1 86 S CIENTIFIC MIS CELL AN Y. 



treatment, are good sturdy varieties, will stand negleet, yet do. well: As- 

 ters, balsams, dianthus, petunias, phlox, calliopsis, verbenas, sweet peas,, 

 mignonette, zinnias, marigolds and portulacas. The same writer again says : 

 '•The plants I have named will afford a profusion of flowers from June to 

 October. Phlox will be the first to blossom, and then petunias will come 

 on, and both of these flowers continue to increase in beauty until hard 

 .frosts come. Asters will be in perfection in August and September. Calli- 

 opsis begins to blossom in July, and nearly all the others come on early in 

 that month. If old flowers are removed and not allowed to go to seed, you 

 will have a much greater profusion of bloom. If you do not remove faded 

 flowers, but allow them to perfect seed, you will soon see that your plants 

 are losing a large share of their former glory. You can't expect a plant to 

 ripen seed and bloom profusely at the same time." 



Analysis of S^A^eet Springs Water, Saline County, Mo. 



Grains. 



Chloride of Sodium 89.91773 



Chloride of Potassium 3.39796 



Chloride of Lithium - 0.0475& 



Chloride of Magnesium 22.29123 



Chloride of Calcium 14.72127 



Bromide of Magnesium O.HSOl 



Sulphate of Lime 9.45713 



Carbonate of Lime 9.56312 



Carbonate of Iron 0.56656 



Carbonate of Manganese 0.00190 



Alumina 0.08921 



Silica 108471 



Organic Matters 4.05300 



Total 155.00028 



Per gallon 231 cubic inches. 



Origin of Petroleum, — Mr. H. Byasson has been led by the following 

 experiment to give a scientific explanation of the formation of petroleum : 

 If a mixture of vapour of water, carbonic acid, and sulphuretted hydrogen 

 be made to act upon iron heated to a white heat in an iron tube, a certain 

 quantity of liquid carburets will be formed. This mixture of carburets is 

 comparable to petroleum. The formation of petroleum can thus be natur- 

 ally explained by the action of chemical forces. The water of the sea, pene- 

 trating into the cavity of the terrestial crust, carries with it numerous ma- 

 terials, and especially marine limestones. If the subterranean cavity per- 

 mits these new products to penetrate to a depth where the temperature is 

 sufficiently high, in contact with metallic substances, such as iron or its sul- 

 phurets, we have a formation of carburets. These bodies will form part of 

 the gases whose expansive force causes earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, etc. 

 Petroleum is always found in the neighborhood of volcanic regions or along 



