A Novel Experiment to Try.
Sir Edward C. Wood, secretary of a Round Table Chapter in Germantown, Philadelphia, Pa.—his address is 156 School Lane—is interested in science, and he sends us the following, adding that he intends to test the experiment, and will be glad to answer questions as to the result. Here is the novel item:
A French scientist, M. Ragouneau, has just discovered how to make a plant grow from the seed in thirty minutes as much as it would under ordinary circumstances in as many days. Heretofore nature has shared this secret with the Yogis of India alone, and the methods pursued by these clever magicians in performing this trick have been often described. They plant a seed in the earth and cover it with a cloth. In a few moments the cloth begins to be pushed upward by the growing plant, which, in a short time, attains the height of several feet. Various theories have been advanced as to the modus operandi of this miracle, one of the latest being that the spectators are all hypnotized by the magician. During his travels in India M. Ragouneau saw this trick performed frequently, and noticed that the Hindoos always embedded the seed in soil which they brought with them specially for that purpose. At last he learned that they obtained this earth from ant-hills. Now ants contain a large proportion of formic acid, with which, in time, the soil of their habitations becomes charged. This acid has the power of quickly dissolving the integument surrounding a seed, and of greatly stimulating the growth of the germ within. After a little experimenting with this acid the learned Frenchman was able to duplicate perfectly the Hindoo trick. His further researches have led him to believe that this discovery may be profitably applied to agriculture. By infusing ants in boiling water, acid as strong as vinegar can be obtained. M. Ragouneau has achieved the best results and most perfect growth by using earth moistened with a solution of 5000 parts of water to one of acid.
The Justice's Carriage Bill.
Not long since Mr. Justice Gray, of the United States Supreme Court, went down into Delaware to hold court, and was met at the railroad station by a deputy marshal. The fees are not large in that section and deputy marshals are not rich men. So this deputy met the Justice on foot.
"Where is your carriage?" asked Justice Gray.
"Well, Mr. Justice, you see the distance ain't great, and the fees are small. If I hired a carriage I should have nothing left."
"You get the carriage," said the Justice. "There is an account to which it can be charged. Write to the marshal in Baltimore, and he'll tell you what the account is."
So Mr. Justice Gray rode into town and the deputy wrote to his superior. Soon after the Justice returned to Washington he received a letter from the Delaware deputy.