WORLD-WIDE NOTES.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 359, 13 May 1911, Page 2

WORLD-WIDE NOTES.

TREE AGE ESTIMATING : OLD METHOD WRONG. Estimates of tree-ages from the socalled annual rings appear to be of doubtful accuracy. Mr. H. N. Thomson, conservator of forests for southern Nigeria, has found reason for believing that mahogany trees shew three or four well-marked zones of growth in a year—instead of only one—and he suggests that a new ring is formed each season. The same observation has been made both on forest trees and on those grown in the botanical garden. The town of Ijaye was destroyed sixty years ago, and on its site has grown a forest containing mahogany trees with trunks more than ten feet in circumference. THE FLOW OF ROCKS. Among the grants made by the Carnesrie Institution in support of scientific investigations is one item bearing this quaint title, "For investigating the flow of rocks." Thus It appears that the solid rock can flow, and that it is of importance in science to ascertain the exact facts about this strange flowing. Such investigations are conducted with the aid of a hydraulic machine capable of producing a pressure of one hundred and twenty tons to the square inch. Under such pressure marble, limestone, 'granite, and other solid rocks actually exhibit the phenomenon of flow, although, of course, the rate of motion is exceedingly slow, rhe import of these investigations ■elates to the shaping of the earth's rrust under the force of gravity. FREE MICROSCOPES, Nature offers a free microscope whenever one is wanted. She has been dealing in free optical instruments and optical phenomena ever since the first dewdrop formed or the first raindrop fell earthward. Every dewdrop and raindrop and spherical waterdrop has all the powers and principles of a microscope. To get one of nature's microscopes in operation, take up a drop of water between the two points of two sharpened sticks, say matches, and hold the drop over the minute object to be examined. The result will be that the object will be magnified about three diameters, The supposed vention of the microscope was nothing more than shaping a piece of glass into an imitation of a water drop so as to be easily handled. Spiders have made suspension bridges for ages. The rough edge of swordgrass gave the inventor the idea of the reaper blade for the harvester. The buzzard has boen using the aeroplane for flying a good many centuries. By tapping on the end of a long beam the man at the further end can hear you telegraphing, the sound travelling through the timber. Fjphes have been using bladders of wind for balloons lifting them in water for countless years. Water has oeen a mirror ever since the world had sunshine. A sailor had just shown a lady over the ship. In thanking him she said : ■'.! am sorry to see by the rules that tips are forbidden on your ship." "Lor' bless you. ma'am," replied the sailor, "so were apples in the Garden of Eden." To test the freshness of eggs, drop them slowly into a bowl of water, and if the small end comes up they are fresh.