September 12, 1907J 



NA TURE 



499 



A'OT£S. 

 Successful trials were made with the British military 

 airship at Farnborough on Tuesday. The airship is 

 cylindrical in shape, its length being about loo feet and 

 diameter 30 feet. Four bands which encircle the cylinder 

 support a light framework under which the car of the 

 balloon is suspended. The motor driving the propellers 

 is fixed in the forepart of the car, and in the stern of the 

 framework there is a large si.x-sided rudder, which is con- 

 trolled by rudder lines from the car. Above the car are 

 six aeroplanes, three over the bow and three over the 

 stern. The trials on Tuesday demonstrated that the air- 

 ship could be controlled and steered in a very satisfactory 

 manner ; and the success attained shows that real advance 

 has been made in aeronautics during the past few years. 



Official announcement is made that on and after 

 September 26, the colony of New Zealand and the terri- 

 tory belonging thereto will be called and known by the 

 title of the Dominion of New Zealand. 



Science states that Prof. J. J. Stevenson, of New York 

 University, and Prof. W. M. Davis, of Harvard Uni- 

 versity, are among the Americans who will attend the 

 celebration of the centenary of the foundation of the 

 Geological Society of London at the end of this month. 



It is stated in the Engineer of September 6 that the 

 deepest bore-hole put down for coal in Great Britain has 

 just been completed at Cameronbridge, Fifeshire. The 

 bore-hole attained a depth of 4534 feet before the mountain 

 limestone was reached, .^t the instigation of the Scottish 

 Geographical Society, steps are to be taken to ascertain 

 the earth temperature at the bottom of the bore. 



A Reuter message to Winnipeg from Athabasca Land- 

 ing reports the loss near Fort Anxious of the Duchess of 

 Bedford, the vessel of the Anglo-American Polar Expedi- 

 tion under Captain Ejnar Mikkelsen. The expedition 

 sailed from Victoria on May 20, 1906, with the object of 

 exploring the unknown regions lying to the west of the 

 Parry Archipelago, and of discovering whether there was 

 land to the north of the Beaufort Sea. Though the vessel 

 is lost, a message received on September 7 from Mr. V. 

 Stefansson, the ethnologist of the expedition, reports 

 " Expedition all safe." The telegram was sent to the 

 U.S. National Geographic Society from Eagle City, 

 Alaska, on the Upper Yukon River. 



A COMMITTEE to inquire into and report upon certain 

 matters relating to the improvement of forestry in Ireland 

 has been appointed by the Vice-President of the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture and Technical Instruction. The com- 

 mittee consists of the following members : — Mr. T. P. Gill 

 (chairman). Lord Castletown, Mr. W. Redmond, M.P., 

 Rev. D. Kelly, Lord Bishop of Ross; Mr. H. de Fellen- 

 burg Montgomery, Mr. W. F. Bailey, Mr. W. R. Fisher, 

 and Prof. J. R. Campbell. The terms of reference are to 

 inquire into and report upon the following matters relating 

 to the improvement of forestry in Ireland, viz. : — (i) the 

 present provision for State aid to forestry in Ireland ; 

 (2) the means whereby in connection with the operation 

 of the Land Purchase Acts existing woods may be pre- 

 served, and land suitable for forestry acquired for public 

 purposes ; and (3) the financial and other provisions neces- 

 sary for a comprehensive scheme of afforestation in 

 Ireland. 



The Rome correspondent of the Times states that the 

 palace which is being erected for the International .\gri- 

 NO. 1976, VOL. 76] 



cultural Institute in the gardens of the Villa Borghese is 

 rapidly approaching completion, and before the end of 

 September will be roofed in. Invitations for the meeting 

 of the permanent committee and for the inauguration of 

 the institute will probably be issued in the course of 

 November next, and with the first meeting of the com- 

 mittee in the spring of next year the institute will enter 

 upon its career of activity. The Italian Royal Commission 

 has appointed Prof. M. Pantaleoni to superintend an 

 inquiry for the purpose of ascertaining exactly the extent 

 of the information which the different countries that have 

 adhered to the convention are in a position to supply with 

 regard to their agricultural production. Prof. Bodio, of 

 the General Bureau of Statistics, has been entrusted with 

 a mission to Germany and Austria to study on the spot 

 the systems pursued by those countries for the collectfon 

 of agricultural reports. 



The latest example of the close connection between 

 science and industry in Germany is afforded by the found- 

 ation of an institute for milling research in the Seestrasse, 

 Berlin, adjoining the two already well-known institutes 

 for research in the sugar and fermentation industries. 

 The new -institute was formally opened on July 30 ; it 

 consists of a main building containing the administrative 

 offices and laboratories, together with an experimental 

 granary, a wheat and rye mill, and a bakery. The 

 granary has a storage capacity of more than one million 

 kilos., and the dimensions of the elevators, conveyors, and 

 other apparatus and machinery are such that 17,500 kilos, 

 of grain per hour can be dealt with. The mill is elec- 

 trically driven throughout, and fitted with the most modern 

 machinery ; it contains two complete separate plants, each 

 capable of milling two tons of grain every ten hours. 

 The bakery is similarly fitted with the latest improvements 

 of bakehouse machinery, and contains a laboratory. The 

 institute was built out of a grant of nearly 30,000!. from 

 the Minister of Agriculture, who also gives a yearly 

 subsidy ; it is carried on and maintained jointly by the 

 Prussian Chamber of Agriculture, the German Millers' 

 Union, and the Central Bakery Union of Berlin. The 

 objects of this research institute as set forth in the con- 

 tract with the Minister of Agriculture are of interest. It 

 is proposed to carry out practical research and scientific 

 investigation on grain during storing, milling, working 

 up and baking ; to experiment with the baking of home 

 and imported grain ; to conduct research work for the 

 Government, and to carry out official and private analyses 

 of grain, fiour, fodder stuffs, &c., thereby supplementing 

 the income. Everything has been done to ensure a proper 

 and complete investigation of the many problems which 

 the milling and baking industries present. It is of interest 

 to contrast this new sign of German thoroughness with 

 the state of things in this country, where it is left to 

 private enterprise to initiate research. Thanks, however, 

 to the work of the Home-grown Wheat Committee of the 

 National Association of British and Irish millers, in co- 

 operation with the Rothamsted Experimental Station and 

 the Agricultural Department of the University at Cam- 

 bridge, much valuable work on problems connected with 

 wheat and flour has been and is being carried out in this 

 country. 



We have received the report of the meeting of inspectors 

 of apiaries (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of 

 Entomology, Bulletin No. 70). It contains much inform- 

 ation respecting the diseases of bees ; in particular, the 

 .American and European foul broods are discussed as 

 regards aetiology and prevention. 



