POPULAR MISCELLANY. 



855 



a3 well as in the unusual season at which it 

 is fresh. The seed is all grown in TencrifEe 

 Island, of two varieties, one producing white 

 and the other red bulbs. The white bulbs 

 are a little earlier, but the red ones are 

 Bweeter. The seed is so^vn very thickly in 

 seed-beds — the soil of which has been pre- 

 pared with special care and highly enriched 

 — from the last of September till early in 

 November. The plants are transplanted in 

 December and January. The fields are 

 little pockets of earth scattered here and 

 there over the island, in depressions between 

 the rocks. They seldom contain an area of 

 more than two acres, and the larger propor- 

 tion of them contain less than half an acre. 

 The soil is carefully prepared and laid out, 

 by treading paths into beds about three feet 

 wide, into which the little plants, about as 

 large as a goose-quill, are transplanted from 

 the seed-beds. The whole number of acres 

 cultivated on the island of Bermuda in the 

 winter of 1890-'91, in onions, potatoes, to- 

 matoes, and beets, was 2,422. 



Hannfactnre of Silk Gauzes. — Silk gauzes 

 are manufactured by a special method dis- 

 tinct from all other modes of weaving, in 

 which, according to M. G. Hennebcrg, of 

 Zurich, the first consideration is the selec- 

 tion, from among the best brands of raw silk, 

 that which will give the most uniform and 

 the firmest twist. The twist is obtained by 

 spinning two threads, one upon the other, 

 about a thousand turns to the metre of 

 length. When the threads intended for the 

 chain have been stretched uniformly with 

 the most delicate care, to prevent a pre- 

 mature wearing away (which occurs when 

 the tension is unequal, by the two light 

 threads snapping) each of the threads of the 

 chain is passed separately between two 

 meshes of the weaving harness, and between 

 the teeth of the comb or of extremely fine 

 steel. To show how carefully this work must 

 be done, we mention that a steel comb used 

 in weaving a gauze one metre wide, No. 17, 

 has 6,517 teeth, with as many spaces be- 

 tween them. Next is the preparation of 

 the chain for the operation of weaving, by 

 moistening it with soft brushes. Some of 

 the valleys of eastern Switzerland, on ac- 

 count of their elevated position and special 

 climatic and atmospheric conditions, seem 



particularly well adapted to the weaving of 

 a strong twist, exceptionally brittle and hard. 

 The weavers do their work in couples or 

 threes in specially constructed cellars abun- 

 dantly lighted and aired, the temperature of 

 which should be kept nearly the same — 

 about 50° Fahr. — through the whole year, 

 and the moisture seventy-five per cent. 

 Whenever a notable variation in temperature 

 takes place, the weaving should be stopped 

 till a favorable change occurs. The weaver 

 should be a strong, hearty man, because the 

 management of the loom demands much 

 skill and a more than ordinary toughness of 

 body. When the piece is done, it is washed, 

 stre'ched on a frame to dry, and dried by 

 drawing a pan of hot coals back and forth 

 under it. Silk gauze must be kept in per- 

 fectly dry and well-aired places. 



Habits of the Wandering Albatross. — Of 



the wandering albatross {Dlomcdca cxulans) 

 a Mr. Harris, who has carefully studied it, 

 says that at a certain time of the year, be- 

 tween February and Juno, the old birds 

 leave their young and go to sea, not to return 

 till October, when they arrive in large num- 

 bers. During their absence the young birds 

 never leave the breeding-ground. Immedi- 

 ately after the return of the old birds, each 

 pair goes to its old nest, and, after a little 

 fondling of the young one, turns it out and 

 prepares the nest for the next brood. The 

 deserted young ones are in good condition 

 and very lively, being frequently seen off 

 their nests exercising their wings ; and when 

 the old birds come back, a young bird will 

 often remain outside of the nest and nibble 

 at the head of the old one, until the feathers 

 between the beak and the eye are removed, 

 and the skin is made sore. The young birds 

 do not go far from land till the following 

 year, when they accompany the older ones 

 to sea. 



Railway Accidents for 1889-'90.— Ac- 

 cording to the statistics of the Interstate 

 Commerce Commission, the total number of 

 passengers, employes, and other persons not 

 trespassers, who suffered death or injury on 

 railroads in the United States during the year 

 ending June 30, 1890, was 29,196, of whom 

 about five sixths were employes. The num- 

 ber of casualties to employes was greater by 



