would be 562, ,075, 100 lbs. or
LOG, ,993, 900 lbs. in excess of the cost,
while the annual income, deducting 3
per cent compound interest OH the
initial capital, would be 17.4l1. 900
lbs. The alternative plan is to plant
80, 900, 600, acres with trees at the rate
Of $1,000 acres yearly for 80 years,
and the expectation is that at the end
of the time the value would reach
800, 900, lbs. or 80, 944, 900 above the
cost, and that the annual return there
after would be lO,O0O,OOO. The larger
scheme would provide work for 49,
700 laborers during the planting sea-
son, while the stimulation of other
Industries would further reduce the
ranks of the unemployed.
The conversion into paIatable
tablets Of castor oil. ood-Iiver oil
and like terrors of the afflicted is a
new triumph of the German chemist.
The attempt hitherto made to change
medical oils into dry powder with
magnesium oxide, condensed skinned
milk, or other substances. have failed
In practice, but 1t Is claimed that the
latest process "homogenizes" fresh
skinned milk or cream that can be
evaporated to dIyness and powdered
as we'll as made into tablets. The
"olI milk" 1t is further affirmed,
cannot be distinguished from natural
milk or cream.
The average number of meteors or
shooting stars visible with the naked
eye at a given place is found by q.
A. Russell, British astronomer, to
be about "a per hour, and 1t is esti-
mated that on the entire surface of
the earth about 20, 900, 900 daily must
fall. A volume OF space correspond
ing to the size of the earth must CON
tain about $1,000, with an average
separation of about 200 miles. This