1895 THE MICROSCOPE. 107 



ally or inadvertently fallen into such methods, they should not 

 accept anything he says unless they have independent means 

 of verification. 



Commerce-blackmailing. — On February 28, Messrs Watson 

 & Son, who have been doing the colleges of this country a great 

 service by supplying microscopes at much less cost than they 

 could be made in the United States, sent us an electrotype to 

 replace the one now used in this advertisement. The electro- 

 type, which in this country of high prices and idleness would 

 cost about SI. 00, cost in London 62 cents. The commerce- 

 blackmailers in New York affixed a duty of SI. 73 which we 

 have refused to pay. The matter has been referred to the 

 Secretary of the Treasury. Running behind as he is ever}^ day 

 in the finances of the country, he may refuse an}^ rebate. But 

 if Democrat Carlisle permits such outrages as this, pray what 

 might we expect from McKinley, the prince of commerce- 

 blackmailers. As Bob Ingersoll says : " If God commanded the 

 Hebrews to slaughter 50 000 Amelekites, their wives and child- 

 ren, what might we expect the Devil to do under similar cir- 

 cumstances ? " 



PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 



By Iv. a. WILLSON, 

 cleveland, ohio. 

 Equisetum. — These plants are commonly known as horse 

 tails, or scouring rushes. They are simple leafless stems or 

 stems with whorled branches and are found growing in wet 

 grounds, lake banks, river banks or border of woods. They 

 furnish interesting objects for the microscopist, such as the 

 elaters and spore. These are found in a terminal cone-like 

 spike of the fruitful plant. Gather a quantity of the stems and 

 on arriving home shake them over a paper and preserve the 

 resulting dust by having it wrapped in paper. When it is desi- 

 red to examine the elaters and snores, place a small quantity of 

 this dust upon a slide and examine it without a cover-glass with 

 an inch objective. While looking through the tube have a friend 

 breath gently upon the slide when the elaters will spring into 



