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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (June 1, 1880)
June, 1880. THE WEST SHORE. 77 Artificial Amber. Articles made of imita tion amber are now produced in immense quan tities and of beautiful appearanoe, and sold for the natural material The resembling substance thus employed is principally oolophony a resin obtained by the decomposition of turpentine though many other ingredionts are also made stance becomes liquid at a much lower tempora ture. Again, whdo the true article is only slightly attacked, after a very long time, by ether and alcohol, the imitation rapidly loses its polish in contact with suoh liquids, and soon becomes soft. True amber pieces of small sise may be formed into a lump of much greater 11 ift , mm m m aw ... mm a w m vay m H I Mi mm 1 m m 11 ii n I I .11 TEXAS MILLET. I'anicum Tesanum nas of to give it the requisite qualities. 80 perfect U the imiUtion said to be, that tnela'ea substance has the electrical properties of the true, and some ingenious fabneators have even managed to introduce into theaubstanoe foreign loliel, inaecte, etc., to render the ijgWRjJ more itriking. The means of Mli" simple, (lenuine amber rmiree a heat ol . to 580 Fan., to melt it, while the spurious tot). j - t ui value, by moistening tne annates w m with caustic potash, and pressing them together while warm. How Hkakm Movr-Hiuaee creep; they have a series M muscular nnK " -wi by the contrac tion of which, in rapid ";"; IhVy move over the ground. Veloh the nest ono you come TEXAS MILLET. We give on this page an engraving of Texas millet, a forago plant which has gained some promiuenoe in tho Southern States, and is put forth as worthy of attention by the Commie- t 1 r ..n :., ki. MnA lve lUUbl Ol kglli.Ul.UIU iU UH IVIVt. IV. lUIWi It is represented tube a grass of vigorous, rapid growth. It is very leafy, the leaves broad, rather thin, sprinkled with soft hairs. It grows two to three feet high, but the spreading sulks art often (our feet or more in length, growing very close and thick at the base, ami yieldiug a large amount of food. Thiauraas Vim been brought to the attention of tho department during several years past. Mr. I'ryor l.ea, ol imliaii, leiaa, nas nan 11 111 cultivation lor a mimiier 01 years, ami write, respecting it as follows: "1 W9MM it far antwrinr to anv uraaa that I ever saw for hay. It is a much more certain crop than millet, and ..... ... . 1.1 ' I .11 LI...1. i cultivated will! lees laoor, ami en nmu stock prefer it. I e.peot to report a good second crop on the same ground this year. Ill this region this grass, ill tne Dominion in won cultured hay, is regarded as more nutritious than any other grass. 11 grows omy 111 cum vetnd land; it prospers best in the warmest fourth of the year; its luxurious growth sub dues other grasses and some weeds, with the result of leaving the grouml ill ail ameliorated condition." The following is the technical description ol the plant: drenches Of the panicle rough, the pedivels with scattered hairs, especially near the llnwrra; apikelets oblong, somewhat )'".. .1. ' to lines long, spirly hairy; lower giiimo bslf or two-thirds the Irugth of the upper, acute, ft nerved, the lateral nerves uniting Willi the inidnervo lielow the alien; upHir glume prominently ft to 7 nervnl, pointed; slerlle Mower with V. paints, the lower ft to 7 nerved, niuuh like the MM glume, Ihn upKr MN thin snd transparent, as long as the luwen iierfrct llnwer ovate or niiinng-ovate, eouueii, transversely wriukled with Him reticulated atria. An annual grass two to lour feel high, .par ingly branched, at llrst erect, becoming deeuin beul and widely spreading, very leafy, sheaths and leavea linely soft hsiry. msrgtti uf the leaves rough; leal blades II toH inches long ami to I inch wide, upper leaves reaching to the base of the (tauiele, or nearly so; panicle II to 8 inches long, strict, the branches alternate, nreel, simple, .1 10 incur. 1 nun - what scsltrrod sessile spikeleU. A en mm ease in relation to wniglnug scales has recently lieeu decided in an English court, which may l of greal interest to seal makers and users in tins country. 11 seems . . . . I I. l I - - ,11. , a I .in -1 . . I. ..1.1. ........ I. .if tun I nIibimi.I aclo oil rHjaiii, ' 1 V 1 , an upright pillar and a linger ami dial register . r t. i ,1. ., j., (.,, ,.r unilrriieain. n " "i""' scales are made every year, and tliousauda of them are in use in the government departments. .11 I I .. .V.. , 1 in tin nu II was BMesjsa wf . .- that by placing the goods to lie welgheil on one sideol the scale, aud not s.aotly In the canter. Iba weight was erroneously registered, snmellmra to the eitenl ol several nunoee. '('he defend anU, lieing a Manchester linn who had sold one of tlieee scales, were louud guilty of the charge . . I -I I.I l L.I..IU . ,,.1 ul Having sun iw " miiji- ...... wsrs senUnoad to pay a line of 'HI shillings and oosta. As might be eipeoted, the oaae is to he taken to a higher court. Orbat Ii aaasa or ToaatAua. -The slopping of the world la now seUmaUd at W.WU.WU lima, winch la 10 fold greater than the figures of two oenturiee ago. It la eepeouUly noteworthy that It baa doubled within Iba last !tt years. Accompanying the Increase in tonnage, thete has also beeu a vast inereaae In seed, so thai the amount of maritime commerce now la at leaal 40 limes greater than in the year I (MO.