Year: 1873

soSa perfectly harmless phosphate of soda being
thereby formed.


UTILIZING WASTE IUnBER.-By melting down the
Vasta oIippines &c OF hard rubber and dissOlving
the mass when cold in benzoe or spirits of turpen-
tine An excellent varnish may be made, which dries
RAPIDLY. adheres firmly to metals and is well adapted
for electrical apparatus.


FIsH GUANo-A sample of Norway fish guano,
from Msnert in Leipsic, found TO have the fol-
lowing percentage of composition Moisture 9.S5;
mineral matter, S2.73 organic matter, 5742; the
amount of phOsphorc acid being 1882 and Of nitro
gen SIS AT about cents per pound for phosphoric
acid the price Of nitrogen is entirely too high, high
er than in fertilizers which contain it in the form Of
ammonia salts


COATING COPPER WITH IRoN.-Prof B0ttger states
that ammonia-sulphate of iron, with suitable bat
teries gives beautiful results in the electrical depo
siuon of iron in thin Gms OF thick plates according
90 the process with double salts of iron described by
him about % years ago This has proved of great prac
tcal value in the preservation of engraved copper
plates from wear in printing by covering them
with 8 thin film Of this peculiarly hard, steel-ike
iron.


FUNCTION OF ORGANIC SUBSTANCES IN THE SOIL
A number of experiments by Grandeau upon the
part which organic substances in the soil play the
nutrition of plants led to the following cOncusiOns
l. In fertile soils the mineral ingredients necessary
70 theplant are present in the form in which stable
manure furnishes them. . The fertility of soil de-
pends essentially upon the amount of mineral mat
ter in the organic substances that are soluble in
ammonia, the organic matter acting a vehicle of
the mineral matter


SUBSTANCE FOE CLEANING SILKS AND WoOLENs.-
A new substance for cleaning and whitening silks
and woolens consists of weak solution Of the sui
phuret OF sodium of potassium, this having very
remarkable effect in removing the fat from the wool
and the gum from silk In the case of silk the bath
must be boiling; but for wool the temperature Of the
alkaline sulphuret should not exceed 1920 F.
The more gun there is on the fbers of the silk the
greater is the amount Of the sulphuret needed in the
solution. The alumiuates of soda and potassa
have also been used for the same purpose.


4 NEW APPLICATION OF CENTRIFUGAL ACTION "
THE MANUFACTURE OF SUGAE.-It Is claimed that
Wenrcich & SchrJder have succeeded in the
application Of centrifugal action to the pro-
duction Of common sugar and purified loaf
sugar without the usual method of hquoring
In case of the loaf sugar. current of air.
drawn in by the centrifugal action and with which
steam is mixed is employed 10 aid in the removal Of
the last traces of sirup The amount of sugar OBJ
tanned Is 70 De larger anu Ten nouns 10 nc SUM-
Gent after concentration, to produce marketable
article. Time labor, and sJOrage-roOm are thereby
greatly ecOnOmized


EvAafEL FOR COPPER COOKING VESsELs.-TO en-
ame the inside Of copper cooking vessels IN which
acid fruit and vegetables are cooked, and thus pre-
vent the formation of the sO-called verdi gris the
following method is recommended: Twelve parts OF
white iuorspar. L parts unburnt gypsum, and one
part bOrax are finely powdered, intimately mixed,
and fused in a crucible. The fused mass is then
poured out. and after cooking is rubbed up TO
paste The copper vessel is to be coated inside with
this preparation applied by means of a brush. and
the vessel placed in a moderately warm place, so
that the coating may dry uniformly; after which 1t
IL subjected to gradually increasing heat, till at
length the preparation fuses On cooling, the vessel
IS found to be protected internally by white,
Opaque enamel adhering very firmly to the copper,
not chipping OF by ordinary knocking aud rubbing,
and impervious to vegetable acids.


SLIPPING BUTTER IN SEALED CANs.-FOr many
years butter has been sent from Copenhagen TO all
parts of Europe in Theoretically sealed TIN cans. Al
though the business was commenced originally as
an experiment. it has expanded TO such degree that
during the last two years has occupied several Of
the largest butter dealers Of Copenhagen. The OBJ
ject Of packing the butter in this manner is TO pro-
tect it against the action Of air and heat and this
50 completely attained that butter has been sent
from Copenhagen 10 China and back again. without
the slightest detriment to its edible qualities. The
principal places Of demand are China Brazil, Java,
Spain sad other countries generally through Lon
don or Liverpool houses. The packages vary in size
upto y pounds although those of pounds gen
erallv preferred The cans are lined inside with
wood saturated with salt pickle. and, when filed,
are sodered up. This treatment is thought 10 exert
very important influence in the preservation OF
tAe butter.


EFFECTS OF SEASONS on THE DIS TRTBUToN OF
ANIMALS AND PIANTs.-As a modern illustration OF


what may have produced some of the earlier changes
in the distribution of organic forms animal and
vegetable Prof Shaler makes a communication to
The american Naturalist upon the effects of extraor
dinary seasons in the distribution Of animals and
plants Speaking of the Winter of 1S7-79, he re-
marks that it was one Of the driest record in
w-England. the rainfall not only being much
less than usual. but also coming in such fashion
a. TO leave the ground very dry during the Winter.
The snowfall was sli ight, and did not lie well upon
tho ground so that great portions OF the surface
were quite unprotected Under these circumstances
the longcontinued and steady cold froze the earth
81 q great depth the freezing extending as much as
i've feet below the surface in places. and being
sufficient throughout the whole Of New-England 10
involve the roots Of the vegetation and the forests
The effects observed were in all probability due not
only to the intensity Of the cold, but 70 presumed
deficiency Of sap in the plants in connection with
the low temperature the roets remaining for some
time in contact with relatively dry earth. as the
frOsts left them causing shock too great for their
vitality TO withstand


The tree which suffered most was the arbor-vite,
ha1f of