154 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. X. No. 242 



tends across the whole valley. Having climbed to the top of this 

 huge pile of rather angular blocks, you suddenly discover a small 

 lake between the moraine and the ice. The moraine, in part at 

 least, is the barrier that holds back the water of the lake. E.xcept 

 at the outlet of the lake, this moraine rises above the present level 

 of the ice, — in some places tifty feet or more, — and therefore 

 must have been formed at a time when the ice stood at a much 

 higher level than now. The lake is rather less than one hundred 

 yards in diameter. It is locally known as the Frozen Lake, being 

 covered by a weak, granular sort of ice even in midsummer. 

 Floating on the surface of the lake were several blocks of quite 

 solid ice from six to twenty feet long, and rising from two to twelve 

 inches above the water. These little icebergs have evidently 

 broken off from the thin edge of the glacier, which ends in a small 

 cliff from one to three feet high. 



The material of the ice-lield, though somewhat granular on the 

 surface, is not a mass of snow, but a clear and compact ice. This 

 was determined by observation at the crevasses, and by cutting into 

 it. The surface is deeply furrowed by rains and the water of the 

 melting ice running down the slopes. 



The principal crevasse is curved so as to be nearly parallel with 

 the shore of the lakelet, and is not far from one hundred feet back 

 from it. On the upper side of the crevasse the plane of fracture is 

 nearly at right angles to the surface of the ice, but on the lower 

 side the ice has been tilted over ; so that, while the crevasse is about 

 ten feet wide at the surface, it is very narrow at the bottom of the 

 ice. The lower parts of the crevasses were filled with snow and 

 broken icicles, ice stalagmites, etc., so that only from twenty to 

 thirty feet can be seen. How much deeper the crevasses really are, 

 is not known ; but, from the size and shape of the ice-field, it does 

 not seem probable that the greatest depth of ice e.xceeds fifty or 

 seventy-live feet. Above the main crevasse were two others large 

 enough to be seen through the recent snow. The number of cre- 

 vasses is greatest north of the centre of the glacier, where there is 

 a more direct exposure to the sun. 



Standing at the lake, you see the glacier sloping steeply down 

 toward you from the south, the west, and the north, somewhat like 

 the seats in a theatre. This causes the ice at the north end of the 

 glacier to flow south, while at the south end it is flowing in nearly 

 the opposite direction. As a result of this peculiar shape, the 

 glacier is somewhat wider than it is long; but it is not exactly 

 symmetrical. On the north side of the valley the ice reaches about 

 two hundred feet farther down the valley (eastward) than on the 

 south side, and it has also extended a tongue of ice southward 

 -across the outlet of the lake, so that the outlet is by a subglacial 

 channel. This tongue of ice is nearly one hundred feet wide, and 

 rises six or eight feet above the lake. Some interesting questions 

 suggest themselves as to the cause of the ice having receded farther 

 on the shady side of the valley, the effects of different exposures to 

 the sun, the relative protection afforded by different-sized moraines, 

 inequality of snowfall on the opposite sides of the valley, etc. The 

 depth of recent snow made it impossible to properly examine be- 

 neath the edges of the moraines to determine if there is beneath 

 them any ancient and now quiescent ice. Omitting these more 

 complicated questions, it seems probable that the extension of that 

 tongue of ice across the outlet of the lake is, partly at least, caused 

 by a more rapid rate of flow of the ice on the north side of the val- 

 ley, where there is a more direct exposure of the sun. The slopes 

 ■of the ice are everywhere steep. In places they would be con- 

 sidered steep for the roof of a house. 



It was of special importance to determine if moraines are now 

 being deposited. I saw no evident moraines and only two small 

 pieces of rock on the ice anywhere. The cliffs around the head 

 ■of the glacier are nowhere very high, in places rising only a few 

 feet above the ice, and they are surprisingly bare of loose frag- 

 ments. It is just as if the greater glacier of the past had removed 

 all loose material, and the process of weathering has not yet had 

 time to split up the rock and furnish fresh debris. Some of the 

 bowlders in the lake come near the surface, and may be a 

 recent terminal moraine. Perhaps a careful examination when the 

 ice is bare of recent snow may reveal moraines now forming ; but, 

 if so, they must be small, since there is so little moraine-stuff being 

 ■cast upon the ice. 



There are several other ' snow-fields ' in the vicinity of Long's 

 Peak which show some signs of glacial flow. Stakes ought to be 

 set on the surface of these ice masses (for they are all ice rather 

 than snow), and their motions accurately observed. 



The view from Hague's Peak is one of the finest in the Colorado 

 IVIountains. A trip to this mountain and its small but interesting 

 glacier will rank well with the ascent of Pike's, Gray's, or Long's 

 Peaks. The height of Hague's Peak, as given by Hayden, is 13,832 

 feet, only 439 feet lower than Long's Peak. The glacier is approxi- 

 mately in north latitude 40° 28'. 



From the name of the discoverer, this is known as the Hallett 

 Glacier. G. H. Stone. 



Colorado Springs, Sept. 13. 



Condensed Milk. 



A CURSORY examination of several cans of preser\'ed milk, that 

 were offered for sale in this State at a price below the actual cost of 

 manufacture, revealed the fact that much of this milk was of poor 

 quality, while some was unfit for use ; hence, in the early part of 

 this year, a thorough investigation was made of all the brands of 

 canned milk on sale, and samples were sent to Prof. H. B. Corn- 

 wall, of the John C. Green School of Science, Princeton, for analy- 

 sis. His report, here printed, is of sufficient importance to warrant 

 its publication in advance of my annual report to the Legislature. 



Wm. K. Newton. 



Office of the Dairy Commissioner of New Jersey, 

 Paterson, N.J., Sept. 17. 



During the first five months of this year a number of samples 

 of condensed milk were received from the State dairy commis- 

 sioner, and analyzed by the writer, with the result stated in this 

 paper. All but two were condensed with the addition of cane- 

 sugar. While the milks condensed without sugar may be better 

 for infants and invalids if not kej^t long in cans, yet they are not 

 certain to remain sound, even in the sealed cans, for any length of 

 time, and are therefore of doubtful value. 



The milks preserved with cane-sugar, on the other hand, if care- 

 fully prepared, keep well in cans, and do not spoil very rapidly 

 even after the cans are opened, provided the can is kept in a dry 

 place and no water is mixed with it. For use with tea and coffee, 

 and for making puddings, custards, etc., they are an excellent sub- 

 stitute for fresh milk. 



The very large amount of cane-sugar necessary to preserve 

 them renders them, however, an unwholesome food for infants, 

 and they can by no means be regarded as a good substitute for 

 fresh milk in this case. 



The directions on the cans in general state, that, by adding a 

 certain quantity of water, the condensed milk can be made to re- 

 semble cream ; by adding more, it becomes the equivalent of milk. 

 This can never be true : cream contains from three to four times 

 as much fat as the average condensed milk, and no dilution with 

 water will make such milk resemble cream except outwardly. It 

 would be well if all makers would follow the course pursued by a 

 few, and, while gi^'ing such directions as are necessar)' in using 

 the milk for making desserts, etc., recommend that the advice of a 

 physician be obtained as to the diet of infants. Condensed milk 

 preser\'ed with sugar can never be a fit food for infants. 



In some instances very misleading statements as to the quantity 

 of fresh milk condensed to produce the contents of the preserved 

 milk cans were made. It will be seen that the condensation is 

 ver}' rarely more than threefold, and usually somewhat less. 



A well-made condensed milk, with cane-sugar, should show 

 very little if any undissolved sugar, and should be of a nearly 

 white color, having but a faint yellowish tinge. It should have no 

 cheesy taste or smell, and should dissolve readily in about four 

 parts of cold water. Especially should it dissolve without showing 

 separated flocculent particles of caseine or curds. 



Method of Analysis. 

 To insure thorough mixing, the entire contents of the can were 

 emptied into a porcelain vessel and thoroughly stirred ; 40 grams 

 of the milk were weighed out and diluted with water to 100 cubic 

 centimetres, so that 5 cubic centimetres of the diluted milk corre- 

 sponded to 2 grams of the condensed milk. 



