NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12468, 18 February 1909, Page 2

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

.Scientific;.; Research/. :Ih the Antarctic regions, says "Engineering,"under capable, if untrided hands, a well-equipped observatory arose in thp inhospitable latitude traversed' by those; who, took part in the Discovery voyage, and-: obsor.vatio.ns wore 1 made "'with the same ; accuracy and -regularity that : characterises those _■ institutions where, long experience has systcmatised the work. The height; and behaviour of the tides were under constant,: observation. Earthquake tremors were recorded on appropriate . instruments) pendulums were' occasionally, swung to derive the/gravity constant; and magnetjc.al and auroral observations were pursued with 'care and method. In the•2l months the seismometer was iir use, 136 earthquakes were recorded, but. none of them of sufficient • violence to. attract the attention of the staff They point, add "Engineering " to the existence of a ; locality "of great seismic activity to the south of Australia and New Zealand. An examination of. the seismogr.ams and a comparison with the: ; records of the same shock at other stations, show that the rate of propagation, of v the several forms' of earthquake' waves is the same as that previously deduced, and -varying, . according to the character of the waves, from 12 to 3 kilometres per \ second. A curious feature in. connection with the records is to confirm a suspicion that, earthquake shocks muy be recorded at antipodal localities. Earth"quakes originating in the neighbourhood of Now Zealand, have repeatedly been registered' in the British Isles, particularly at the Liverpool ' Observatory^ while stations nearer to the origin have remained unaffected. The Antarctic' records disclose the same pecularity, and we have ' now a number of instances, where the movement from an epifocal area has travelled round-and through the world to reappear as a registered quantity at its alvtipodes. : . America's Wealth. A number of :■ interesting addresses and. reports were presented at the conference.^of the National Conservation Commission/ which met a few weeks ago in 'Washington 1 ; More than 30 States were represented by their chief, executives, and the ■ reports dealt largely with" minerals forest, land and water resources. It* tvas estimated that the annual value of the minerals, raised in the United States now exceeded £400,00(^000, and was second only to agriculture in; importance. -. - : The, coal supply, available ' and easily accessible, was* estimated at 1463 billion; tons; and flic known supplies of high-grade iron •or,es were' estimated at 3840 million ;-tons, .which, "^at- the present growing rate. of consumption cannot be.. expected, to'last beyond the middle of the present century. In submitting the report, Inspector Flint predicted , that the supplies of high-grade iron ores will be . consumed by. the-middle-of-iae present century, high-grade availablecoal by the'iniddle of next century, copper, load, sine and 'precious metals r by the end/for tko present, century, and' phosphate reck, so essential to soil fertilisatioiij within 25 years at the present rate of use and'waste. The subject of the forest resources of .the United^.Statos was dealt with" in a report. by^Seiiatbr. Reed Smooth He said, that the Uniicd States forests now cover 550 million acres, or about' one^-f ourth cf the total area .of the country, whereas tlie original forests Dovered 850 million acres, or nearly. Diie-half. The yearly, growth -does not :uiorage .moro than 12 cubfc feet per "acre, or less than seven billion cubic jcot in. all, whereas the: annual consumption is estimated, at 23 billion cubic .feet.'v Every year the United' States uses 100 -million cords of, firewopd,.' 40r billion -f eet a "b'f lumber, more than ; 4". bfllioV posts, pqles; - and fence ra.ilSj.-liß million Kewn tiles, 1500 milliofc staves, nearly -500.4 million' barrel hoops j- three millio.u cbrds of native pulp weed/- 1 Co;" million cubic^ feet of round mine timbers, and 1125 million Bords..of wood for distillation^ • ; ' -. '3.. ~^'.. "■ ■' " ' v '."■■_- ' "-■■;