'5- 



N If URL 



[October 24. 1918 



rs, viz. tin' rook and the sparrowhawk, ai 



numerous, and consequently injurious over wide 

 is, whilst the missel-thrush is too numerous m 

 . localities; these species could be adequatelj 

 reduced l>\ a temporary withdrawal of protectic*. 

 ! !,. maining foui species, viz. the skylark, green 

 woodpecker, kestrel, and lapwing, are highh bene- 

 ficial, and should receive ever) protection. 



The first annual report nf the official seed-testing 

 station ol the Board of Agriculture, which is issued 

 in. the Hoard's Journal for September, a-ffords abun- 

 dant justification for the creation of the station in 

 November last. In the eight and a half months of 

 che station's existence up to Jtrlj 3] no fewer than 

 7744 samples were dealt with, of which ,s<'7<> were sent 

 by seedsmen and 1553 b) growers. In course of time 

 the proportion of the lattei class will doubtless steadilj 

 increase as the facilities provided become mote widel} 

 known amongsf fanners and allotment-holders. More 

 than fort) species of seeds wen- tested, the most 

 numerous being cereals, grasses, clovers, turnips, 

 mangolds, and onions. The report clearly indicates 

 that much worthless seed is liable to get into the 

 hands ol farmers, about 1 per cent, of the samples 

 showing a germination of 5 per cent, or less. The 

 qualitv of a few kinds of seed would seem to have 

 been decidedly below the average of recent years, 

 e.g. vetches, English red clovers, trefoil, meadow 

 fescue, timothy, scarlet runner and French beans. 

 Doddei was verj prevalent in red clovers, especially 

 in those of Chilian origin, and its presence in samples 

 of other leguminous species is evidence that sufficient 

 attention is not yet paid to the elimination of this 

 parasite. The general significance of the results as 

 outlined in the report merits the most careful con- 

 sideration of both seedsmen and growers. 



We have received a cop) of the register of earth- 

 quakes felt 01 recorded in the Philippine Islands during 

 the year tgij (U.S. Weather Bureau for December, 

 iqi7). The number of earthquakes catalogued is 140 ; 

 most of them wire of moderate intensity. Only two 

 Win- sluing enough to damage buildings slightly, vet, 

 though their epicentres were situated within or close to 

 the Philippine Islands, both were registered at seismo- 

 h igi< al stations all user the world. 



Ix a paper on the atmospheric scattering of light, 

 which constitutes Publication No. -'405 of the Smith- 

 sonian Miscellaneous Collections, Mr. F. E. Fowle, 

 of the ^strophysical Observatory of the Smithsonian 

 Institution, gives the results of an examination of the 

 lected at Mount Wilson between mm and 

 11 the fraction of the light of given wave- 

 idenf at the outer limits ol the atmosphere 

 which penetrates to the earth's surface be called the 

 coefficient, ibis coefficient is found to 

 foi In air from about o-o at the blue to about 

 the red end of the visible spectrum, its value 

 varying with the inverse fourth powei ol the wave- 

 length. In addition, there is a slight haziness which 

 reduces the coefficient l>\ 0-5 to j pet a nt. in normal 

 years. The coefficient Foi di\ air is entirely accounted 

 for by the gas moleculi according to the theory given 



hv Rayleigh. Fh fficients for water-vapour van 



from on to 0-98 ovet the same range, and follow 

 the same law- of variation with wave-length. The 

 absorption is, however, fifty times thai to be expected 

 on Ravleigh's theory. Thi haziness due to the vapour 

 reduces the transmission aboul pet cent, in all parts 

 of the spectrum. 



entral Argentine Raihva\ bis a present mile- 



5300, and serves the northern portion of thi 



1 1 has the distinction of hi ing the first 



NO. 2556, VOL. I02] 



of the great railway lines in the Argentim to 

 the mo.l.rn methoi 1 ng with suburban tt 



and ibis fact lends interesi to a series of illustrated 

 ai tit li - "i / ngineering descriptivi ol thi .1 



''■ mployed. Mess, .. fcferz and Vf< I 



be 1 .is engineer- in conjunction with Mi 



Livi ;ey, Son, and Henderson, and the whole ,,t thi 

 apparatus used in connection v, iib the elei rification 

 was manufactured in Greal Britain. The com| 

 electrification works for the suburban system in 



a power station of 15, .-kw. capacity, 57 miles 



high-tension transmission cables, four traction 

 stations with 14,000 kw. of converting plant, and thi 

 electrical equipment of too miles of single trai 

 Powei is produced in the generating station as three- 

 phase current at 20,000 volts, with a periodicfl 

 25 cycles, transmitted to the sub-stations, converted 

 in direct current at 800 volts, and supplied to thi 

 trains through a third rail. The power plant includes 

 six Babcock and Wilcox water-tubi boilers with under- 

 teed stokers, four horizontal reaction turbines with 

 high- and low-pressure cylinders b\ Missis. ('. \. 

 Parsons and Co., Ltd., together with alternators. 

 transformers, and motors bv the same firm. 



Engineering for October 18 contains an account of 

 an interesting process for producing wheels and 

 by rolling which is in operation at the works of thi 

 Cambria Steel Co., Pa. The method, which is di 

 \li. E. E. Slick, consists in cutting "cheeses" oil 

 1 i-in. 1.1 jo-in. rolled bars, and then converting 

 blanks into wheels or discs by a special form of 

 rolling mill, of which drawings are included in the 

 article. The blanks are cut from the hot liar b\ 

 eccentrii shears having cutters with cam-shaped 

 edge,, which approach and recede limn each othi 



the Cutters rotate. It is this approach ..I thi 

 edges during j> rotation which effects the 1 tit bv 

 shearing on a bar placed between the two. 

 blanks .11.- then reheated and punched so a- to leavi 

 a hole m arly half-way through them, into which a 

 loose pin is fitted, which serves to centre the blank' 

 in tin subsequent rolling operation. The rolling mill 

 consists el two shafts set at a slight angle to 1 

 other. \t adjacent ends each shaft curies a di. 

 responding with the wheel-form required, an 

 these dii - the blank is placed. One die is • 

 axialb , .inA the Other can be traversed nxially by 

 hydraulii rams. The total thrust exerted 1>\ 

 rams i- bout (,000,000 lb. It is claimed that the 

 wheels produced by this process are of uniform tex- 

 11111, and that anv piping which may have existed 

 in the centre of the round bar remains in the CI 

 id lb, punched wheel, and is uliiniai. In removed when 

 tin- wheel is piei 1 ed in taki the axle. 



We i . ret that a refet em 1 in a note in 1 iui iss 

 Octobei io, p. iii, conveyed thi impression tha 

 Institute of Chemistry bad failed in its efforts to-in- 

 1 nasi its activities. Mr. R. B. Pilcher, registrai 

 secretan of the institute, informs us that mon 

 one hundred new fellows and more than (150 new asso- 

 ciates have been elected since Octobei ol last 

 All that the writer of our paragraph intended 

 suggest ts that the institute, i>\ opening its doors 

 hum 1 widi : . w 1 hi lil obviate the necessity for the forma,' 

 lion of iii w organisations in the chemical profess 

 indeed. < ents an- alread) beginning to show the 1111- 

 desirabilif of having sevet rl organisations represi nting 

 the profession. We ari glad to lake this opportunity 

 of congratulating the instituti on the success of its 

 pro 1 policy. 



Messrs. Longmans and Co.'s new announo 

 list contains the following books relating to sci 



-a, V, l.nis. D.S.O.," J. G. 



