188 Short Papers and Notes. 
found to be about six tons. It is a “mighty lump,” truly, and 
yet it is altogether eclipsed by the mass of meteoric iron found in 
1870 by Nordenskiold in West Greenland, which weighed twenty- 
two and a-half tons. 
Vegetable Glue. 
A concentrated solution of gum arabic possesses the disagree- 
able property, when applied to printing and other paper not 
strongly sized, of penetrating them to transparency, and in spite of 
this, not making them adhere to other paper. Paper cannot be 
attached to common pasteboard nor wood to wood by it. 
Paper gummed with mucilage will not adhere to metallic sur- 
faces, but soon falls off, and it is useless for glass, porcelain, or 
earthenware. All these disadvantages are remedied when an 
aqueous solution of sulphate of aluminium is added. 
For 250 grains of the concentrated gum solution (prepared 
with two parts of gum and five of water), two grains of crystal 
aluminium sulphate will suffice. This salt is dissolved in ten 
times its quantity of water and mixed directly with the mucilage, 
which in this condition may be termed vegetable glue. Solution 
of alum serves the same purpose, but far less efficiently. 
Fruit as Food and Medicine. 
For more reasons than one, fruit ought to be regarded not 
only as a sound nourishment, but also as a curative agent. Its 
influence upon the human body has not been sufficiently acknow- 
ledged. This is a mistake, because we are really able, with the 
simple help of fruit, to alleviate or to entirely eradicate all the 
evils to which our miserable bodies are accustomed. A fact well 
known to science is that people of robust constitution who eat 
good fruit in moderation live to a very advanced age. In spite of 
this, one ought to know what part of the fruit should be carefully 
avoided. Do not swallow the rind of peaches and apples, the 
stones of cherries and apricots, or the pips of oranges and lemons. 
These insoluble substances form a weight upon the stomach, and 
sometimes bring about serious trouble in the intestines. Throw 
away the “skin” of the grape as well as that of the orange. It 
is only the pulpy part of any fruit when it is fully developed that 
is an excellent nourishment, but take it as a continual food, not 
simply as a dessert. Prunes, cherries, and grapes are not so easy 
to digest as peaches, which contain a good proportion of the 
elements in solution. They ought also to be recommended in 
case of weak stomach. With your fruit eat bread, and preferably 
stale bread, because it cleans the tongue, and enables you to taste 
the flavour of the fruit with more advantage.—Voniteur @ Horti- 
culture. 
