April 12, 1889.] 



SCIENCE. 



281 



will not plant this grape, owing to its, to them, unpalatable taste, 

 and also to the fact that European vines will not graft well with it. 

 All other varieties of American vines are more or less liable to in- 

 fection. Many varieties are said to be as vulnerable to the pest as 

 any European vine. Many varieties depend on differing soils and 

 other conditions to render them free of the infection. The Con- 

 cord grape is classed as one that offers resistance to the pest only 

 under exceptional circumstances. Other varieties which are more 

 or less liable to infection are the York, Madeira, Herbemont, 

 Jaquez, Cunningham, Clinton, Taylor, Elvira, and Othello. All 

 American varieties not covered by the above names, it is said, 

 either do not withstand the phylloxera at all, or have not yet been 

 sufficiently tested as to their ability to do so. 



— The French Government has appointed an international con- 

 gress on the subject of mines and metallurgy, to be held in Paris 

 on the 2d of September in this year, in connection with the exposi- 

 tion which is to take place there during the next summer. The 

 congress has for its object to make known and discuss the most 

 recent inventions and improvements in mining and metallurgy, and 

 will have brought before it a considerable number of memoirs 

 which have been prepared by engineers specially detailed for the 

 purpose. These reports will be printed and distributed in advance 

 to persons who wish to become members of the congress, and will 

 form the basis of the discussion ; but other subjects may be intro- 

 duced or other questions presented by the members, with the ap- 

 probation of the officers in charge. The congress will consist of 

 members and honorary members, the honorary members being 

 appointed by the French Government, and the members becoming 

 so upon the payment of twenty francs. Letters and communica- 

 tions from this country relating to the subject of mines and metal- 

 lurgy may be addressed to Mr. Castel, inspector-general of mines, 

 and president of the organizing commission, 144 Boulevard Ras- 

 pail, Paris. The committee appointed by the French Government 

 consists of, president, Mr. Castel (inspector-general of mines, presi- 

 dent of the Society of Mineral Industry) ; vice-presidents, Mr. 

 Briill (past-president of the Society of Civil Engineers in Paris), 

 Mr. Haton de la Goupilliere (member of the institute, inspector- 

 general of mines, director of the School of Mines of Paris), Mr. 

 Jordan (professor of metallurgy at the Central School, past-presi- 

 dent of the Society of Civil Engineers of Paris), and Mr. Remaury 

 (civil engineer of mines) ; secretaries, Mr. Dujardin-Beaumetz 

 (secretary of the central committee of coal-mines), Mr. Gautier 

 (civil engineer of mines), Mr. E. Gruner (civil engineer of mines), 

 and Mr. Lodin (engineer of mines, professor of metallurgy at the 

 School of Mines in Paris). 



— It is said that John G. Borden of New York, who spends his 

 winters in Florida, has offered a prize of $1,000 to the Florida city 

 which shall, on July i, 1889, present the most cleanly appearance. 



— Mr. Whitman Cross presents, in an article in the American 

 'Journal of Science for April, an account of a newly recognized 

 tertiary formation, which, while of very limited geographical ex- 

 tent, yet possesses characteristics of importance in several directions. 

 The points of interest brought out may be grouped as follows : i. 

 The formation in question occupies a portion of the area about the 

 city of Denver, Col., hitherto assigned to the Laramie cretaceous : 

 2. The conglomerates and sandstones of the formation are chiefly 

 made up of materials derived from a great variety of andesitic 

 lavas, of whose outpouring and destruction alike there is no other 

 record now known ; 3. The celebrated fossil-plant beds of Table 

 Mountain, at Golden, belong to the Denver formation, hence the 

 taxonomic value which has been given to this rich flora must be 

 considered subject to revision ; 4. The vertebrate remains are of 

 individual importance, and also present some very remarkable as- 

 sociations, which are apparently in direct conflict with all past ob- 

 servations. 



— An electrical and industrial exhibition is to be held in Bir- 

 mingham, England, during the months of August, September, and 

 October. A very large amount of support has been promised for 

 it, and there is every prospect that it will prove a success. The 

 electrical department will be divided into three sections : the first 

 including all kinds of machinery and apparatus for electric light- 



ing ; the second relating to complete displays of electric lighting 

 on various systems ; and the third comprising telegraphs, tele- 

 phones, phonographs, electric bells and clocks, electric welding 

 and smelting, electrotyping, telpherage, and miscellaneous appara- 

 tus. The industrial section will consist largely of Birmingham 

 manufactures and manufacturing processes, although it will in- 

 clude many other subjects. The former will be specially interest- 

 ing. The small trades of Birmingham form a terra incognita to 

 the engineer, and an immense amount of ingenuity is exercised in 

 producing the numberless small articles which are turned out from 

 the capital of the Midlands. 



— A " graphic " exhibition is to be held at Stuttgart next June, 

 in celebration of the King's Jubilee. This exhibition is limited to 

 firms or institutions of Wurtemberg. It will comprise the follow- 

 ing sections : I. All branches of the publishing business, such as 

 books, musical works, and periodicals, as well as other auxiliary 

 arts and processes, viz., engraving, lithography, chromolithography, 

 xylography, zincography, photography, etc. ; 2. Collections of 

 kindred articles belonging to, or represented by, subjects of Wur- 

 temberg; 3. Bookbinders' work, book tools and stamps ; 4. Paper, 

 and wares manufactured from the same ; 5. Mechanical processes 

 in operation, especially in the form of type-founding and acceler- 

 ated printing-presses ; 6. An historical display of ancient speci- 

 mens of the graphic arts, as also of ancient Wurtemberg, artistic 

 journals, illustrations, bindings, caligraphy, etc. The Royal 

 Library at Stuttgart, which possesses one of the richest collections 

 of Bibles, will alone provide a choice display of manuscript and 

 printed books. 



— Dr. J. H. Kidder of the Smithsonian Institution died April 8, at 

 his residence in Washington, from an attack of pneumonia. Dr. 

 Kidder served as a surgeon in the navy until he resigned, about 

 twelve years ago. Since that time he has been connected with the 

 scientific branch of the government service. Under Professor 

 Baird, he was connected with the Fish Commission, and latterly he 

 was director of the International Exchange, in the Smithsonian 

 Institution. He leaves a wife, daughter of ex- Postmaster-General 

 Maynard of Tennessee, and three children. 



— At a meeting of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences,. 

 April ID, in Boston, the Rumford medals were presented to Pro- 

 fessor Albert A. Michelson. 



— The Societe Botanique de France has decided to take advan- 

 tage of the universal exposition to invite botanists who may be in 

 Paris to a congress during the last half of the month of August. 

 1889. Those who take part in the congress can present papers on 

 botanical subjects, pure or applied, with which they may be espe- 

 cially familiar. The society also intends to take advantage of the 

 presence in Paris of a large number of prominent scientific men to 

 bring forward for discussion a number of leading botanical ques- 

 tions. Among these will be the preparation of a botanical map 

 similar to the geological maps prepared under the auspices of the 

 Geological Congress and the aid which anatomy can furnish in 

 classification. 



— The unsightly efflorescence on walls, due to what is termed 

 " saltpetring," and noticed generally in dry weather, is due, accord- 

 ing to Building News, to several causes. Perhaps the only satis- 

 factory explanation is that the newly built brick wall is exposed to 

 dampness, or dampness in co-operation with something in the 

 bricks themselves. It is stated that bricks made from clay con- 

 taining iron pyrites are subject to this efflorescence ; that the sul- 

 phur from the fuel converts the lime or magnesia into sulphates ; 

 and that whenever the bricks dry the sulphates evapwrate, leaving 

 behind the crystalline appearance or efflorescence. The evil is 

 therefore due to the chemical action that takes place between the 

 sulphur in the fuel and the magnesia in the clay. The mischiev- 

 ous part of the efflorescence is that it destroys the pointing, and 

 injures the work generally. Remedies are few. The chief object 

 is to stop up the pores with some solution of fatty matter, quick- 

 lime, and cement powder ; but the main thing is to avoid the par- 

 ticular clay and coal fires employed to make and burn the bricks, 

 and to mix the mortar with animal fat. 



