would be to collect the milk with extreme cleanliness and immediately add the minimum amount of the antiseptic which experience would dictate. Cooling and bottling would follow. Encouraged by the slight experimentation given, and not being deterred by fears that "beaker reactions" will unquestionably be the same in the animal organism, I am arranging to try formol-milk still further.

Lastly, attention is called to the likely injury resulting from the fermentation products which must exist in all milk before it reaches the city consumer, and from this the question arises, Could formaldelyde in minute amounts do more harm than these products?— American Druggist.

DISINFECTION BY VAPOR OF PHENOLS.

In a thesis for the M. D. of the Victoria University, Dr. J. Mountfort Johnson, of the Owens College, Manchester, narrates certain experiments he has made to ascertain the values of the vapors of the carbolic acid group as germicides. "No. 5 carbolic” is said by the makers to consist almost entirely of cresylic acid, there being but a small percentage of phenol present Dr. Johnson found that the vapor of 12 ounces acting for sixteen hours in a room of 1,500 cubic feet capacity did not kill staphylococcus, bacillus coli communis, anthrax spores, or the bacillus of cholera. There was only inhibitory action. The bacillus of typhoid was the only one killed. The vapor of izal he found too heavy for disinfecting purposes in this way. In the "strength of 8 ounces to 1,500 cubic feet there is not sufficient penetration to even inhibit growth." The vapor deposits on glass as a fine film. When 12 ounces of cresol (commercially pure) were evaporated in a room of 1,500 cubic feet the vapor was generally sufficient to destroy a six days' growth of the bacillus coli communis, the cholera bacillus, and a five days' agar culture of typhoid, but sporing anthrax on silk threads grew more abundantly than the control. Absolute phenol vapor had an advantage over izal or “No. 5" in its greater diffusibility and penetrating power. It even killed germs of such resistance as staphylococci and streptococci when wrapped in an envelope of filter paper. It killed other microbes exposed to the vapor, with four failures out of thirty-three pieces of inoculated

material employed. In three of the four the failure was evidently due to an accident of position. Dr. Johnson considers "that the vapor of absolute phenol in a strength of 0.64 per cent is a reliable germicide for the majority of these microbes when exposed to its action in an ordinary room for sixteen hours," but recommends a working strength of 1 per cent., that is, the evaporation of 12 ounces for every 1,000 cubic feet. The thesis also deals with the experiments of other observers on these and other vapors, and details Professor Delépine's method of disinfecting walls by nascentchlorine obtained from bleaching powder. We are glad that the youngest of our Universities is encouraging original research on the part of its graduates. We learn from other sources that a considerable amount of sanitary assistance is being given to the health officers by professors of the Colleges affiliated to this University, not only in Manchester, where Professor Delépine has been working along with Dr. Niven at the tuberculosis question, but also in Liverpool, where the subject of tuberculous milk is obtaining serious attention, and in Leeds, where for a couple of years Professor Trevelyan has been doing good work in the bacterial diagnosis of diphtheria.-British Medical Journal.

PRESERVATION OF FRESH GRAPES AND SEED POTATOES IN ITALY.-Consul-General Jones writes from Rome (Consular Reports for August), June 24, 1897: "A recent bulletin of the School of Agriculture of Scandicci, Italy, describes experiments made by Professor Marchi for the keeping of grapes fresh during the winter. A cer.ain quantity of grapes (comprising different qualities) was hung up in a cool and dry place, all damaged berries having been previously removed; a second lot was packed in dry, pulverized peat in wooden boxes. At the end of four months the grapes that had been hung up had become decayed and had dropped off; on the other hand, those that had been packed in the boxes were found to be in fine condition. This is, therefore, a simple and economical method. Ano her one consisted in gathering the bunches with a good bit of stem attached and immersing their tips in bott'es containing water and pulverized charcoal. Experiments were also made for preserving seed potatoes by using corn shucks, sawdust, peat, and very dry sand. The three first-mentioned substances gave the best results, while the sand proved a failure."

TOPOGRAPHY, CLIMATE AND MINERAL SPRINGS

OF MINNESOTA.

BY A. N. Bell.

MINNESOTA lies at the head of the Mississippi Valley, between 43° 30′ and 49° north latitude, and 89° 29′ and 97° 5' west longitude. It is bounded on the north by British Columbia, east by Lake Superior and the State of Wisconsin, south by Iowa and west by the Dakotas. The extreme length of the State from north to south is about 380 miles; its breadth is from 262 to 337 miles; comprising an area of about 83,365 square miles.

The surface is undulating, and though devoid of any mountain ranges, or even high hills, it is the actual watershed of all that part of the North American Continent lying east of the Rocky Mountains. It is so made by virtue of its central situation-between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, Hudson Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, and the artic and tropic circles. Accordingly we find a range of drift-hills crossing the upper portion of the State nearly from east to west, mostly with flat tops and nowhere exceeding one hundred feet of elevation above the adjacent country (though they are 1,680 feet above the sea), in or near which are the sources of the Mississippi River, the Red River of the North (which discharges its waters eventually into Hudson Bay), of the feeders and tributaries of the Lake of the Woods (which also connects with Lake Winnipeg, Hudson Bay and the immense system of watercourses of the northern part of the continent), and the sources also of the St. Louis River, the head and fountain of those waters which through the great lakes find their way to the Atlantic through the St. Lawrence River.

There are three distinct slopes, differing in soil, vegetation and geological character: The northern slope, including not only the Red River Valley, but the valleys and lakes of the streams draining into Rainy Lake and the Lake of the Woods; the eastern slope, occupying the valley of the St. Louis River and its tributaries, and declining towards Lake Superior, and the southern slope, drained by the Mississippi and its affluents, comprising about two-thirds of

the State, and extending into and forming part of the Mississippi Valley.

The descent from the summit of the divide to the southern boundary of the State is nearly 1,000 feet, but, except in the successive terraces at and near the Falls of St. Anthony, the slope is mostly gentle, rarely exceeding two and a half or three feet to the mile.

Three-fourths of the State may be generally described as rolling prairie, interspersed with frequent groves, oak-openings and belts of hard-wood timber, dotted with numberless small lakes, and drained by many clear and limpid streams. The other fourth includes the hills, which form the divide, the extensive mineral tract extending toward Lake Superior, and the heavy-timbered region about the sources of the Mississippi and the Red River of the North. The drainage of the State is mostly affected by the Mississippi, the Red River of the North, the St. Louis, and their tributaries. Of the affluents of the Mississippi, the Minnesota is the chief on the southwest side; others on the same side being the Root, Cannon, Sauk, Zumbrota, Willow and Crow Wing rivers; on the north and northeast the chief affluents are the St. Croix and Rum rivers, the latter the outlet of Mille Lacs Lake; branches of the Red River are the Wild Rice, Red Lake, Reed Grass and Buffalo rivers; of the St. Louis, are the Big White Face, Stone, Ushkabwahka, Floodwood and Savannah rivers. There are also many small streams flowing into Lake Superior, and several of large size, such as the Little Fork, Big Fork, Vermilion and Bandette, discharging into Rainy Lake River and the chain of lakes which form a part of the State's northern boundary.

Minnesota is especially remarkable for the number and great extent of the surface of her lakes, there being about 7,000 of them, and exclusive of those which form portions of the boundary, the lake surface is about 1-35th of the entire area of the State. A few of them, notably Mille Lacs, Leech, Red, Vermilion, Big Stone, Winnebegoshish, Traverse, Cass and Otter Tail, are of considerable size. The remainder are much smaller. Lake Itasca, the ultimate source of the Mississippi River, is of horse-shoe shape, and its greatest length is but twelve miles. Lake Traverse, the source of the Red River of the North, is long but narrow. Dead Fish Lake, source of the St. Louis, is small; Lakes Pepin and St. Croix are enlargements of the river beds of the Mississippi and St. Croix rivers.

The vegetation differs considerably in relation with the differences in the soil of the three slopes above described. The northern slope has a rich alluvial deposit adapted to wheat culture and grazing. This region has forests of oak, elm, beech and maple. The eastern slope is a better mineral than agricultural region; much of it, as well as of the highlands or divides, is covered with a heavy growth of pine, spruce and other coniferous trees, valuable as lumber, but the soil beneath, when cleared, is comparatively sterile. The southern slope, which comprises all the State below the highlands, is composed of alternate rolling prairie and woodland, and is unsurpassed in fertility and productiveness. In this southern slope particularly, there are groves and copses of great beauty on the prairies and about the numerous rivers and lakes, while growths of dwarf oaks skirt the borders of the prairies and are known as "oak openings "

There is a remarkable tract, embracing both sides of the Minnesota River, over 100 miles in length, and with an average width exceeding 40 miles, comprising an area of 5,000 square miles, covered with a dense growth of magnificent hardwood timber, and is known as the "Big Woods." In this, as well as in the smaller groves, are found almost every species of deciduous tree known in the Northern States.

Great losses have been sustained by the cutting of immense quantities of timber for manufacturing purposes. But during recent years, much has been done by the State to repair these losses, and tree planting is assidously encouraged by the State govern

ment.

The indiginous flora of the State is of mixed character, of the Canadian or subalpine found along our northern boundary and the Apalachian or Mississippian of the upper portion of the Great Valley.

Owing to the great number of small lakes, streams and marshes in the northeastern portion of the State, there is a great predominance of aquatic plants of the subalpine flora-wild rice, reeds, callas and water loving plants generally; and, it is estimated, that the amount of cranberry marsh, which yields abundantly, exceeds 250,000 acres.

THE CLIMATE of Minnesota, forty years ago, was as much or more vaunted as the most beneficial for consumptives as that of Colorado has been during more recent years. But proportionally with the lapse of time, increase of population and carefully re