438 



of the fifteen places referred to, with au aggregate poimlation of about 

 680,000, is about 1,100 acres, of various characters, autl situated at dis- 

 tances from the center of the respective towns ranging fix)m one-half 

 mile to three miles, and from the outskirts one-fourth of a mile to one 

 and a fourth mile. 



SCIENTIFIC NOTES. 



The following lecent notes from scientific sources have a practical 

 bearing upon the i)ursuits of agriculture: 



ObservaMonn on some peculiar itkis of the sail of tlie Landcs. — Mr. Faye «le8ciil>6« in the 

 Comptes, ill a lengthy paper, a peculiar subsoil, locally known (in the departenients Des 

 Landes and a portion of that of La Giionde) as allios. This is a layer of peculiarly 

 agglomerated sand, intermingled with small pebbles, and containing organic matter, 

 Ji8 well as oxide of iron. It (the allios) is met with at a depth of about one meter be- 

 low the surface ; and above as well as below it (its thickness hardly ever exceeding 

 one to two meters, and generally less) is found the loose san<l which, in former 

 years, was constantly blown about by the winds, but is now retained in its place by 

 the plantations of the pinadas, {Fiiiu8 maritima.) The author ascribes the origin of 

 these allios to the fact that, during winter and early spring, these extensive plains (the 

 departements above named are the largest in surface of all the French depart«ments) 

 are inundated by rain water, which, being slowly absorbed by the soil, forms, (at the 

 depth already mentioned,) in consequence of the matter it contains in solution, and 

 by evaporation, a cement which causes the agglomeration of the underlying sandy 

 subsoil. In many parts of the banen moors of the Netherlands and Hanover a similar 

 subsoil occurs, being locally known as oerbanken ; they often contain the marsh-iron 

 ore in workable quantities. 



FatUj matters contained in the chyle of herbivorous animals. — The Comptes says : Among 

 other fatty substances discovered by Dr. Dobroslavine, is a mixture of stearic and pal- 

 mitic acids, oleiue, and fat, containing a small quantity of nitrogen. 



Experimental researches on the modijvcations of the immediate mmposilion of bones. — F. Pa- 

 pillon relates in the Comptes, at length, some experiments instituted with live anunals, 

 to which were given, among their food, phosphate of strontia, phosphate of alumina, 

 and phosphate of magnesia. These experiments were continued for several months, 

 and the animals, (pigeons and rats,) which did not seem to be in the least affected by 

 partaking of the small daily doses of the mineral matters alluded to, were killed, and 

 their bones submitted to analysis, with the following resnlts : Ash of bones of pig- 

 eon, in 100 parts: linu;, 46.75; strontia, 8.45; phosphoric acid, 41.80; phos])hate of mag- 

 nesia, 1.80; residue, 1.10 — total,' 99.80. Bones of a rat, in 100 parts: alumina, 6.95; 

 lime, 41.10. Bones of another rat, (to which phosphate of magnesia had been given,) 

 in too parts: magnesia, 3.56; lime, 46.15. 



Purification of dirty water. — Since, in dry seasons, any v/ater may ^y^ of high value, 

 at least for cattle drinking, S. Mounier, in the Cosmos, advises to place in a large-size(l 

 cask a false bottom, perforated with some holes, and to put on that bottom, first, clean 

 pebbles, next, well washed sand, then a layer of coarsely-granulated charcoal, and, 

 over all this, a piece of canvas. The water, even that accidentally standing in shallow 

 ditches after a shower of rain, may be poured into this filter, and thus become avail- 

 able for cattle drinking, though it may be not quite clear. 



New use for hyposulphite of soda. — In the Cosmos, S. Meunier states that experiments 

 made with this salt have proved it to be very superior for use for washing linen to the 

 carbonate of soda now in use; it has no corrosive action, and does not cause a yellow 

 coloring of the fabric after some time. Borax, largely used in the Netherlands and 

 Belgium, is a better substitute still, and, by its use, wliite fabrics assume an agreeable 

 bluish hue, which, in many instances, renders the subsecpient use of washing-blue 

 unnecessary. 



Composition of rain water. — The Cosmos contains an analysis, by Dr. G. Tissandier, of 

 some rainwater fallen at Paris on the 1st and 8th of July last. The portion (only 

 Bonie drops purposely collected on watch-";la»sses) which fell on the first-named date, 

 contained no less than 4.68 per cent, of solid matter ; microscopical (jbservation proved 

 \ the existence therein of debris of woven tissues, threaxls, coal dust, starch granules, 

 sand, and debris of wood. On being evaporated, a drop, weighing 0.032 gram, and 

 then seen under the microscope, was proved to contain crystals of nitrate of ammonia 

 and crystals of common salt. On the last-named date, a liter of water was collected 

 on the top of a roof in Paris ; this water, on being analyzed, yieldcfl a total solid, diy 

 residue of 0.0658 gram, containing insoluable mineral matters, 0.0108 gram ; insoluble 

 organic matter, 0.034 gram ; soluble salts, 0.021. This rain water was found to con- 



