SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY
It is computed that one inch of
water on an acre of surface is 27,152
gallons or 113 tons, weight.
A number of young filbert trees have
been sent to the agricultural depart
ment from Greece. The nuts from
these trees are the largest and have
the finest flavor of any filberts the
department has yet discovered, and
every effort is to be made to encourage
their growing.
In an open London suburb a scien
tist found 20,000 dust particles in a
cubic centimetre of air—equal to about
0.061 of a cubic inch—while in a ward
in the centre of London the number
amounted to 500,000. The air was
loaded to the extent of about 900 per
cent mone in the city than in the sub
urb.
Absolute zero is the point at which
as has been determined from experi
ments with gases, matter would be
without a truce of heat—could be cool
ed no farther. This point is 273 de
grees below centigrade zero. A de
gree of cold so intense as this is, how
ever, absolutely unattainable. Even
the meteorites which swarm in inter
stellar space must be heated to some
extent by the radiance of the stars.
American material for the building
of railroads, tramways, etc., continues
to be exclusively employed In Mexico.
The latest order in that line placed
in the United States amounted to a
large figure, for it was destined for
three lines of tramway around Medi
na, in the state of Yucatan. A com
pany was formed for tne building and
operating of these tramways, with a
capital of $400,000, and it has applied
to the state legislature for the con
cession, which, oeing a purely formal
affair, the official conclusion of it was
not waited for by the tramway com
pany.
The Faroe islands are remarkable for
the immense numbers of birds that
frequent them, and which furnish an
important supply of feathers to com
merce. The most valuable of these
birds for its feathers is the puffin,
about 100,000 of which are caught an
nually. Perpendicular cliffs of rock,
facing westwardly, are known as fowl
ing cliffs, because of the birds that
cover their shelves. During part of
the summer tbe birds are so numerous
around the cliffs that they are said to
resemble a thick snowstorm. Very
few birds are found about cliffs that
do not have a western exposure.
The indigo industry of Bengal is
suffering severely from the competi
tion of the manufactured German dye,
huge quantities of which are being
exported to India and the other mar
kets hitherto controlled by the Indian
industry. The German synthetic indi
go is considered to be superior and is
much cheaper. It is also stated that
if the native indigo manufacturers
were to conduct their work upon a
more scientific basis, and were to ex
tract the maximum quantity of dye
from each plant, they would be in a
position to meet the German compe
tition. With a view to encouraging
the industry, the government of Ben
gal has voted $22,500 for research
work, with a view to facilitating and
improving the existent process of man
ufacture.
CERMANY'S NEW OIL ENCINE.
It Opctntfti* Without the Utio of Holloii,
Furnace* or Chimneys.
Great things are expected of the
Diesel engine, the latest thing in Ger
man engineering, the first working
of which in England a London Ex
press representative was permitted to
see at Guldcbridge, near Manchester,
recently.
Economy in fuel and space is the
chief merit of the Diesel, commending
it to makers of automobiles and small
marine craft as an engine with a fu
ture. Its claim to originality lies in
the fact that it works with crude oil,
without smell or dirt, perfectly con
suming all the products of combus
tion. Unlike other oil engines, it re
quires no ignition point. Compressed
air from cylinders starts the Diesel.
Oil and air are then admitted to the
cylinder, when the compression of the
air by the return stroke so raises tbe
temperature that the oil flashes and
the forward stroke is delivered.
The exhaust is perfectly clean and
free from odor. Thus the claim made
for the Diesel is that no boilers, fur
naces or chimneya are required. Great
economy of space and fuel is effected,
as it can lie used with any kind of
liquid fuel or furnace gas—the waste
product of blast furnaces. Hopes are
entertained that the Diesel will be used
on a very large scale, those who are
introducing it to England claiming
for it the ability to run "a vessel as
large as the Oceanic. Already an or
der has been placed by the French
government for an engine erf this type,
to be used in a submarine boat.
If the Diesel frees the streets from
the smell of the motor car and yacht
decks, and ladies' dresses from th? cin
ders of a steamer funnel, the German
inventor will have claim on the grati
tude of mankind. If, as seems likely.
It will encourage the establishment of
small plants in rural districts, where
gas is not obtainable and coal is dear,
,t may do much more than this for in
dustrial England.
The I>ean'z Joke.
"Some one has stolen the tele
scope," reported the astronomy pro
fessor.
"That ought to be an easy thing to
look up," said the dean, and the as
tronomy professor, in duty bound,
laughed consumedly. lndianapolis
Press.
An Important (lanlan Crop.
Lima beans make one of tbe most
important crops tbat is grown in a
garden. The bush varieties should be
planted for an early supply, but the
pole varieties are preferred by some
as a main crop. It is not too soon to
prepare the ground and apply the
manure, but the seed should not be
planted until the ground is quite
warm. In place of poles wire fencing
may be used as supports.
IJslnjt Fertilizers More Than Once.
Fertilizers may be used more than
once on a crop. Unless heavy appli
cations are made early in the season
more fertilizer should be applied later.
The kind of fertilizer must be consid
ered, however. If nitrate of soda is
used early it will be found profitable
to use a little more when the crop is
nearly grown. The proportion of
moisture secured will have some in
fluence on the crop, for should the
season be very dry there may not be
enough moisture to dissolve the plant
food for the crop.
I'lantlng the Com Crop.
The corn crop is the most Important
and valuable of all staple crops on
the farm, as the fodder is considered
equal to the grain as stock food on
all well managed farms. Corn is a
gross feeder and will take any amount
of manure. It thrives best when the
land has been plowed to the greatest
depth consistent with the nature of
the soil and then well harrowed. It
Is better to use fertilizers broadcast
for corn rather than in the hill, and
a mixture of 150 pounds of nitrate of
soda, 100 pounds sulphate of potash
and 250 pounds acidulated phosphate
rock, per acre, will be found excel
lent for corn. Unless given good cul
tivation, however, corn will not pro
duce the highest yield. Simply stir
ring the top soil with the cultivator
to the depth of two inches after the
corn plants are up has been found
better than deep cultivation by some,
but it is possible that many soils
should be worked deeper. The loose
top soil protects against drought,
while the frequent cultivation keeps
the grass and weeds under control.
An Busy .Method of (Irowliiß Turnip'.
The great objection to growing tur
nips on a large scale for stock is the
great amount of hard work required
in weeding. In growing by this new
plan the land is bSst plowed in the
fall and manured through the winter,
provided cut straw was used for lit
ter. If it is not convenient to use a
piece of fail plowed ground, a mellow
piece of land may be plowed this
spring, and surfack manured immedi
ately. If fine manure cannot be had,
plow under coarse manure with a
gang plow about two inches deep.
After plowing and manuring, the
earlier in spring the better, the
ground must be well harrowed every
week until the time for sowing the
seed. Sow rutabagas or swedes from
June 15 to 25 and turnips from June
20 to July 1.
The grain drill may be used to sow
the turnip seed. Close up some of
the drill holes so as to sow 28 inches.
Sow about one pound of good seed per
acre. As soon as the turnips are well
up go twice across the rows with a
weeder to thin the plants. In a week's
time go over the ground again with
the weeder, always across the rows.
It is wonderful how the weeder thins
out the plants and destroys the weeds
with even more satisfaction than may
be done by hand. The number of
times the weeder my be used will
largely depend upon the thicknoss of
the plants in the row. There will be
little use for the horse cultivator, but
it may be used after the crop is sever
al inches high. A good way is to use
the horse cultivator and follow with
the weeder across the rows. Acid
phosphate Is the best fertilizer for
the turnip crop, and should be applied
broadcast.—J. A. McDonald, in New
England Homestead.
Common Souse Stable Sanitation.
The three essentials in building a
eow stable are light, temperature and
ventilation. Stables built north and
60uth ami provided with plenty of
windows will receive sun nearly all
day. This is important, as sunlight
is the best germicide known. Build
the barns so that the direct rays can
get in. Otherwise it will be impossi
ble to keep the stable in be6t condi
tion. Of course a largo amount of
window surface means a cold stable.
This can be avoided by using double
windows or hanging curtains Inside
the single windows, which practically
amounts to double windows. The tem
perature of the cow stable must be
kept uniform. I used to think that a
temperature of 50 degrees was about
right, but now I keep my stables from
54 to 60 degrees. I know this is high,
but I believe we get better results
than from a lower temperature. Don't
build a stable too high, as the higher
the ceiling the more difficult to keep
the barn warm and to keep the cows
from taking cold. I have figured out
that 500 cublq feet of air spaoe for
each animal is sufficient. My own
stable is 36 feet wide and about 90
feet long. It contains stalls three and
one-half feet wide placed so that the
heads of the cattle are toward the
wall. This makes cleaning less labori
ous and in every way I like this ar
rangement better than having the
heads toward the middle of the build
ing.
In making floors for cow stables I
like a cement ficor. Tbe objections
ti) cement are that it is cold and Slip
pery. The way to get arcund the first
objection is to bed the cattle liberally
and the second to roughen the last
coat of cement before it has set. This
will prevent slipping. Provide three
or four box stalls in every barn.
Ventilation of the stable should be
sufficient to carry out all moisture.
The tube system suggested by Prof
essor King is undoubtedly the most
practical. These tubs must be tight,
else they will not cause circulation
of air will come in just below the
eaves, be carried up into the rafters
and allowed to settle toward the bot
tom, becoming partially warm before
it reaches the cows. The in-take
tubes should be sufficiently numerous
to provide a five-inch tube for each
cow—H. E. C., in American Agricul
turist.
Orchard Cultivation.
it 'cause of partial or entire fruit
failure is sought, after the orchardist
has fulfilled his part, it may confident
ly be expected to result from one of
two interfering conditions. Either
the fruit buds or growing fruit have
been injured by untimely frost, or suf
ficient moisture has been lacking at
some time during the growing season.
Loss or damage from the latter cause
is now quite as common here is the
east as In the arid or semi-arid fruit
growing districts of the far west.
There they have become fully con
vinced that no fruit need be expected
without an adequate and continuous
supply of moisture, either by conserv
'ng that falling during the wet season
or artificially supplied, or by both
methods combined. Here it will be
presupposed that the orchardist has
faithfully done his part in fertilizing,
pruning, Insect protection and, if need
exist, in draining, and at June Ist has
a fair setting of fruit. Up to that
time. In the east and the middle west,
there is but little liability of drouth.
It is the period from that date till
harvest that is most critical for the
fruit-grower and which annually keeps
the statisticians guessing as to the
outcome.
Ripe fruit contains 85 to 90 percent
of water. When we consider this fact,
in relation to another, that the leaves
of a tree are constantly exhaling
moisture into the air at the rate of
hundreds of tons to each, acre of large
and thrifty fruit trees throughout the
s'.mmer season, it becomes at once
apparent how necessary it is that no
moisture in orchard or vineyard
should go to waste. It also becomes
plain why fruit often drops in crop
ruining quantities even when a
drouth is of but short duration when
sufficient cultivation has not been
given to conserve the moisture. The
troe will obey the law of self-preser
vation by sacrificing its fruit rather
than its life.
Where special attention has not
been given to moisture-conservation
by cultivation, it is not generally un
derstood how absolute a protection
against evaporation of soil 1 moisture
is afforded by a dust mulch. A con
vincing and practical illustration of
its efficacy was witnessed last season
in a garden potato patch, which, after
deep plowing and thorough prepara
tory tillage, was given conscientious
stirring and cultivation from once to
three times weekly. The desideratum
being to allow no erust to form favor
able to moisture dispersion, this was
cor.'lnued throughout the growth of
the erop. Although the season was
unusuallv drv, and the soil such as to
be easily affected by drouth, the pota
toes vleided a magnificent crop, both
in size and quality. At all times dur
ing th period named moist earth
could he fnupd within two or three
inches of the surface, while a half
dozen foet away, on cither tide, where
no cultivation was practiced, the soil
was destitute of moisture for at least
IS inches below the surface.
T-ater In the season the same fact
was emphasized when the writer had
an opportunity to witness orchard cul
tivation in the far west, notably in
California. Thero were observed
tree-breaking crops of splendid fruit
just adjoining others of the same age,
variety, and otherwise equally as well
eared for except in the cultivation
given, the latter showing only partial
crops of inferior, shriveled fruit, nil
the way down to absolute crop fail
ures In all cases corresponding close
ly to the cultivation and artificial
moisture supplied. The best results
were evident in that eiimate of con
stant sunshine and moisture-less at
mosphere. where a dust mulch of five
or six inches was provided. It was
there also made evident that those de
pending on irrigation, without much re
gard to cultivation, were often no bet
ter off than the orchards unirrigated.
The uninterrupted supply of moisture
Is an absolute necessity for the best
fruit results. Just as soon as the sup
plv fails, the fruit begins a premature
ripening which is fatal to its perfect
future development, even should its
stem remain imparted from the par
ent thee.
The point I would esnecialiy empha
size is that, no one with an orchard
of bearing age. which at its best is
capable of realising its owner, in east
or west, from s3l to sllO per acre,
net. when prooerlv handled, can af
ford to convert the moisture rightly
belonging to the fruit into grass or
ether crops, or what is equally bad
for the fruit, allow the moisture to
escape Into the air through the me
dium of a hard, uncultivated soil
crust.—B. F. W. Thorpe, in the Coun
t-y Gentleman.
Win©
"There's one characteristic in men
I profoundly admire."
"What is it, Becky?"
'"They can be so raging mad at each
other and not show it."—Detroit Free
' Press.
ESCAPING FROM SIBERIA.
How Uiisßinn Convict* Manage to Secure
Freedom.
Recent developments in Russia have
served to direct public attention anew
to the state of affairs in the vast Mus
covite realm. This is the time of year
when the wretched creatures con
demned to a life of practical serfdom
in Siberia make their most strenuous
endeavors to escape. Practically in no
part of Siberia is imprisonment so
much to be dreaded as in the mines of
Kara. Spring is considered the best
time to make the break for liberty, as
then the rigors of a Siberian winter
are passed, and there is then more
chance of success.
Many miles of desolate territory
must be crossed, and in the dead of
winter such attempts are worse than
futile, for the despairing convict only
escapes from serfdom to die of expo
sure or starvation on the bleak Sibe
rian desert. Yet, foolhardy as it may
seem, many do make the struggle for
freedom, preferring probable death in
this form to the miseries of the prison
pen.
Once the wretches have eluded the
sharp eyes of the guards and escaped
from the prison proper there is always
some guide to direct them for the first
hundred miles or so. Night is the time
for the attempt, and in the darkness
some succeed. After the prison is left
behind them all traveling must be done
under cover of darkness. When a vil
lage is reached all is dark and still,
save at one cot, where a light Is ever
burning in the window. There the
desperate refugee knows he may find
friends and perhaps shelter during the
coming day.
The system of convict pens is not
condoned by the natives, and they are
ready to he of any possible assistance.
Of course, this must he done with
the greatest secrecy, as detection
might mean the same fate for the cot
tager and all his family. Therefore
the greatest caution must be observed.
In the window a little table is placed,
on which stands a lamp, a plate and
a jug. When the cottager and his fam
ily sit down to their frugal meal a
choice morsel is selected and set on
the plate, while the jug Is filled for
the ever expected unfortunate way
farer.
When the hospitable night sheds her
cloak of secrecy over the world the
convict, leaving his place of conceal
ment, steals up to the lighted window
and, pushing it open, takes the plate
and jug and refreshes himself for the
next stage of his long, dreary march
to liberty. But where to go? Doubt
less his former happy home has been
destroyed, his family scattered. He
cannot return to see, for detection is
doubly sure where he is known. The
oqly resort is to plod to some neigh
boring village, where perchance he
may learn some news of the dear ones.
And all this misery for what?
Because, forsooth, he may have been
suspected of disloyalty to his ruler, or
he may only have incurred the hatrod
or ill will of the local police. Little
wonder that the present uprising
throughout the realm is' assuming
alarming proportions. The voice of
civilization, official edicts, royal
ukases may have ameliorated these
desperate conditions somewhat, but
the system of Siberian banishment is
built on a poor foundation, and it can
be only a matter of time when a vast
upheaval will bring about a change
in conditions in Russia.
Do You Know E.poraiulof
The latest aspirant for honors as a
universal language, the successor of
Volapuk, which was agitated some
years ago, is known as Esperando.
This is an artificial language, due to
Dr. Zamenhof, a Russian linguist.
There is no doubt that, despite the ex
tensive translation of valuable foreign
articles appearing in the technical
press, In these days when every manu
facturing industry is carried on along
scientific and chemical lines, a wider
interchange of ideas and discoveries
is of the utmost importance. Such is
tile mission of a universal language,
one in which any scholar would he
able to describe and explain his dis
coveries so as to have a universal
audience.
Esperando grammar Is said to con
sist of 16 simple rules, without any
exceptions whatever, and there are but
17 modifications of the termination of
words. It is claimed that with 10
minutes' instruction in the grammar a
novice can translate Esperando with
the aid of a dictionary only, while a
month's study suffices to enable him to
write or speak it, the latter operation
being simplified by phonetic spelling.
It is said that 50,000 people in conti
nental Europe have taken up its study.
Lojirnlne to Titke IVopln nt Their llest.
One of the greatest lessons In life
is to learn to take people at their best,
not their worst; to look for the divine,
not the human, In them; the beautiful,
not the ugly; the bright, not the dark;
the straight, not the crooked side.
A habit of looking for the best in
everybody, and of saying kindly in
stead of unkindly things about them,
strengthens the character, elevatosthe
ideals, ami tends to produce happiness.
It also helps to create friends. We
like to be with those who see the di
vine side of us, who see our possibili
ties, who do not dwell upon the dark
side of our life, but upon the bright
side. This is the office of a true friend,
to help us discover our noblest selves.
—Success.
The One She Loft Behind.
"I should think that you would feel
badly about leaving this place," said
the housemaid to the departing cook.
"I don't; I'm glad to go. I ain't
Borry to leave any of you—excepting
the dog. Poor eld Tiger! He always
washed the .plates for me."—Ohio
State Journal
I Old Irvdieai I " e a ;r:; who
I V* *>*M©L.ry| Mi<.i°. seoh '
There Is no woman In the northwest
whose history stands out more promi
nently than does that of Mary Coch
rane, familiarly known as "Indian
Mary;" yet she is at present residing
In a hovel at the edge of the village of
Stevensville, a hamlet in the outskirts
of St Joseph, Mich. She is In strait
ened circumstances that approach dire
poverty and as she is very old and
probably will not live through the
present year the authorities will take
notice of her case and attempt to make
easy the remainder of her life. She is
the most unique character In Michi
gan. There Is not a person in Chicago
who lived there In the early days of
the city who does not remember "In
dian Mary." Time was in the early
days when she was a familiar figure
on the streets of Chicago, and there
was one particular period when she
was lauded as a heroine and the whole
city talked of her. This was during
the civil war, when she saved the life
of Colonel Mulligan, the famous com
mander of the Mulligan Brigade, or
"the Irish brigade," as it was famili
arly known. Colonel Mulligan was se
verely wounded. The battle raged all
day. 2,000 federal soldiers holding
back 6,000 confederates until Mulligan
felL Mulligan was removed to island
No. 10, near Lexington, where he lan
guished for want of medical help.
There was no nurse to be found ex
SOME VIRGINIA BLUE LAWS,
Puritan New England Not the Only
Stern Commonwealth.
The official public flogging of women
In Virginia has aroused much unfavor
able comment and many hitter re
marks about "chivalry in the Old Do
minion." As a matter of fact, says
the New York Tribune, the incident is
nothing more than a mild revival of
the "blue laws" of Colonial times —
laws surpassing in severity any at
tributed lo Connecticut or any other
Puritan colony. It has long been a
by-word that in Connecticut a man
was forbidden to kiss his wife on Sun
day. But in Virginia any young woman
who was guilty of flirtation or who en
couraged more than one man to pay
her sentimental attention was liable to
be flogged! It was forbidden to speak
evil of dignitaries in New England;
but in Virginia if one ventured to crit
icise the governor he was put into the
pillory. The straitlace religiousness
of the Puritans has been made fun of;
but in Cavalier Virginia it was forbid
den to "disparage a minister;" to take
a voyage on Sunday save go to church,
or to Are a gun on Sunday, excepting
to shoot an Indian. That the shooting
of Indians, of course in defense of the
colonists, was considered a proper
function on the Sabbath is shown by
the fact that every head of a family
was required, under penalty to bring
with him to church every Sunday a
gun and plenty of ammunition. It is
interesting to recall too, that speculat
ing in the markets by "buying fu
tures" was sternly prohibited, under
penalty of flne, imprisonment and the
pillory. Since in old time in the
"Kingdom of Virginia" maidens were
flogged for flirting, there is no especial
incongruity in applying the same pun
ishment to women convicted of gross
immoralities. Nevertheless, the best
Judgment of mankind must be that it
was a performance which reflected no
credit for those responsible for it.
There are those who approve of the
whipping post for the punishment of
wife beaters and for certain other mnle
offenses. But the official flogging of
women, no matter how much they may
have forfeited their title to woman
hood, is altogether revolting. It is pain
ful to recall that It was sanctioned
and ordered by the grim pioneers of
Wyatt's and Ycardley's time. That it
should be done for any cause In the
first year of the 20th century is a
shame for which Virginia may well
blush.
An Eaiy PaslnMs to EnUtr.
While trusts are multiplying and the
centralization of capital in all business
cept "Indian Mary," who was with the
army. She exerted her medical knowl
edge over the dying colonel and her
Indian medicines saved him after sev
eral weeks' nursing and careful atten
tion. "Indian Mary" served through
out the war in the capacity of nurss
and had the awful experience of see
ing her husband, William H. Cochrane}
a private in Co. L, Thirty-third MichlJ
gan Infantry, shot for desertion. Cap
tain Thomas H. Botham, now almost
130 years old, was captain of Coch
raae's company.
Mary Cochrane is 73 years of agei
Her mother was Julia La Salle of De
troit, a full-blooded squaw, and her
grandfather, Jacob La Salle, was an
Indian chief. She spent her early
years in Chicago and in IS6I Joined the
federal army in the capacity of nurse.
She entered the service under Colonel
James McMullen and won credit for
the bravery she displayed on several
occasions. During the past thirty
years she has lived in this section of
the country, where she has in some
wqy acquired the reputation of being a
witch.
She has not been troubled by the so
ciety of her village, and her only com
panion In her little shack is a small
dog. As a last resort the old lady has
applied, through Justice St. Clair of
this city, ior a pension for her service
during the civil war.
Is accepted as one of the Inevitable
conditions of the day, there is at least
one business, clgarmaking, in which
small capitalists can engage, says R
New York cigar manufacturer. With
a capital of $25 any cigarmaker can
start in business as a manufacturer*
and while he may not become rich, can
make a living. There are at least 2,509
cigar manufacturers in New York who
work as journeymen when there is no
demand for their services, and by ths
expenditure of a few dollars become
manufacturers when work Is slack. All
that one of these small manufacturer*
needs In order to start in business is *
few pounds of "wrapper" leaf, the same
of "filler," and pound or so of
ers" and skill. He will have to get
bondsmen, as each cigar manufactures
must have two securities in SI,OOO each
before he can get a license, but there
is usually no difficulty in securing the
bonasmen.
When tlie Mnrrlagn Knot Was Real*
Few of those who talk of tho "mar
riage knot" realize that tho knot waa
ever anything more than a mere figure
of speech. Among the Babylonians
trying the knot was part of the mar
riage oeremony. There the priest took
a thread of the garment of the bride
and another from that of the bride
groom and tied them into a knot,
which he gave to the bride, thus sym
bolizing the binding nature of the
union which now existed between her
self and her husband.
From Looly Station to Utah,
The Austrain Parliament has a mem
ber who was a waiter. Carl Mitter
mayers was elected to the Relchsrath
four years ago, at a time when he waa
serving as a waiter In a small subur
ban restaurant And there is a butcher
in the British House of Commons. At
least two members of parliament are
grocers, and there are a dozen who
were once laborers. The parliament of
Vancouver has as its speaker a man
who was once a coal miner in North
umberland,
Power of the Rothschild*
Since 1850 tbe Rothschild family bas
raised for Qreat Britain alone more
than $1,000,000,000; for Australia, $250,-
000,000; for Prusßla, $200,000,000 for
France, $400,000,000; for Italy, $300,-
000,000; for Russia, $125,000,000; for
Brazil, $70,000,000. In 1895 they took
$15,000,000 of the February loan of the
United States through the Belmont-
Morgan syndicate.
California state Is 850 miles long,
and contains 158,360 square miles.