May i, 1882.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
95 ' 
The Future op Solar Physics —The fundamental 1 
problems now pressing for solution are, " first a satis- 
factory explanation of the peculiar law of rotation on 
the sun's surface ; second, an explanation of the 
periodicity of the spots, and their distribution ; third, 
a determination of the variations in the amount of 
the solar radiation at different times and different 
points upon its t-urface ; and fourth, a satisfactory 
explanation of the relations of the gases and other 
matters above the photosphere to the sun itself — the 
problem of the corona and the prominences."— The 
Nation. 
Tobacco has the same effect upon the nerve-eells 
that water has upon a coal fire. Apply water in 
small quantity, and your fire will burn more slowly ; 
apply a large-enough bucketful, and it will cease to 
exist. When the cook rakes up the ashes, and covers 
her lire before going to bed, she performs the same 
physical experiment as her master, who soothes his 
nerves with tobacco before retiring for the night. 
The cook wishes her firu to smoulder during the 
night. She therefore applies an agent which will 
check combustion by partially excluding oxygen from 
her fuel ; her master applies to his nervous system 
an agent which diminishes oxidation, and thus seriously 
intei feres with vital action. In both cases there will 
be less material burned, less coal and less explosive 
food. But is this a real advantage to the usefulness 
of the fire or of the human machine? The cook 
would be very late with breakfast if she trusted 
such a fire to boil the kettle, and the work accom- 
plished by a brain much affected by tobacco is both 
small iu quantity and inferior in quality. It is as 
difficult to send proper messages along a nervo which 
is under the influence of tobacco as it is to fire a 
train of damp gunpowder. "Praise God, and keep 
your powder dry," said the great Oliver Cromwell ; 
"Praise God and keep your brain clear," would have 
been his burning advice had he lived in these latter 
days. — Knowledge. 
Water Areas ok the United States —An interest- 
ing table appears in the American Field, extracted 
from the U.S. census returns of 18S0, which gives 
the water area of each State in the Union* The 
gross areas included are 3,025,(500 square miles J 
Alaska— placed in the census of 1870 at 577, 390 square 
miles — not being here reck6ned, The totul water area 
is 55,600 square miles, or 35,5S4,000 acres. The re- 
lative proportions of water and land vary considerably. 
New Mexico, for instance, with an area of 122.5S0 
square miles, has a water surface of no more than 
120, and Arizona only 100 to its land surface of 
112,920. Florida, in the extreme south-east, contains 
the largest water area of any of the States, 
I, 140 aquare miles, and is followed, next iu rank in 
this respect, by Minnesota, with 4, 160, located in the 
extreme northern part, and well to the westward. 
Then comes Texas, with 3,490 square miles in the 
extreme south-west; North Carolina, with 3,670, on 
the eastern sea coast; Maiue, witli .3,145, in the 
extreme north-oust ; Louisiana, with 3,300, bordering 
on the Gulf of Mexico ; and pursuing our course 
to the western boundary, we pass through Utah, wi'h 
2,780, reaching California, with 2,380, and Oregou 
with 1,470 square miles of water area. Then take 
the inland states, and we find a very uniformly 
defined water area, ranging from 300 to 600 square 
miles in eich. "Nearly all of this immense extent 
of water," says our contemporary, "in -u-pdibl. of 
cultivation by the intelligent fish culturist, mid can 
be tnnde to yield a much larger proportion of market* 
able product than 1 h<i snmu quantity of laud of 
averago quality. We, as Americans, are pr uie to 
boast of our country's r 'sources, and with good reason; 
but how unuy Have evor Uk-u into consideration 
the wealth to be derived from 35,5S4,000 acres of 
water, properly stocked and cultivated. Can any man 
set a limit to the value of the aqueous product? — Field. 
Betel-nut and Fever. — In No. 12 of Knowledge, 
I find betel-nut chewing given as a specific against 
fevers. The Javanese and Sundaneso are inveterate 
betel chewers, and yet they have been dying literally 
by thousinds during the past few years from fever. 
VVheu I left Samarang, Javn, in September last, the 
natives were dying by hundreds of fever. My ex- 
perience, extending over nearly four years in various 
parts of Asia, has been, that the natives who uni- 
versally chew betel (with lime, and the leaf of the 
sirih pepper-plant), are much more easily affected by 
fever than are Europeans. — Edwin Sachs.- Knowledge. 
Preserving Fruit for the Winter. — Dry sand of 
all substances is found, from the experiment of P. 
Sarauer, to be the best in which to preserve fruit 
for the winter. The germs of mould attack the rough 
portion of fruit packed in paper, with great avidity, 
through the openings in the silk paper. If packed 
in straw, the least dampness of the straw imparts 
a musty flavour to the fruit. Sand has another ad- 
vantage, which is that the damaged specimens do 
not infect their neighbours. Choose the most per- 
fect fruit with the waxy covering perfect. Leaving 
the stalks on makes the fruit shrivel up quickly. — F.C.S. 
— Knowledge. 
Taraxacum. — During the year 1880-81, several inter- 
esting experiments were tried at the Saharunpore 
Botanical Gardens. Not the least interesting was one 
with Taraxacum officinale. Au indent for 2001b. of 
the extract having been received from Calcutta, an 
attempt was made to grow the plant and prepare 
the extract on the spot. It is satisfactory to find 
that the experiment was th >rou^hly successful. From 
half an acre 1091b. were made, at the following 
cost : — 
To cultivation, &e 13 S 0 
,, preparing extract 62 8 0 
Total 76 0 0 
or 11-156 annas per lb. The avaragc price of the drug 
in England is 2s. 2d., so that wheu freight charges 
and loss by exchange are added, the cost in India 
will not be less then 1 rupee S annas per lb. From 
this experiment it will be seen that an acre will 
produce over 2001b. of the extract, and as improved 
modes of preparation will no doubt be found out, 
the cultivation of this valuable medicine will become 
one of our industries. — Indian Agriculturist. 
Manure. — The value of human excreta has been 
repeatedly brought to notice, but we almost despair 
of making any progress iu introducing this valuable 
manurial agent to the notice of the ludian rayat. 
The only form iu whioh they will use it, is iu the 
form of poudrtlle. At the Cawupore Kxperiniental 
Farm a careful experiment was tried, with marvellous 
results. The crop grown was barely. The following 
were the results: — 
Manured. Uumannred. 
Grain lb. 2,851 1,842 
Straw ,, 3,603 1,968 
. Value of crop ... R66-7-1 40-12 !) 
The manure cost practically nothing beyond the labour 
ot incorporating it. The cultivation in both cases was 
good, aud if the prejudice held by the rayat against 
this manure wore got rid of, much good would result. 
Toe example set our Municipalities by Pooua and 
rjmritetrr, might bo followed with advantage all over 
the laud I'mri'snr convoys the excreta, deluged 
with wntor to lr j banks where it is praefpated, but 
Pooua goes to the r 1)10 unfit, by 'hanging 
thy oxorota into jwuiln",- 1 which form it losos all 
it- noxious properties, nod <■ valuable as manure - 
I Lid. 
