SCIENCE NEWS AND NOTES

Matamata Record, Volume II, Issue 113, 30 December 1918, Page 3

SCIENCE NEWS AND NOTES

GAS IN THE CAVITIES OF TREES. Professor J. A. Ferguson, of the Pennysylvania State College, reports a curious phenomenon the cutting of hardwood trees in the Ozark Mountains. Cavities near the base of the trees arc often found to contain gas. When these cavities are cut into by the oak tie cutters of the region the gas escapes with a whistling sound, showing it to be under pressure and if lighted it will burn with a faint yellow flame. The sidos of the cavities containing gas are in all cases darkened, and look as though scared with a hot iron. The popular belief of the district is that these trees are connected through their roots with a subterranean supply of natural gas, and the land on which they grow is valued accordingly. An examination of the gas collected from a cottonwood tree whs made by Professor Bushong, of the University of Kansas, and it was found to be substantially the same as_ natural gas, with the addition of some free hydrogen. Professor Ferguson bel Jieves, however, that this gas is the 7 product of decomposition of the heartwood of the trees. IS YOUR DIAMOND GENUINE? The experienced eye does not find it difficult to decide whether a stone is genuine or not, for the facets of real diamonds are seldom so regular as those of fine imitations. With the latter l the greatest care is taken,-in grinding, ►to polish and smooth the whole stone Bo that there will be no irregularity in the reflection, or refraction of the light.; A necessary tool for testing is the file, which cannot scratch a real diamond, although it quickly leaves its mark on imitation. Better than the file is tie sapphire, for the sapphire is the next hardest stone to the diamond, stone that a sapphire can scratch is assuredly not a diamond. If you f put a small drop of water on the upper face of a brilliant, and touch it with the point of a pencil, the drop will |teep its rounded form, but the stone Will remain clean and dry. In the case of an imitation, the drop immediately Spreads out. Plunge a diamond into Later, and it will be plainly visible, and will-glitter through the liquid; but an imitation stone is almost invisible. ;If you look through a diamond, as through a bit of glass, at a black dot pn a sheet of white paper, you will sea one single point clearly. If you see Several points, or a blur of black, it jTr'an imitation. The white sapphire, the. white topaz, and rock-crystal are often sold as diamonds, but imitations ere more cgmmogly of