February 13, 1897.] 



SCIENCE. 



267 



are both absorbed by lithium with forma- 

 tion of the carbid. Heated in an atmos- 

 phere of acetylene or of ethylene, the gas 

 is completely absorbed and a definite mix- 

 ture of lithium carbid and lithium hydrid 

 formed. Lithium seems, however, to be 

 almost without action upon methane. 



M. Petit has carried out a series of ex- 

 periments at the University of Nancy on 

 the action of waters containing dissolved 

 salts upon iron. He was led to the work 

 by the fact that the waters of the Moselle 

 (and the same is true of many other waters) 

 attack iron pipes and reservoirs, often pene- 

 trating them, while large quantities of iron 

 oxid are deposited. The action is due, he 

 finds, chiefly to the action of carbonic acid, 

 free or in the state of combination in cal- 

 cium bicarbonate. Such water rapidly at- 

 tacks the iron with liberation of hydrogen. 

 The iron is at first present in solution as 

 ferrous carbonate, but is rapidly oxidized 

 by dissolved oxygen and deposited as ferric 

 oxid. If other salts are present the action 

 is increased. Thus alkaline sulfates are re- 

 duced by the iron to alkaline sulfids, and 

 these are changed by the carbonic acid to 

 alkaline carbonates, while the liberated 

 sulfur forms, with the iron, ferrous sulfid. 

 Common salt acts most energetically, here 

 also sodium bicarbonate being formed. 

 This action of iron upon calcium bicarbon- 

 ate and on carbonic acid explains the action 

 of such waters on iron pipes, and also the 

 purification of water by spongy iron. 



The action of certain hard waters on 

 brass (faucets, etc.), may possibly be simi- 

 larly explained, the carbonic acid acting 

 upon the zinc and leaving the brass in an 

 almost porous condition. J. L. H. 



SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. 



A DIBECTOE OF SCIENTIFIC WORK FOE THE 



DEPAETMENT OF AGEICULTUEE. 



The Secretary of Agriculture, in his fourth 

 annual report to the President, calls special at- 



tention to the benefit that has resulted from the 

 use of the classified civil service in the Depart- 

 ment, and urges that this system should be 

 completed by the appointment of a permanent 

 director of scientific work. We have already 

 urged this step, but it may be well to repeat 

 the arguments of the Secretary of Agriculture. 



The Secretary, being a Cabinet officer, must 

 be changed with each new administration, and 

 the Assistant Secretary is subject to the same 

 conditions. These executive officers are neces- 

 sary, but another officer is needed to direct 

 the work of the various scientific bureaus 

 of the Department, under the general author- 

 ity of the Secretary, and to give perma- 

 nence to the policy of the Department. In 

 order to accomplish the best results, the 

 Department must have a settled policy 

 with regard to all its scientific work. This 

 Department has less relation to the general 

 executive business of the government, and 

 less connection with what is usually called 

 politics, than any other Department of the 

 government. In fact, the scientific work of 

 the great bureaus, divisions and surveys 

 should be kept free from politics to be effi- 

 cient and impartial. The numerous bureaus 

 and divisions do not have under the present 

 organization, in fact cannot have, the attention 

 and direction which the interests involved de- 

 mand. After a change of administration the 

 Department is practically headless, and to a 

 great extent helpless, until the new Secretaries 

 have had time to master the details of the tech- 

 nical work. A director of scientific divisions is 

 needed, therefore, if for nothing else, to carry 

 on the scientific work of the Department from 

 one administration to the next. Further, the 

 Secretary of Agriculture cannot be expected in 

 all cases to unite the necessary executive abil- 

 ity with adequate scientific training, and his 

 duties are already onerous, a large part of the 

 work of the Department extending over the 

 whole country. 



The Senate Committee on Agriculture and 

 Forestry last year recommended the passage of 

 the bill establishing the office of ' Director in 

 charge of scientific bureaus and investigations 

 for the Department of Agriculture, ' but the bill 

 was introduced too late for consideration dur- 



