Amador ledger., 1910-07-08

The effect of ambition, rivalry and
the like on human effort has been
long recognized, but modern psyche
logists have noted more subtle
stimulus in mere companionship. The
individual becomes quite transformed
when in a group. His work is done
quicker and better, and this is true not
only of adults but of children, whose
study at home has been shown by
tests to be inferior to that done in the
class room. The mysterious influence
is apparent even IN lower animals. In
testing the responses of the nervous
system of the dog. Mosso found that
the presence of the master in the room
affected the result; and in experiments
on dogs at Harvard University the
presence of the experimenter had
marked effect. This social stimulus,
it is declared, colors everything.
Prisoners seek it in pathetic way by
making pets of mice and flies; and
children have social instincts so strong
that if unfortunately isolated they
are apt to create imaginary COM
panions and to live in dream world
of society. These facts have impor-
tant bearing on other problems besides
those teaching, with which they are
considered by Prof. w. H. Burnham,
of Clark University
The electric recorders used by Ber-
lin traction companies for two or three
years have effected important econo-
mics, although costing $40 each, while
requiring 13 extra employees for 5000
conductors. The apparatus is clock
that automatically stops and starts
with the car. A definite time is al
lowed for the round trip, and if the
record shows too much loss from stops,
motorman and conductor are given
fresh training, and are discharged if
no improvement follows. The new de-
vice has led to an increase of 10 per
cent in speed, with decrease of 20 or
30 per cent in repairs of motors and
brakes.
The exhaustion of soils is now under
stood to be due in part to plant poisons
formed, and the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture is seeking to gain
some knowledge of these substances.
So far four new crystalline organic
have been described-on
quite injurious to wheat seedlings and
a second somewhat harmful-and
number of others have been isolated.
Considering the number of species of
A. E. Shipley, in a British
paper, has pointed out that
most species of large anlmals-es-
pecially of mammals are probably
now known, but that insects and small
animals in general still offer vast
field for exploration. A few years ago
Guenther showed that the number of
known species of all kinds had increased
from 70, 588 in 1880 to 81, 653 in 1881.
In the half century, the known species
of mammals had grown from 1900 to
2300; birds from 5000 to II 900; reptiles
SAB to 3400; fishes $500 to II, 000 mol
lusks IL, 900 to $4,000; moss animal
cules 40 to 100; crustacea, 1890 to 1900;
arachnida (spders, etc. 1048 to SOTO;
myriapods (centipedes, etc. 450 to 1900;
insects 40, 100 to 220. $50; echlnodermata
(sea urchins, starfishes, ETC.. 230 to
8,043; worms, 372 to 6070; collenterata
500 to 2200; foraminifera so to 400 !;
and protozoa 305 to $500. The new
species discovered since 1881 have prob
ably averaged $4,000 annually, making
the total number now known more than
$780, 900. The insects were estimated by
Sharpe in 1895 at quarter of a million
species, and he concluded that ten times
as many remained to be found.
The new thermoplie known as the
Davidson thermo generator has copper
anthony couples, each consisting of a
vertical copper tube, to the top OF
which is soldered float strip of anti
mony, which passes horizontally inward
and then vertically downward around
porcelain-like block. Using sc
couples connected in series, the copper
tubes are arranged in two parallel rows
of rs each, with the anthony strips
approaching one another at the top
Running the whole length of the ap
paratus directly under the anthony
strips is a burner, with anumber of jets
for gas or alcohol yapor, and the white
blocks retain the heat. Heating one
minute gives full current, which may
OF A