MILITARY. CIVILIANS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume III, Issue 168, 10 March 1847, Page 3

MILITARY.

CIVILIANS.

Wellington Savings Bank. — Mr. G. Hunter, Mr. J. Kelham, Mr. H. Knowles, and Mr. G. Moore, the Managers in rotation, will attend to receive deposits at Messrs. Johnson & Moore's store, from seven to eight o'clock on Saturday evening, the 13th March, 1847, and at the Union Bank of Australia, from twelve to one o'clock on Monday forenoon, the 15th March.

The following interesting extracts are from papers read at the sectional meetings of the British Association for the advancement of science.

The Silkworm in England. — At the Zoological Section, Mr. Ogilby read a paper from Mrs. Whitby, of Newlands, near Lymington, Hampshire, " On the production of Silk in England." Mrs. Whitby fed her silkworms principally on the morns multicaulis, or that known as the Philippine variety of the mulberry-tree. This plant grows rapidly from cuttings, and produces large leaves. The silk produced was found to be of a superior quality, and of a higher value than any imported. The mulberry-trees, which were first planted in 1836, were in a most flourishing condition ; and the only difficulty which she found in rearing the silkworms was in preventing the eggs from being hatched before the leaves of the mulberry appeared. To meet this difficulty, she planted some slips of the mulberry under a frame in the autumn, and these bore leaves in the spring sufficient to feed the young caterpillars until the general crop came into bloom. The total expense for a year, including land and cost of eggs, attendance, &c, was £50, with 10 per cent, loss, making in all £66 Os. lid. ; and the total value of the silk produced was £160 9s. 4d. ; leaving a net profit of £94 Bs. sd. Some discussion ensued on the possibility of employing the poor in England and the South of Ireland in the cultivation of silk ; but considerable doubt appeared to be entertained as to the possibility of feeding the silkworms occasionally on lattuce, sow-thistle, and other succulent plants. It was stated that Mrs. Whitby had cultivated the plant in the open air, but as yet only in the south of England — at Truro and Lymington.

Vulcanised India Rubber. — A short communication on the mode of making and on the properties of the substance termed vulcanised India rubber was made by Mr. Brockedon. The process of vulcanisation consists in submitting caoutchouc at a high temperature to the action of sulphur, and which it combines, and becomes harder and more elaslic. The proportions of sulphur vary according to the degree of hardness required ; but about seven per cent, of sulphur is the quantity combined for general purposes. The quality of the India rubber is much more elastic after being thus treated, and it is of this substance that the small India rubber rings now so generally used is made. It was stated by Mr. Brockedon, that two tons weight

of these India rubber rings are sold in a week. Chemical Theory op Volcanoes. — In the chemical section, Dr. Daubeny mentioned some new facts bearing on the chemical theory of volcanoes. The chemists and geologists are at variance a3 to the causes of the eruptions of volcanoes, the latter attributing them to the action of central fire ; the chemists, on the contrary, attributing the eruptions to chemical action of substances at no great distance from the surface. On the discovery of the I new metals by Sir Humphrey Davy, he applied the inflammability of those metals in explanation of the effects of volcanoes, and conceived that there might be large masses of potassum in the earth which inflamed when ; water oame into contact with the mass. Dr. Daubeny supported the chemical views of the causes of earthquakes, and contended that the geological hypothesis failed to explain the phenomena. In the course otUhe discussion which followed, Mr. Hunt mentioned the remarkable fact, which had been often noticed by miners in Cornwall, that over the lodes of a mine there is apparent at night a lambent flame in the direction of the lodes.

3. Ashmore c. Lardner 3 Or. Young bd. Waring 0 W. Luxfordb Waring . . 4 Mr. Cator b. Yates 31 F. Clout b. Waring .... 5 I. Herbert b. Waring .. 24 Mr.May c.Wintringham 1 Mr. Duppab. Waring .. 2 Mr. G. Moore b. Yates 4 Major Baker not out .. 1 Piper b. Yates 0 Not out 9 Not out 7 75 Byes 3 16 Byes .... 7 78 m . <_ _ 1 23 1 /\1 Total .. 101

Ist Innings. 2nd Innings. Ay. Lardner run out .. 6 Bd. Cator.... 2 Varing R. A. b. Cator 2 Runout 10 Jenge A.P. c. Baker . . 13 Ct Luxford . . 6 /It. Hamley b. Cator .. 1 Bd. C10ut.... 0 r ates 99th b. Cator ...» 5 Bd. C10ut. ... 0 »orter 58th b. Clout .. 15 Bd. Clout...* 0 Vintringham b. Clout 1 Bd. C10ut.. .. 17 Llcock 99th b. Clout . . 0 Not out 1 linds 58th c. Luxford C Bd. C10ut,... 2 )r. Galbraith run out . . 1 Ct. Clout 0 ierj. Doddsnotout .... 0 Bd. C10ut.... 0 44 33 Byes 16 Wide ball 1 60 39 Total