86o 



POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



taken to preserre the breed and to neutralize 

 vai-iation as far as possible, so that the seed 

 may " come true " ; on the other hand, when 

 the variation does occur, the observation of 

 the grower marks the change, and he either 

 rejects the plant, manifesting it as a " rogue," 

 if the change is undesirable, or takes care of 

 it for further trial if the variation holds out 

 promise of novelty or improvement. Where 

 the ilowers lend themselves readily to cross- 

 fertilization by means of insects, it is essen- 

 tial, in order to maintain the purity of the 

 offspring to, grow the several varieties at a 

 very wide distance apart. Some apparently 

 slight variations, which even to the trained 

 botanist are hardly noticeable, may be of 

 great value commercially; as, for instance, 

 of two apparently almost identical varieties 

 of wheat one may be much better able to 

 resist mildew and diseases generally than 

 another. Some, again, prove to be better 

 adapted to certain soils or for some climates 

 than others. Some are less liable to injury 

 from predatory birds, and so on. So far we 

 have been alluding to variations in the plant 

 as grown from seed, but similar changes are 

 observable in the ordinary buds, and garden- 

 ers are not slow to take advantage of these 

 variations. The field is one of great scien- 

 tific as well as commercial interest, and a 

 thoroughly equipped biologist would probably 

 soon distance the ordinary gardener, who 

 works by rule of hand, in producing and 

 perpetuating valuable variations. 



Some African War Customs. — When war 

 comes to the Bondei people in Africa, the 

 Rev G. Dale, missionary, says, the first who 

 hears it climbs up to the top of the house 

 and beats the drum with one band, calling 

 the people to assemble there. A drum is 

 beaten in every village as soon as another 

 drum is heard. Everybody goes where the 

 first drum was sounded, and the people cry 

 war all over the country. All the women 

 and children go into the forest with their 

 property, taking especial pains to carry the 

 basket containing the money and beads. 

 The warriors take their weapons, put their 

 amulets on their arms and neck and face, 

 and adjust their ostrich plumes. Each one 

 supposes that the charms will keep him safe, 

 and have power, even if he is struck with a 

 bullet, to prevent its entering him. Another 



charm consists in scarifying the man all 

 down his arms and breast and back, after 

 which, it is believed, no sword will cut 

 into his body. The great doctors have a 

 powder which they put into water, which 

 the wari'iors drink. On approaching the 

 seat of war the warriors assemble, when 

 every one is smeared on the face with a cer- 

 tain preparation and given medicine, and is 

 licked by the fundi. Then they separate ; 

 each band goes in its special direction, and 

 the battle takes place. If they conquer they 

 return together singing songs signifying, 

 "As the Hshundu is a great bird and is 

 accustomed to the mountains, so we are ac- 

 customed to war" ; or, *' Come and live in our 

 land. That yonder is glowing with the fire 

 of burned villages. We are like the Masai " ; 

 and entering the village they shout, "The 

 land is at rest, till and eat ! " If a man has 

 been killed, they return singing, " My millet 

 has a limit, who has eaten it ? " — go to the 

 house of the dead man, fire their guns, and 

 take away the grass that slopes over the 

 door — and so the wife knows that she is a 

 widow. Then they go and tell the old folks. 

 The man who has killed an enemy in battle 

 performs a ceremony for seven days which 

 includes climbing to the top of the house 

 every morning, boasting, and naming the 

 man he has killed. If the warriors are de- 

 feated, they come back one by one, having 

 hidden themselves. In case of victory the 

 women greet the warriors with great joy, and 

 shave, for the first time since their husbands 

 went to war. 



Paints for Iron. — A new study of paints 

 for iron has led Herr Spennrath to the con- 

 clusion that none of the metallic oxides en- 

 tering into the composition of paints com- 

 bines chemically with the oil. The drying 

 of the paint is caused solely by the absorp- 

 tion of oxygen by the oil, which is facilitated 

 in a purely mechanical way by the presence 

 of the oxide. The relative value of the oxides 

 is very variable. Oxide of zinc, when used 

 in outside work, swells rapidly to twice the 

 original volume, in consequence of the ab- 

 sorption of carbonic acid and the vapor of 

 water. The red and white oxides of lead 

 absorb sulphureted hydrogen and increase 

 in volume. These substances are, however, 

 good driers when they are pure. Carbon 



