A French scientist, M. Ragonneau, has just discovered how to make a plant grow from the seed in thirty minutes as much as it would under ordinary circumstances in as many days. Heretofore Nature has shared this secret with the Yoghis of India alone, and the methods pursued by these clever magicians in performing this trick have been often described. They plant a seed in the earth and cover it with a cloth. In a few moments the cloth begins to be pushed upward by the growing plant, which in a short time attains the height of several feet. Various theories have been advanced as to the modiis operandi of this miracle, one of the latter being that the spectators are all hypnotised. During his travels in India M. Raggoneau saw tbis trick performed frequently, and noticed that the Hindoos always imbedded the seed in the soil which they brought with them especially for that purpose. At last he learned that they obtained this earth from ant hills. Now, as everyone knows who has inadvertently eaten one of these industrious insects, ants contain a large proportion of formic acid, with, which in time the soil of their habita tion becomes charged. This acid has the power of quickly dissolving the integumeat surrounding a seed and of greatly stimu lating the growth of the germ within. After a little experimenting witli this acid the learned Frenchman was able to duplicate perfectly the Hindoo trick. His further researches have led him to believe that this discovery may be profitably applied to agri culture. By infusing, ants in boiling water acid as strong as vinegar may be obtained. M. Ragonneau has achieved the best results and most perfect growth by using earth moistened with a solution of 5,000 parts of water to one of acid. — ' New York World.'

THE LAND TAX.
