22
THE WEST SHOKE.
October.
STUDY OF EAKTH WORMS.
This most curious case uf the intimate rela
tion! of animals to plants, ami of Ixith to the
PTtmiWf flf mh lirrlal trhnttflT taking place on
the earth's surface, lias recently been worked
out in great il--t.ul by Von Henseu, who, strange
to say, does not seem to bate heanl of DtfWini
labors, which he confirms And supplements. He
states that the adult worms come to the surface
at night, ami, with their tails in the mouths of
their burro we, survey the country round ami
collect food in the shape of leaves anil twigs.
These are heaped Up around the entrance, the
leaves being rolled Op separately and partly
drawii into tlie ttihe, where they BOOB: become
maeerateil ami partially decomposed, so as to
form such savory meat as the worm's soul
loveth.
Von llchscn'n observations were conducted
in a garden with a layer of mold nine inches
deep ami a subsoil 'if yellnw diluvial sand.
The worm-tubes were not easily traced in the
mold, but were lerfectly cleat in the sand,
running vertically downward to a depth of
from tluce. to x feet. Tliu lulea were ofteu
found t In hm-'l with stones about the size of
a pin's head, brought from the surface, and
fruit kernel were also found in them. Hut
me point oi duet importance is unit llie wans
of the burrows were found to bu btMt with lit-
tie black masses of a characterises shape - tho
excrements ol the worniH. Beside! UlBM fresh I
iiihahited to DM, others were found in which
the cavity was lilleii with black earth, the
black color being diffused into the surrounding
sand, and these again passed insensibly into
mere black stripes veins uf mold running in
ttm sandy subsoil.
in about ii.-Lii 01 the unuuuuiteu tubes were
found the ron tit of plants growing on tho surface.
These followed exactly the direction of the
tflbw and gave olf liiiu root-hairs through the
black walls of the latter. Prom an extended
series of observations, VoU HoUMU states that
thu roots of annuals can only penetrate into the
subsoil through obiuineli opened out to them by
earth worms; ami he observes that this penetra
tion must Ik: of service to the plant, as the Mlh
soil retains noutun longer than thu surface
layer of mold
Thu content of the intestines and thu excre
tions of worms show a great similarity in
microscopical ami chemical characters to "veg
etable mold " f Ilhttfnutlr ), formed by mixing
together rotting leaves and sand and leaving
them for about two years, after which time thu
leaves um found to huvo undergone complete
decomposition. very few shriveled cells being
discoverable among saml giauis ami brown
organic molecules.
To asieit.uu tite precise iart taken by the
earth worm in the production of this vegetable
mold. Vim Haitian placed two worms In a glaai
VMM tilled With sand, on ihe surface of which
was spread a layer of f.tllen leaves. Tim worms
set to work at once, and after about ill weeks
the surface of the sand Win found to be cohered
with a layer of mold nearly half u inch deep,
while main leines had been carried to u depth
of three inches. W orm-tube ran in all dircc
tioiis through the saml, Some were quite
fresh, others hud a wall of mold an eighth of an
meii thick, othere again wan completely idled
Wltli mold. Ill short, the soil of the Vessel wus
already Mfa0t well prearcd lor thu growth
of plants
A single worm weighs about 46 grains, ami
produce-, in M hours, nearly eight grains of
CTiaaiaMUUUI matter, There are, oil an
average, about .'t-1,000 worms to all acre of
ground, the combine. i weigiit of which is over
'J'-'O pounds, and which together pass through
their bodlai and reduce to a line state of
lUnatoa about ,17 pomdi of mold in iM hours.
Ik'sules thil tlioy prodUM a uniform distribu-
turn ol the moid, open up passage in the sub-
soil for roots and render the sulisnil fertile.
I'hey thus H-rform for the agnculturists an
oBaa Which i not only valuable ami extensive,
but quita inimitable.
A LoanioATim Plow, We read in Ifaaaa.
IfefttJf, Aft, of an invention which is said
b be practical, but which we should prefer to
ten at w.u I, before investing therein. It "consists
in the oomblnatiou with the motd'boerd of a plow,
of a fountain attachment) introduced between
the niold-Ward and share, also lubrication from
the colter on its sides, and to the plow point,
through which iol, water, or other liquids may
W supplie.l, whereby tlie hoe of the mohv
Isianl is caused to pass smoothly and candy
throuuh the soil, without the stickun; and ad.
be ring of the soil, as always hapjieiis without
tucir ucvicc. ihciouutain consists ol perioi.i
lions, t.r thin slit opening, Mwci n the mold
board and the share, which 1X1 connected by
pi "" i tuU's witli a tank ot oil r water, w Ineli
is iut aa flood) to a reaenoir. which nuw ha at
lached to the handles or Wain, or pcifer'ably to
a tank or cask on the riding wheels of the plow,
whence thu lubricating liquid is supplied to the
i iimn nun iHif.i' oi jiuiiveHoni uiruiigu llie Mils 111
to the colter, share and mold hoard, and m-rnnt
ting in-t only sltckv or WUS land to In- turned
over and broken up, but at well applies to the
hard clay soils of any country, in the time for
dimmer and fall plowing.'' It is said further
that "the reservoir may contain oO gallons of
water, or a day ' supply in plow ing one and a
half or two acres." Hut what do the horses
think of the draft of a plow weighted down
dj im pounds i water
lufLoincft or Wtni Borruni on Wixa.- it
baa recently been determined Ifl France that
wine mej he Uttered through th glass r thu
i Mt tie in winch it is contained Wing too alka
hue Aceonluiii to analvses triven the AVm.
Imtntlrielte, glass (or WUM Iwttles shmild yiebl
iwr iwntnai nuaa, ;s.4: dowm or noon, 11.7
lime lS.t;: elay and oude ei mm, 1 1 ; other in
gradients. O .t Class in 1,1 bohttei has beM
fouml to contain. sile,.i4; imtash or sol 4 I-
Itme, Ml) elay and Ink, il l. It teem that
the wine surfers principally (rwm e&eeas of lime.
Thus, in glass oaaanoaad of atnut, v, sxvia, gj
lime, 30, and clav. I for exwniJe. the win
liecame thick and loat Its anmia. The lat Kit
tle glau contains frxmi IS to mrU lim and
W - tXt tttt-t; th wont, Mt to & gjbj and S
tu 30 .
PACKING BOOS FOR THAN SIT.
In the Poultry Worlil there appears an arti
cle on the "transportation of eggs'' for hatch
ing, sent a distance, by railway. An "old
breeder" who has shipped thousands of dozens
of eggs for incubation all over tho United
States, in the past 20 years, writes thus:
"It la my custom always to wrap each egg
separately in soft paper lirst, and to twist the
nds of this wrapper up tightly. Then I de
posit a layer of eggs in about three inches'
depth of dry sawdust, or bran, ami cover this
laverover with two or three inches of tiackiiiL':
each egg being carefully separated from the
other. On the top of this, 1 place a second, or
a third layer of eggs, in the same way cover-
in ' all over with tw.. or three inches in thick
neat of the bran, or sawdust, at last. In this
way they usually go with wifely any dlatanoe,
' I send eggs away in larye roomy buxes.
and pack them in plenty of sawdust, usually,
1 find this method the safest, generally, Re.
celitlj, howler, 1 scut two tlo4uu Louiiiu and
Bmhnu eggs to a breeder, packed in this way
the only mode 1 ever adopt who com
plaiuud ol thu shape in which they were
peeked) ami who thinks 'so experienced a
chllt en man as I am ought to know Wtter
POULTEY-KEBPIN0 BY BOYS.
It is one of the most promising indicatioue of
character when a boy shows a disposition to
earn something. This desire to hold something
in fee-simple is the very opposite of trampism.
I Among boys, the enjoyment of owning, buying
J and selling, is very keen, and is often gratified
iu the getting of knives, old watches and trink
;ett, and making exchanges with each other,
j Who does not remember the wonderful dicker
and trade ! his boyhood; It was only the be
ginning of a development, or. rather, a .self
' education. This matter should not be permit
, ted to go without some guidance. Parents and
l guardians should take an interest in it, not
exerdiinga meddling interference, but iuspir
ino fwtnnnnofi. so as to be able to co-om irate.
' plan and watch the results.
Now comes a scheme that is just right.
! ilow can we teach a boy business habits better
than by giving him an opportunity to "run"
I a hennery? The accounts must be accurately
kept; there must bu buying and selling; tiiuru
must be bantering there ought to lie protit !
! A miniature business springs up; and inasmuch
! as it is real, why is it not as good as a business
collene! A love of home is fostered by the
ownership of flowers, small fruits ami poultry.
THE RICHEST WOMAN.
The queen of England is, says Mr. Jennings,
at this moment the richest woman in the world
totally apart from the sum she annually re-
ceives from the country." When the IMncs
Consort chose South Kensington as the lite for
the great exhibition ho invested a large amount
x lauds thereabouts, and that
money
' '
has by this time increased 40 or 50 fold, and
brings in a revenue adequate in itself to cover
the expenses of a good sized kingdom. The
queen herself is an excellent manager, and hod
Bhe begun life with a capital of fiOO she would
by this time hare made it 60,000, for she li.u
a turn for money -making, aud never losei ,-,
chance of increasing her shining Btore. It miy
be doubted whether she spends much, if any,
more than 25,000 a year, for she rarely re'
ceives anybody even to dinner, and although
she has to keep up a large class of servants,
20,000 will go a long way ex-en here to defray
all expenses ot that description. I mentioned thii
sum of 20,000 the other day to n friend of
mine who knows a good deal more about the
court than 1 do, and lie laughed at it as Wing
absurdly high. However that be, the queen re
ceives .18"),000 a year from the nation, about
40,000 more from the Duchy of Lancaster, ad
not less than .t'liOO.OOO from her investments
or $.'(, li",000 a year. The prince of Wales re
ceives 40,000 from the nation, aliout 1)0,000
from the Duchy of Cornwall, and his wife,
10,000 from the nation -altogether 110,000,
and upon this he has to keep a large family and
to receive aud entertain numerous visitors and
guests, give garden parties, balls, dinners and
incur vast expenses generally, which ought prop
erly to fall upon the monarch. No wonder that
he is relatively a poor man. The prospect be
fore him is not very bright, for the queen may
reign for '20 years to come yet. She ia only 58,
and is strong as a lion, in perfect health, and
probably hopet to reign aa long as her distin
guished ancestor, Cenrgelll., who was on tha
throne for 00 years peace to his memory! Aud
certainly no one wishes any evil to happen to
tho queen, or to see the shortening of her days,
for, after all, it is by no means certain that a
change, whenever it may come, will necessarily
be for the better.
LEWINTOWN NARROWS.
We print herewith an engraving showing a
scene on the line of the Pennsylvania railroad.
It is the Ijewistown narrows. Lcwistswn is on
tho left bank of the beautiful Juniata river and
tho nrgest town on its banks. Immediately
east of the town, between it and MitlHn, thu
railroad passes through the Lewistow n narrows,
formed by the Itlack Log mountain on Hie
south, and the Shade mountain on the north.
These were formerly known as the Ixnig nar
rows, and previous to the construction of the
railroad there was but one house in them for a
distance of 10 milea. The mountains rise ab
ruptly from the river to a bight, in many places,
hi more imiu l.iwo met, ami their Mites are gen
erally covered with a dense forest growth, giv
ing an appearance of deep gloom to the gorge.
Here and there the chain is tartly broken, or
its sides indented by ravines, aud the rocks
stand out in naked grandeur; but as a rule, the
walls of nature are intact, and the foliage coven
all. The water HoWl peacefully through the
haiinel it has carved, reflecting mi its bosom
the shadow s of the giants it conquered in form
ing a passage.
LEWISTOWN NARROWS.
than to send two doon eggs thus packed in a
lsi big enough for su doen,' etc!
Not an egg was broken, or disturlsd, when
the I mi was opened. Hut he desired 'cush
ions on the box, a handle to the package, aud
Orewe in the over.' I never trouble rayaelf
with thin nonsense. I don't believe iu it; and
1 hare no diOcolty in getting eggs to my nu
merous iiatrous, safely where, as yon say,
they are handled carefully and properly by the
evpresuien. ' UuMht springs are simply a
nuisance. 'OludltOM' are uniuveMary. and
will not help to avoid concussion. If the ex
press lads wish to concuss the box, cushtoua
re of no account as a protection."
RHOLUUI ROAlie, The RngUah, at all events,
says a letter-writer, know how to make roads.
Their Wood tavemenu are magniticent Iou
don basnet the fashion of wood, and Liverpool
i lieginntng to follow it; but there are ho pave
ments m the Sutea to touch these wooden
roads of Euijlan.l They are laid on founda
tions which in some cases have bean solidifying
since the day of the Romans. On these founda
tions they lay macadam and cement leveral
feet deep, and then ooane Mooka of pine, laid
with BWeaMVllke accuracy. There is a piece of
woM paveMnt of this Vind in Oiford street,
London, winch has not !een repaired for over
two years, aud it kwkJ a suWtantial and per
fect aa when it was lirst laid down. The aver
age price of this kind of pavement is about $4
per square yard, and the companies keen it in
order for two years without chanre. and thru
guarantee it for 15 years at an animal charge of
H cents per auuare yard for maintenance.
which eualiles the jiarers to relay the road, if
uwtww), iut 'ignt or ten years.
A fondness for the finest things produced in
our climate to cultivate them, if belonging to
to the vegetable kingdom; to breed, foster and
pet them, if belonging to the nnimnl is not
only a source of keen enjoyment, but indicates
K'ood traits and a certain elevation of character
above that which is brutish. Young people
should lie deftly guided, step by step, through
pleasant (.atlis, with here and there a little job
of earnest work, made easy by social frolie and
recreation, which come after in their proper
ulace. With a little encouragement, boys may
Ucomo quite familiar with the point of excel
lence iu high-class poultry, pigeons and other
patf, ami learn the liest methyls ((f breeding
and management
They may learn when aud where to purchase
supplies to the 1--t advantage, and how to sell
the surplus pndueta so as to give the most
protit with the least o-ense. A pleasant self
reliance and good business habits may he grow
ing, an.i, at the same time, a love tor nature,
for rehneinenl and humanity. Poultry K'or.f.
was on the stage are made bv putting tall
and short bojl under iinted canvas, who teter
it up and down. At an English theater a terri
ble stern, appeared -u their sea when only gen
tle swells should oeeur. The leasee rushed out
te see what was the trouble, and was met by
the stage manager with, -It s all right now, air;
tlie eU 'te, u penny waves were jmiog the ahil
hog waves a thrashing. "
Now doth the little baw armed with a shin
gle, dive head hrst into an empty sugar barrel
and come out with the brand of cane upon his
The Action or Oiis on Cornell. In a paper
before tlie liritisli Association, "On the Action
of Various Fatty Oils upon Copper," Wm. H.
Watson, P.O. 8., gave in detail a number of
experiments, showing the extent of which 10
ti lie rent mi.-, let upon copper, i ne result ot tne
experiments seemed to show that parnflineand cas
tor have the least action upon copper, and that
the action of sperm oil and seal oil is slight.
Linseed, almond, olive, sesame, ncatsfoot and
colza produced considerable action upon copper,
linseed oil being most active. The author con
eluded, from bis cxpi'rimcnts, that the compar
ative action of different oils cannot be correctly
decided in all cases simply from the appearance
of the oils after exposure to copper plates,
though minute quantities of the metal might be
easily detected in moot oils from the color which
is produced by such exjHisure. An associate
expressed gratification at the results of Mr.
Watson's experiments, as they confirmed the
results of his own. He felt that he should be
quite Oonpttont, with the aid of what he had
now learned, to do that which he had long beeu
attempting to bring te a higher state of per
fection oils for the purpose of lubrication.
AttnvtriAi. Coum n Brandy. It is a well
know n fact, says JVeieUlW Z?itehrift, that the
longer brandy is permitted te remain in the cask
the darker it gets iu color- due to the taking
up of the coloring matter in the wood. Liquor
dealers have a strong inclination te have noth
ing but old brandy, so-called, in stock, therefore
color their young liquor by means of burnt
sugar (caramel . This falsification is at once
IpMrent to the practiced tippler, bat a chemi
cal test is nevertheless very desirable. Herr
E. Carles discovered that the falsification re
ferred to can lie detected by means either of the
albumen of an egj or sulphate of iron. If totwo
samples of brandy, the one colored by natural
means, the other by sugar, one-sixth of their
volume of albumen be added, thev will become
turbid. On clearing, either by being permitted
to stand quietly or by filtration, the artificially
colored liquor w ill retain its color while the un
adulterated will be almost colorless. The addi
tion of a concentrated solution of nilphate of
iron will not alfect the tampered liquor, while
the true article wiU be colored to a blackish
green color, more intense as the brandy is aged.
Waterproof Lkathrr. Melt one liter of
boiled linseed oil, P2A grammes of met, 46
grammes wax. and grammes r. -hi together
over a slow tire, and apply it to the leather with
a brash while warm. Tnis composition keeps
the leather very soft The English fishermen
have long been using it They can remain ia
the water for hours ere it penetrates through the
leather.