fffW  gjl  a  ©.  ftecorl 

VOLUME  I. 

LANSING,  MICHIGAN,  TUESDAY,  MARCH  24,  1896. 

NUMBER 11. 

mounted  by a crown  of leaves  six to ten feet  long by two 
to  three  feet  broad  with  a strong  fleshy  foot-stalk a nd 
mid-rib.  The*flowers  spring in great spikes from  the  cen 
ter of t he crown of leaves  a nd are arranged  in  whorl-like 
clusters  along  t he spike,  t he female  flower  occupying 
t he  base  of t he spike  and  t he male  t he apex.  T he aver 
age  weight  of  a  b u n ch  is  about  25  lbs.,  b ut  they a re 
often  known  to exceed  70 or 80  lbs.  In t he greenhouse 
Cavendishii, 
two  years  ago, t he  dwarf  banana,  M. 
matured  a b u n ch  of fruit  t h at  weighed  65  lbs. 

The  productive  power  of  t he  banana  is  prodigous. 
On  an acre  of  land  it was  estimated  by H u m b o lt  t h at  it 
would  produce  44 times  as m u ch  in  weight  as t he pota 
to,  and 133 times  as much  as  wheat. 

T he  banana  is  in  many  other  ways  useful  to m a n. 
The  stem  yields  a  juice  t h at  is  used  as  an  astringent 
and  its spongy  pith,  when  pounded  a nd boiled,  forms  a 
nutritious  food  of  a starchy  character.  All parts  of t he 
plant  abound  in  fibre  t h at  is adapted  to t he  manufacture 
of  cordage  and  paper  though  it has  never  been  utilized 
to  any great  extent. 

T he  top  of t he stem  is boiled  and eaten  as a  vegetable 
and  t he leaves  are  used  in pickling  and for many  domes 
tic  purposes. 
Greenhouse. 

NARROW  ESCAPE  EROM  DROWNING. 

One  day during  t he recent  cold  snap  Mr.  Steele,  who 
has  for several  years  been  an  employe  on  t he  horticul 
tural  department,  having  occasion  to  cross  t he  river 
into  t he college  woods  east  of No. 7, went  across  on t he 
ice.  This  was  in  t he  morning.  After  working  in t he 
woods  all day  he returned  just  at dark,  took  a light  pole 
in  h is h a n ds  and started  to recross  t he ice.  B ut  during 
t he  day t he ice h ad softened,  and t he  current,  which  is 
here  very  swift,  had c ut t he ice  away  underneath  until 
only  a thin  shell  remained,  and  when  near  t he  middle 
of  t he  stream  Mr. Steele  suddenly  found  himself  plunged 
arm-pit  deep  into  t he  swift,  cold  current.  He  called 
repeatedly  for help, b ut being  nearly  half  a  mile  from 
t he  nearest  house,  could  make  no  one  hear.  He  t h en 
began  breaking  his  way  to shore  b ut here  a new  danger 
presented. 
time  he  attempted  to  break  t he 
ice  ahead  of  him  his  feet  would  be  lifted  from  t he 
bottom  a nd he was  in imminent  danger  of  being  swept 
under  t he ice.  T h a n ks  to t he pole  which  he  h ad  k e pt 
in  his  hands,  he was  able  to  brace  himself  against  t he 
current  and  slowly  break  t he ice  from  in  front  until  he 
got  to  where  t he  water  was  shallower  when  he  made 
more  rapid  progress.  After  being  in  t he  water  about 
half  an  hour  he  at  last  reached  t he  shore  and  t h en 
rapidly  made  his way to  his  home  about  half  a  mile 
distant,  where  a good  fire  and  dry  clothing  soon  restored 
his  normal  temperature. 

Every 

THE MONEY VALUE OF MARL. 

Schoolcraft,  Mich.,  March  2, 1896. 
DEAR  S I R —I  send  you  by  mail  a  sample  of  shell 
marl.  W h at  do you think  of  it  to use  as a  fertilizer? 
Can  be delivered  here  at $4.30 a ton.  T h o u g ht  it  might 
help  me to get a stand  of  clover. 

Yours  truly. 

W.  F.  C. 
The  marl  was  examined  and  found  to be a very  p u re 
less  t h an  one  half  of one  per  cent of 
marl,  containing 
sand  and a  small  amount  of  vegetable  matter.  T he 
money  value  of  marl  consists  mainly  in t he amount  of 
lime  it contains.  Carbonate  of lime contains  56 per cent 
of  lime  (CaO),  and 44 per  cent  of  carbonic  acid.  We 
cannot  afford  to  pay cash  for  carbonic  acid  for  man 
ure,  as it is  found  abundantly  in t he air and  wind  h as 
no  money  value. 

If  t he  marl  were  pure,  a  ton  would  contain  1,120 
pounds  of  lime, or  16  bushels.  T he  question  whether 
t he  farmer  can afford  to pay  $4.30 for 16 bushels  of  lime 
depends  on t he  further  question  whether  he can buy 
t he  lime  cheaper. 

An  agent  of theBellevue  Lime  Co., of Bellevue,  E a t on 
Co.,  gave  me to  understand  t h at  they  would  sell  lime, 
free  on  board  cars  at  Bellevue,  in car  load  lots  at  t en 
cents  a bushel.  At  this  rate  t he ton of marl  would  be 
worth  $1.60.  Caustic  lime  is  more  active  t h an  carbon 
ated  lime,  and  on  certain  soils  (mucky)  would  give  more 
marked  results.  Caustic  lime  is soon  changed  to car 
bonate  of  lime  by absorbing  carbonic  acid  from  t he air. 
Marl  is  a b u n d a nt  in  many  p a r ts  of  this  state,  and 
where it can  be obtained  for no expense  beyond  t he cost 
of  handling  it, t he marl  is a cheap  and  valuable  m a n u r e, 
b ut  its money  value  is not large. 

R. C. K. 

Chemical 

Department. 

DR.  JONATHAN  L. SNYDER, 
SIXTH  PRESIDENT  OF THE  MICHIGAN  AGRICULTURAL  COLLEGE. 

A  UNIQUE  MUSHROOM  H O U S E. 

G.  C.  D A V I S. 

supplying 

cave  would 

all  Michigan 

As  announced  in  last  week's  issue  I  was  recently 
called  to Grand  Rapids  to aid if I  could  in  controlling 
some  mushroom  pests  at t h at  place.  Mr. Apted,  who is 
having  t he trouble,  is  a  hustler  in  business  a nd  some 
t i me  ago  he conceived  t he idea  of  utilizing  one of  their 
m a m m o th  old caves,  from  which  t he  plaster  h as  been 
mined,  for mushroom  growing.  Consent  of  t he  stock 
company  was  obtained  under  certain  restrictions,  and 
Mr.  Apted  commenced  over  a year  ago  to  t ry  his skill. 
t ip  to a month  or two  ago  prospects  were  very 
flatter 
give  him 
acre 
ing.  A  seventeen 
possibilities  of 
a nd  an 
occasional  treat  for Chicago  besides.  T he  temperature, 
too,  does  not  vary 
summer  or  winter  and  is  just 
right  to  t he  degree  for  raising  mushrooms  t he  year 
r o u n d.  These  are  two  of t he most  essential  conditions 
at  t he  start  and  success  seemed  imminent,  when,  all 
unexpectedly,  there  came  this  mighty  scourge  of  little 
mites;  too  small  to  be  detected 
individually  by  t he 
unaided  eye, b ut in legions  sufficient  to injure  or  destroy 
every  mushroom  before  it  is  old  enough  for  market. 
Most  of t he mushrooms  are  being  destroyed  while  in 
t he  young  or pin-point  stage.  In some  beds  where  t he 
mushrooms  were  not  very  plentiful,  t he  mites  would 
g a t h er  in large  mass  meetings,  awaiting  t he  arrival  of 
In t he larger  stools  t h at 
pin-points  t h r o u gh  t he crust. 
had  escaped  at  first  t he  mites  were  burying 
them 
selves  in groups  here  and there  over  t he cap. 

t he  mite 

Such  was  t he  condition  of  affairs  on  my  arrival. 
W h e t h er  we will  win the  day or yield  to this little  invader 
remains  for  t he  future  to  decide.  T he  cave  is  very 
dry,  and  in  such  an  atmosphere 
thrives 
and  breeds  rapidly.  If  we  could  create  a h u m id  atmos 
phere  like  t he  florist  can in  fighting  t he red  spider,  t he 
question  would  be solved, b ut  t he  stock  company  say  t h at 
industry  h as 
m u st  n ot be,  even  though  t he  mushroom 
to  be given  up,  as it  will  rot  the  supports  and  disinte 
grate  t he plaster  rock  above.  Mr. Apted  h as  already 
tried  all t he remedies  t h at  Grand  Rapids  people  have 
suggested  to him,  which  is no small  n u m b e r,  with  only 
negative  results  in  t he  main.  We  shall  t ry  several 
methods  not yet definitely  tested  and  with 
fair  pros 
pects t h at  at least  one  of t h em  will  succeed. 

If  we  are  successful  in  banishing  t he  mites, 

there 
still  remain  several  species  of  insects,  one  of  which,  a 
maggot,  is quite  a serious  pest. 

It  bores  devious  chan 

nels  through  t he inner  part  of t he mushroom  in  a  way 
very  m u ch  like  t he radish  and cabbage  maggot  does  in 
those  plants. 
I  have  searched  entomological  literature 
for  information  regarding  them  a nd  t he  other  insects, 
and  have  written  t he department  at Washington,  D. C, 
b ut  without  success,  a nd I  think  t he  field  will  prove to 
be  a  very  interesting  one for  study  and  experimental 
work. 

Zoological 

Department. 

T HE  BANANA. 

T H OM AS  GUNSON. 

The  two  varieties  of  bananas,  each  bearing  a  b u n ch 
of  fruit,  attract  alike  t he attention  of students  a nd t he 
visiting  public  in t he  greenhouse  at  present. 

As  t he banana  is  truly  t he  fruit  of the  laboring  classes 
and  can  be  bought  so  cheaply  nearly  every  day in  t he 
year,  it is not surprising  t h at  people  like  to see  a  plant 
growing  in something  like  its natural  condition. 

It  is  amusing  to  hear  t he  comments  some  people 
make  on seeing  t he  banana  plant  in  fruit  for  t he  first 
time,  and to note  how  vastly  superior  t he plant  is to  any 
preconceived  idea  they  may  have  formed  of  its  general 
appearance. 

The  banana  is one  of  t he aristocrats  of  t he vegetable 
kingdom,  a nd  while  it  h as  long  been  t he principal  far 
inaceous  food  of  t he  people  of  nearly  all  tropical  and 
semi-tropical  countries,  it  is  only  within  recent  years 
t h at  its fruit  has  been  used  to  any  extent  by people of 
colder  climates. 

Though  really  herbs,  bananas  assume  all  t he appear 
ances of  trees.  Their  stems,  consisting  of  t he  sheath 
ing  bases  of t he stalks  of  t he large  palm  like  leaves, are 
soft,  spongy  a nd  destitute  of  wooden  structure,  yet 
some  species  attain  a  height  of  twenty-five  feet.  T he 
stems  die after  perfecting  t he fruit,  and fresh  stems are 
developed  from  buds  in t he root-stock,  which  is  peren 
nial.  These  stems  are t he common  sources  from  which 
t he  plant  is  propagated  for making  fresh  plantations, 
and  t he growth  is  so  rapid  t h at  in  t he  West 
Indian 
islands, where  conditions  are  favorable,  t he  fruit  is  us 
ually  ripe  within  ten  months  of t he time  of planting t he 
In  t he greenhouse  with  t he best  t r e a t m e nt we 
offsets. 
can  give  t h em  it takes  t he  plant  more  t h an  twice  t h at 
length  of time  to do t he same  amount  of  work. 

Musa  sapientum, 

t he  name of t he species t h at  supplies 
t he  markets  of t he  old  and new  world,  when  well  grown 
attains  a height  of nearly  twenty  feet.  T he  stem is sur 

2 

THE  M.  A.  C.  R E C O R D. 

M A R CH  24, 

1896. 

<TJW 3H.  ®.'  ©.  decora. 

PUBLISHED  WEEKLY  BY  THE 

MICHIGAN  AGRICULTURAL  COLLEGE 
EDITED  BY  THE  FACULTY. 

ADDRESS  A LL  M A IL  TO  LOCK  BOX  262  L A N S I N G,  M I C H. 

S U B S C R I P T I O N,  50  C E N TS  P ER  ^ P E A R. 

Business  Office  with  ROBERT  SMITH  & Co.,  State  Printers  and  Binders, 
406  Michigan  Ave.,  East,  Lansing,  Mich. 

To  be  entered, as second  class matter  at  Lansing,  Mich. 

in 

scholarly 

attainments, 

This  week  marks  t he  beginning  of  a  new  administra 
tion  at  t he  Michigan  Agricultural  College.  F r om 
the 
hill-girt  valleys  of  western  Pennsylvania  has  been 
chosen  our  leader,  a  man  young  in  years  b ut  old  in  ex 
perience—ripe 
cultured, 
refined;  a  young  man  who  has  h ad  many  successes  b ut 
no  failures;  one  whose  everyday  life  has  b r o u g ht  him  in 
touch  with  t he  best  talent  in  educational  circles, and  yet 
has  not  estranged  him  from  t he  hardy  tillers  of  the  soil. 
W h en  Dr.  Snyder  left  Allegheny  City  to assume  con 
left 
trol  of  t he  first  Agricultural  College  in  t he  land,  he 
behind  in  t he  schools  of  t h at  city,  a  m o n u m e nt  to 
tact 
and  persevering  energy  of  which  many  an  older  man 
t he  home  of  his  youth 
might  well  be  proud.  He  left 
a nd  t he  companions  of  his  early struggles  and  successes. 
In  assuming  the  duties  of  President  of  this  College  he 
comes  among  strangers,  b ut  strangers  who  welcome 
heartily  their  new  leader,  and  who  are  ready  to  bear 
in  his  successful 
with  him  his  burdens  and  to  rejoice 
achievements. 

A  F A R M E R S'  I N S T I T U TE  T R I P. 

BY  K.  L.  BUTTERFIELD. 

By  direction  of  t he  Board  of  Agriculture  I  have  vis 
ited  t he  states of  Ohio,  Indiana,  and  Wisconsin,  studying 
their  farmers'  institute  work.  Ohio  farmers'  institutes 
are  under  t he  management  of  t he  Board  of  Agriculture, 
a nd  under  the  immediate  supervision  of  the  Secretary 
of  t h at  Board.  The  appropriation  is  raised  by  a  tax 
in  no 
equal 
to  rive  mills  on  every  inhabitant,  b ut 
county  exceeds  t he  sum  of  $200.  Two-fifths  of 
the 
sum  raised  are  paid  over  to  t he  state  treasury  to  be  ex 
pended  by  the  Board  of  Agriculture  for  institute  work, 
while  three-fifths  are  retained  in  t he  county  treasury 
to  be  drawn  for  the  use  of  the  county  institute  societies 
for  the  local expenses.  This year  there  are  held  157  insti 
t u t es  with  state  aid.  In  addition  to  this there  are  about 
fifty  or  sixty  independent  meetings  in  t he  state.  No 
county  has  over  two  institutes,  and  every  county  in  t he 
state  b ut  one  has  at  least  one  institute.  The  Board  ar 
ranges  t he  places,  circuits,  dates,  and  speakers.  Two 
speakers  are  sent  to  each  institute,  and  these  two  hold 
three  institutes  a  week; each  institute  is  usually  five  ses 
sions.  The Ohio State  University  furnishes  five  speakers 
for  two  weeks each, and  the Experiment  Station  a  similar 
quota.  The  other  speakers  are  well  known  Ohio  farm 
ers  and  farm  writers.  They  have  no  " r o u n d u p"  meet 
ing,  b ut  instead  an  agricultural  convention  some  time 
in  J a n u a ry  at  Columbus,  at  which  gather  representa 
tives  of  all  t he  various  agricultural  bodies  of  the  state, 
and  here  elect  t he  Board  of  Agriculture.  Proceedings 
of  this  convention,  together  with  some  of  t he  best  local 
papers  read  at  institutes,  are  published 
in  a  report. 
There  is  some  talk  of  t he  extension  of  t he  work  in  Ohio 
by  somewhat  increasing  the  appropriation,  sending  out 
one  speaker  to  a  meeting,  and  t h us  allowing  for  t he 
holding  of  between  300  and  400 institutes  per  year. 

institute  work 

There  are  some  strong  points  in  t he  Ohio  system,  one 
of  t h em  being  t he  large  number  of  meetings  held  for 
t he  money expended.  The  state  share  is  b ut  little  more 
t h an  $5,000,  so  t h at  the  work  seems  to  be  carried  on 
with  good  economy.  Another  feature  is  t h at  t he  local 
aid  and  interest  are  very  marked. 
I  noticed  at  t he 
meetings  a  good  attendance  with  a  great  many  bright 
local  men  present.  The 
in  Ohio  has 
developed  t he  speakers  well,  and  also  local  talent.  On 
t he  other  hand,  I  do  not  quite  like  t he  t u r n i ng  over  of 
t he  institute  entirely  to  t he  local  direction.  After  the 
speakers  are  once  assigned,  all  t he  rest  of  t he  work  is 
done  by  t he  local  society.  They  choose  whatever  topics 
they  wish,  and  may  call  upon  each  speaker  from  three 
to  five  or  six  times.  This,  it  seems  to  me,  spreads  men 
pretty  thin. 
I  doubt  if  t he  plan  of  raising  money  by 
taxation  to  pay  for  local  expenses  is  necessary  or  is  an 
education  in  t he  right  direction. 
If  the  local  people 
who  get  up  the  institute  raise  their  own  funds,  I  believe 
they  will  have  a  better  interest  and  be  more  economical. 
One  lack  in  t he  Ohio  system  is  the  absence  of  woman's 
work.  Women  occasionally  take  part  in  t he  programs 

as  local  speakers,  b ut  t he  state  furnishes  no  lady  speak 
ers,  and  woman's  work  as  we  know  it  in  Michigan  is 
entirely  wanting.  On 
t he  Ohio 
system 
I  he  interest  in  t he  work 
among  t he  people  is  very  marked,  and  t he  n u m b er  of 
independent  institutes  is  continually  increasing.  Ohio 
probably  has  more  well  developed 
institute  workers 
t h an  has  any  other  state. 

t he  whole,  however, 

is  a  great  success. 

twenty-five  or 

The  Indiana  system  is  not  greatly  different  from  t h at 
is  a  l u mp 
in  vogue  in  Ohio.  T he  state  appropriation 
sum  of  $5,000  per  year.  There  is  an  institute  in  each  of 
ninety-two  counties,  and  about 
t h i r ty 
independent  meetings.  Out  of  this  $5,000  there  go  $25 
to  each  of  t he  ninety-two  counties  for  local  expenses. 
T he  state  expenses  are  paid  out  of  t he  remainder,  t h us 
making  a  system  which  is  intensely  economical.  The 
immediate  charge  of  t he  work  is  in  t he  hands  of  Prof. 
L a t t a,  with  t he  title  of  Superintendent  of 
I n s t i t u t e s. 
The  general  arrangements,  as  I  said,  are  about  as  in 
Ohio.  The  meetings  are  conducted  by t he  local  society, 
although 
t he  superintendent  endeavors  to  direct  t he 
selection  of  topics  so  as  to  concentrate  somewhat  upon 
special  topics.  A  n u m b er  of 
fur 
nished  by  t he  state,  amoDg  them  being  Mrs.  Meredith, 
I  t h i nk 
who  is  well  known  to  many  Michigan  people. 
t he  work  of  making  *the  institutes  popular  in  I n d i a na 
m u st  have  been  a  m u ch  greater  task  t h an  in  Ohio,  as  I 
judge  t h at 
the  conservative  character  of  t he  people 
inclined  them  to  prejudices  against  t he  institute  work; 
largely 
b ut  so  far  as  I  can  find  out,  these  have  been 
done  away  with  and  t he  work  is  very  popular.  T he 
meetings  are certainly  well  attended. 

lady  speakers  are 

t he  Superintendent,  who  makes  out 

The  Wisconsin  system  is  entirely  different  from  either 
of  t he  others.  The  work  is  strongly  centralized,  t he 
state  running  t he  meetings  entirely.  There  are  no  local 
societies,  the  places  of  meetings  being  determined  upon 
by  petitions  largely.  1 he  work  is  under  t he  immediate 
direction  of 
t he 
schedules  of  dates  and  meetings,  and  assigns  to  each 
meeting  a  conductor  and  an  assistant.  The  programs 
are  made  out  at  the  office  of  t he  Superintendent  and 
sent  to  each  institute.  He  also  undertakes  to  advertise 
the  meetings  by  getting  out  posters  which  are  distrib 
uted  by  the  local  people. 
In  addition  to  t he  conductor 
is  usually  a  specialist  who 
and  his  assistant,  there 
attends  the  meeting—a  dairyman  or  horticulturist—and 
he  will  stay  b ut  one  day  in  a  place;  t he  others  remain 
t h r o u gh  t he  meeting,  the  same  as  do  t he  speakers  in 
Indiana  and  Ohio.  The  conductors  preside  at  all  ses 
sions.  The  state  appropriation  is  $12,000  per  year. 

in 

There  are  many  good  features 

I n s t i t u te  work  is  there  organized  better 

t he  Wisconsin 
system. 
t h an 
in  any  other  state  I  know.  One  feature 
is  t he  very 
close  supervision  given  the  work. 
In  Superintendent 
its 
McKerrow  t he  State  has  almost  an  ideal  head  of 
institute  work.  The  conductor  system  has  also  a  great 
many  good  features.  T he  conductors  are  all  well 
trained  for  their  work  and  succeed  in  keeping  the  meet 
ings  lively,  and  especially  in  eliciting  pointed  questions. 
T he  round-up  meeting  and  the  publication  of  a  bulletin 
are  well  known  features  of  well  established  merit.  T he 
speakers  are  all  practical  and  successful  farmers,  b ut 
most  of  them  do  not  happen  to  be  so well known  outside 
of  the  State  as  are  many  of  t he  workers  in  Indiana,  and 
is  a  good  variety  of 
especially  those  in  Ohio.  There 
topics  on  t he  programs,  and  rapid  questioning  of  speak 
ers  is  a  feature  to  be  most  highly  commended.  On 
t he 
other  hand,  it  strikes  me  t h at  t he  system  is  somewhat 
expensive,  as  for  $12,000  they  hold  b ut  105  two  day 
meetings  and  10 one  day  meetings.  Still,  t he  publica 
tion  of  t he  bulletin  makes  quite  an  extra  expense. 
I 
would  hardly  want  to  call  the  system  extravagant,  b ut 
in  comparison  with  Ohio  and  Indiana  t he  expenses  are 
heavy.  P e r h a ps  the  strongest  objection  to  t he  Wiscon 
sin  plan  is  t he  lack  of  local  speakers  and  control;  at 
many  of  t he  meetings  local  talent  does  appear,  b ut 
it  does  not  seem  to  be  very  much  encouraged. 
In  some 
sections  of  the  state  it  is  evident 
t h at  local  talent  h as 
not  been  developed.  There  are  some  minor  criticisms 
t h at  might  be  made,  b ut  I  t h i nk  this  is  the  most  serious 
objection  to the  Wisconsin  plan. 

{To  be 

continued.) 

CULTURE  OF  P E P P E R M I N T. 

[Abstract  of  a  paper  by  Hiram  Hunt,  of  Moreland  Township, 
Muskegon  County,  read  before  the  Muskegon  County 
Farmers'  Institute,  Jan.  15,  1896.] 

Peppermint  is  grown  in  all  parts  of  t he  world  where 

t he  climate  is  not  too  cold  or  too  dry. 

It  requires  a  deep  black  muck  loam  for  raising  t he 

best  grades  of  peppermint. 

The  soil  m u st  be  plowed  in  t he  fall,  so  as  to  save  t i me 
in  the  spring  and  allow  t he  winter  frosts  to  penetrate 
t he  soil, so  it  will  heave  up  and  become  mellow. 

As  soon  as  t he  frost  is  out  enough  so  t he  ground  can 
be  stirred  go  on  with  the  disk  harrow  or  pulverizer  and 

work  t he  ground  until  thoroughly  pulverized;  t h en  go 
over  with  a  smoothing  harrow,  which  leaves  t he  g r o u nd 
in  good  shape  for  planting. 

The  farmer  is. now  ready  to  draw  t he  roots,  which 
m u st  be  taken  from  t he  first  year's  growth  of  m i n t. 
After  plowing  out  shake  t he  dirt  from  t h em  and  p ut 
them  in  small  piles;  t h en  cover  with  a  coat  of  dirt  to 
keep  from  spoiling. 

The  ground  m u st  be  marked  with  a  shovel  plow  in 
drills  32 inches  apart  and  from  four  to  six  inches  deep. 
Then  load  the  roots  onto  a  wagon  and  haul  them  to  t he 
field  t h at  has  been  prepared;  drop  t h em  into  t he  drills,, 
overlapping  so  t h at  the  plants  will  come  up  in  solid 
rows. 

T he  earlier  t he  roots  can  be  planted  t he  better  it  is  for 
the  crop,  as  it  gets  t he  benefit  of  t he  early  spring  r a i ns 
and  a  longer  time  for  rooting. 

As  soon  as  the  plant  shows  t h r o u gh  t he  ground,  so 
you  can  see  t he  rows, s t a rt  t he  cultivator.  Go  over  once 
a  week,  and  if  any  weeds  show  in  t he  rows  commence 
hand  weeding  and  hoeing. 

It  will  be  necessary  to  hoe  and  hand  weed  from  t h r ee 
to  keep  t he  ground 
t he  season 
to  five  times  during 
stirred.  K°ep  t he  cultivator  going  until 
r u n n e rs 
t he 
start.  Then  let  the  crop  stand  until  just  before  harvest 
ing;  then  go  over  t he  ground  and  pick  out  all  t he  weeds 
so  as  to  secure  prime  oil. 

Harvesting  begins  about  t he  last  of  A u g u st  or 

t he 
first  of  September,  when  t he  plant  is  in  full  bloom  a nd 
shows  a  dark,  copper  colored  leaf  with  an  oily  appear 
ance. 

W h en  it  is  ready  to  harvest  select  a  hot,  dry  day; 

t he 

hotter  t he  day  t he  better  for  a  good  yield  of  oil. 

T he  first  year's  crop  m u st  be  mowed  with  a  scythe 

and  raked  by  h a n d;  t he  second  year's  crop  may  be  har 
vested  with  a  mowing  machine  and  raked  with  a  horse 
rake. 

I  am  not  in  favor  of  letting  a  crop  stand  t he  t h i rd 
year,  as  t he  yield  is  small  and  t he  grade  of  oil 
inferior. 
To  plow  and  replant  pays  t he  best  rent  for  land,  a nd 
does  away  with  weeds. 

The  oil  is  obtained  from  the  leaves  of  t he  plant,  so 
to  improve  t he  growth  of  t he  plant, 

tends 

whatever 
makes  more  oil  when  harvested. 

After  mowing  leave  on  t he  ground  until  t he  leaves 

are  well  wilted. 

. 

It  is  then  drawn  to  t he  distillery  and  placed  in  t u bs  5 

feet  high  and  5%  feet  wide. 

After  packing  as  full  as  possible,  t he  t u bs  are  closed 
with  covers  made  to  fit.  The  steam  is  t h en  let  on  by  a 
2-inch  pipe  passing  from  the  boiler  to  t he  bottom  of  t he 
t u b; 
it  then  passes  up  t h r o u gh  t he  mint  and  out  of  a 
4-inch  pipe  at  t he  top  of  t he  t ub  with  t he  steam  into  a 
condenser,  which  is  a  5-inch  tin  pipe  lying  in  a  trough 
of  cold  water;  it  then  passes  down  t h r o u gh  a  2-inch 
pipe  called  " t he  worm,"  to  a  receiving  can,  cold  water 
running  on  t he  pipe  all  t he  time  to  condense  t he  steam 
back  into  water.  So  when  it  comes  into  t he  receiving 
can  it  is  oil  and  water.  The  oil  rises  to  t he  top  and  is 
dipped  off  with  a  one-half  pound  dipper  and  p ut  i n to 
cans  which  hold  20 pounds. 
ket.—Muskegon  Weekly 

It  is  t h en  ready  for  mar 

Chronicle. 

B I RD  M I G R A T I O N. 

T he  following  is  an  abstract  of  a  circular  letter 

j u st 
received  from  t he  Migration  Committee  of  t he  Michigan 
Ornithological  Club.  T he  work  proposed  is  i m p o r t a nt 
and  interesting  and  t he  appeal  of  t he  committee  should 
meet  with  a  hearty  response. 

W.  B.  B. 

Michigan  O r n i t h o l o g i c al  Club. 

CIRCULAR  No. 

1,  F E B.  29, 

1896. 

This  committee  has  been  appointed  with 

instructions 
to  arrange  and  carry  out  a  systematic  investigation  of 
t he  birds  of  Michigan.  This  we  hope  to  accomplish 
through  t he  cooperation  of  all  who  may  be  interested 
in  the  ornithology  of  our  state.  We  hope  to  have  every 
county  in  Michigan  patroled  by  competent  observers, 
who  will  report  to  us  on  the  migration,  range  of  species, 
breeding  habits,  etc.,  of  our  birds.  A  careful  resume  of 
these  reports  must  develop  in  t he  course  of  years  into  a 
complete  survey  of  t he  wonderfully  varied  and  interest 
ing  avifauna 

of  Michigan. 

We  cordially  request  your  cooperation  in  this  work. 
Will  you  not  agree  to  send  us  whatever  observations 
you  may  be  able  to  make  this  year?  Anything  and 
everything  of  interest  will  be  appreciated  and  valued, 
and  due  credit  will  be  given  all  who  contribute. 

We  wish  to  determine  definitely  when  our  birds  arrive 
and  depart,  or  pass  t h r o u gh  each  section  of  the  state; 
how  fast  they  travel;  w h e t h er  by  day  or  night;  which 
come  first,  males  or  females;  when  and  where  t he  first 
nests  are  built,  and  when  t he  last;  how  long  t he  process 
of  construction  takes;  t he  period  of  incubation;  food  of 
regarding  all  of  t he 
adults  and  young;  in  fact  everything 
birds  known  to  our  state. 

If  you  will  help  us  in  this  work,  kindly  inform 

t he 

MARCH  24,  1896. 

THE  M.  A.  C.  RECORD. 

3 

extended,  about  2  feet.  About 
is 
wound  a single  logarithmic  spiral.  One  acquainted  with 
t he  ordinary  slide  rule  will  appreciate  the  superiority  of 
t he  new 
is 
equivalent  to  a  straight  slide  rule  83  feet  4  inches  long. 

t he  outer  cylinder 

instrument  from 

t he  statement 

t h at 

it 

W.  D.  Groesbeck  writes  from  Washington,  D.  C, 
calling  attention  to  t he  fact  t h at  a  mechanical  engineer 
ing  course  described  in  one  of  t he  leading  mechanical 
papers  of  t he  country,  and  said  to  be  " j u st  w h at  is 
wanted,"  is  paralleled  in  many  respects  by  t he  M.  A.  C. 
course. 

The  Crosby  Steam  Gage  and  Valve  Company  of 
Boston,  Mass.,  recently  presented  each  member  of 
t he 
senior  class  in  t he  mechanical  course  with  a  copy  of  t he 
book  issued  by  t he  company  on  t he  steam  engine  indi 
cator.  The  Ashcroft  Mfg.  Company  of  New  York  have 
presented 
t he  same  class  with  copies  of  their  book 
descriptive  of  t he  Tabor  indicator. 

T he  RECORD  would  go  to  press  with  a  strange  feeling 
of  incompleteness  if  it  did  not  have  at  least  one  birth  or 
wedding  to  report  from  t he  College  each  week.  This 
week  it  is  a  wedding.  H a r ry  P.  Gladden,  '85,  assistant 
in  Horticulture,  was  married  last  Tuesday  evening  to 
Miss  Louise  Walter  of  Delhi.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gladden 
will  make  their  home  on their farm  near N o r th  Lansing. 

t he 

L a st  Thursday  evening 

eighteen  Bachelors 
started  o ut  in  squads  of  four  and  five  to  make  calls  on 
t he  four  newly  married  couples.  The  calls  were  a  sur 
prise  to  all  b ut  Mr.  and  Mr.  Brooks  who  in  t u rn  sur 
prised  t he  Bachelors  by  serving  delicious  refreshments 
to  all  who  came,  excepting  t he  first  squad  who 
left 
before  their  host  was  aware  t h at  a  half  hour  limit  had 
been  previously  arranged  for  all  calls. 

At  t he  last  meeting  of  t he  directors  of  the  Michigan 
Inter  Collegiate  Athletic  Association,  which  was  held 
in  Jackson,  Kalamazoo  College  was  admitted 
the 
association  and  R.  E.  Brackett  of  Lansing  was  given  t he 
contract  for  making  the  medals.  The  next  meeting  will 
be  held  at  Albion  about  the  middle  of  April,  at  which 
time  t he  directors  will  examine  t he  inducements  offered 
by  t he  various  college  towns  which  desire  t he  next 
annual  field  day. 

to 

A  week  ago  last  Saturday  Dr.  Grange  was  called  to 
Huron  Co.  to  investigate  a  disease  of  cattle,  which 
showed  upon  examination  to  be  lumpy  jaw.  Quite  a 
number  of  cattle  in  t he  vicinity  were  affected  with 
this 
disease.  Hog  cholera  also  existed  in  t he  same  locality. 
Mr.  Parks  of  Birmingham,  Oakland  Co.,  has  lost  about 
seventy  hogs  from  this  disease.  Hog  cholera  has  been 
reported  from  several  parts  of  t he  State  ever  since  t he 
first  of  January,  a  very  unusual  occurrence  at 
this 
season  of  the  year. 

NEWS FROM GRADUATES AND STUDENTS. 

Students  in  Mechanical  Course  designated  by  "  m."  and  specials 
by  " sp."  after  name. 

P.  S.  Rose,  '96, m.,  will  return  to  College  in  May. 
F.  R.  Sheldon,  with  '85, is  a  grain  buyer  at  Burr  Oak. 

t h at  State.  Bulletin  41  from 
t he  same  station  is  a 
"  Spraying  Bulletin,"  issued  by  Prof.  Hedrick  and  Prof. 
A.  B.  Cordley,  '88. 

Almon  E.  Hart,  sp.  '86, is  now  official  Court  Reporter, 
District  Court,  Denver,  Col.,  and  a  director  in  t he  Mt. 
Hecla  Gold  Mine Co.  of  Cripple  Creek. 

L u t h er  H.  Baker,  '93,  h as  been  elected  principal  of 
t he 

t he  Galien,  Berrien  Co.  schools,  and  will  assume 
duties  of  his  position  about  t he  first  of  September. 

Miss  Elizabeth  Jeffreys,  who  was  a  special  s t u d e nt 
in 
laboratory  of  Chicago 

here  during  t he  summers  of  '90-91,  is  now  engaged 
research  work  in  the  chemical 
University. 

H.  E.  Skeels,  with  '97  sp.,  Grand  Rapids,  as  a  member 
of  t he  Botanical  Committee  of 
t he  K e nt  Scientific 
Institute,  will  prepare  an  article  on  fertilization  of 
orchids  for  his  summer's  work. 

T he  Michigan  Farmer 

has  established  a  d e p a r t m e nt 
known  as  "Associated  F a r m e rs  Clubs"  and  placed  it  in 
charge  of  A.  C.  Bird,  '83,  of  Highland.  We  congratu 
late  both  Mr.  Bird  and  t he  Farmer. 

The  Coopersville  Observer 

t he  following: 
T he  banking  firm  of  R.  Lillie  &  Co.,  Hammond,  La., 
has  been  incorporated  and  will  be  known  as  t he  Ham 
mond  S t a te  Bank.  Ros.  Lillie,  '70, was  elected  cashier, 
and  D.  C.  Oaks,  '74, is  one  of  t he  stockholders. 

contains 

J.  Bruff  Ware,  with  '83,  representative  from  K e nt  Co. 
in  t he  last  Legislature,  is  Secretary  of  t he  Citizens 
Telephone  Co.  of  Grand  Rapids.  T he  company  have 
j u st  ordered  1,800 
t he  American 
telephones 
Electric  Co. of  Kokomo,  Ind.,  and  will  soon  be  compet 
ing  with  t he  Bell  Co. 

from 

Carl  Bank,  '84, Supt.  of  Preston  School  of 

Industry, 
at  lone,  Cal., has  disarmed  t he  opposition  of  Gov.  Budd, 
who  vetoed  t he  last  appropriation  bill  passed  by 
t he 
legislature - in  support  of  t he  school.  T he  Governor 
now  says  t he  school  is  t he  best  and  most  economically 
managed  institution  in  t he  State. 

Here  is  news  from  a  '91  m.: 

" V.  S.  Hillyer,  a  young 
t he 
fourth  ward  Republican,  is  being  mentioned  for 
nomination  as  ward  alderman 
to  oppose  Alderman 
Teachout,  who  is  a  candidate  for  renomination,  and  who 
was  supposed  to  have  a  walk  away.  Mr.  Hillyer  is  a 
member  of  t he  ward  committee,  b ut  aside  from  t h at  has 
never  held  political  office."—Grand  Rapids 
March  14. 

Herald, 

F.  F.  Rogers,  '83,  has  been  Port  Huron's  City  Engi 
neer  for  t he  past  five  years  and  will  continue  in 
t h at 
capacity  for  at  least  another  year.  Previous  to  1891  he 
practiced  his  profession  in  P o rt  H u r on  and  Marietta 
acting  as  County  Surveyor  of  Sanilac  county  in  the, 
induce 
latter  place.  Private  practice  offering  better 
ments  he  will  open  a  private  office  at  t he  expiration  of 
his  present  term  of  office.  He  h as  at  his  command  in 
t he  city  hall  one  of  the  finest  city  engineer's  offices  in 
t he  State. 

AGRICULTURE  IN  J A P A N. 

C. J.  Barnum, '94  is  teaching  at  Goodrich,  Genesee  Co. 

BY  F.  YEBINA,  '95. 

chairman  of  this  committee,  when  full  instructions  and 
blanks  will  be  furnished  with  pleasure.  Write  any 
member  of  this  committee,  at  any  time  regarding  t he 
work.  We  will  be  happy  in  doing  anything  we  can  to 
aid  you. 

L. W.  WATKINS, Manchester,  Chairman. 
W.  E.  M U L L I K E N.  Grand  Rapids. 
T.  L.  HANKINSON,  Agricultural  College. 

Committee  on  Bird  Migration 

and  Field  Work. 

AT  T HE  COLLEGE. 

Hon.  C. J.  Monroe  visited  college  last  Thursday. 

Mrs.  Baker  returned 

to  her  home  in  Chicago  last 

Friday. 

Mrs.  Wescott  has  been  suffering  with  an  attack  of 

peritonitis. 

S.  W.  Keifer,  with  '97,  Lyons,  Mich.,  was  a  visitor  at 

t he  College  last  Friday. 

L a st  Thursday  Mis.  H.  L.  Bachtel  of  Flint,  called  on 

her  brother,  Mr.  M.  L.  Dean. 

Norman  and  Bland  Edwards  have  been  kept  out  of 

school  for  some  time  by  whooping-cough. 

Scott  J.  Redfern,  '97, returned  to  College  last  Friday. 

He  has  just  closed  a  four  months'  school. 

Already  nearly  500  teachers  have  applied  to  Prof. 

Taft  for  flower  seeds  for  school-yard  adornment. 

Gas  fixtures  have been  added  to t he  equipment  of  t he 
Bacteriological  work-room  and  work  in  Bacteriology  is 
now  going  on. 

Prof.  W.  B. Barrows  spent  last  Friday  and  Saturday 
at  Grand  Blanc,  examining  a  collection  of  minerals,  fos 
sils  and  Indian  relics. 

A  complete  set  of  pulley  patterns  is  being  made  in  t he 
wood  shops.  Here,  too,  a  cabinet  for  holding  lathe-tool 
cases  will  soon  be  placed. 

On  Thursday  last  t he  mechanical  seniors  took  indi 
cator's  diagrams  from  t he  tandem  compound  engine  at 
t he  works  of  t he  Howell  Mfg.  Co. 

Last  Wednesday evening  Mrs. Wood worth  entertained 
at  tea  Mrs.  Ray  S.  Baker,  Miss  Lilian  Wheeler,  and 
Messrs.  W.  O.  Hedrick  and  D.  J.  Crosby. 

Mr.  F r a nk  Yebina  has  some  seed  of 

the  radishes 
spoken  of  in  his  article  in  this  number,  which  he  would 
be  glad  to  give  to  anyone  wishing  to  try  them. 

A  Guinea  pig,  inoculated  with  pus  from  t he  cow  of 
t he  Pontiac  Asylum  herd,  mentioned  in  a  recent  issue 
of  t he  RECORD,  does  not  yet  show  any  symptoms  of 
tuberculosis. 

A  week  ago  last  evening  Prof.  Smith  started  for  Tru-
mansburg,  N.  Y., to  attend  the  funeral  of  a  cousin.  Be 
fore  returning  he  will  visit  t he  farm  owned  by  himself 
and  brothers  near  Ithaca. 

President  Snyder  and  family  arrived  in  Lansing  last 
S a t u r d ay  and  will  occupy  t he  president's  house  as  soon 
as  their  furniture 
the 
duties  of  his  office  yesterday. 

arrives.  Dr.  Snyder  assumed 

M.  A.  C. is  well  represented  on  the  Migration  Commit 
tee  of  the  Ornithological  Club  (see  circular  in  another 
column)  as  Mr.  W a t k i ns  is  a  graduate  of  1893 and  Mr. 
Hankinson  is  one  of  t he  class  of  '98. 

Dr.  Edwards  gave  a  talk  on  Shakespeare's  Merchant 
of  Venice  last  Wednesday  afternoon. 
In  t he  evening 
about  fifty  of  the  students  saw  t he  play  presented  by 
t he  Hanf ord  Company  at  Baird's  opera  house. 

M.  E.  Greeson,  '91,  teaching,  247  S.  Washington  St., 

Kckomo,  Ind. 

Chas.  H.  Hoyt,  '85, is  now  on the  road  for  a  Columbus, 

O., paint  firm. 

R.  M.  Kedzie,  with  '93, m.,  is  with  t he  Sterling  F u r n i 

t u re  Co. of  Grand  Haven. 

Dean  Park,  sp.  '94, is  now  studying  in  t he  New  York 

T he  machine  shop  has  j u st  been  adding  to  its  equip 

City  College  of  Dentistry. 

m e nt  new  drills,  and  hammers,  a  complete  set  of 
lathe 
dogs  up  to  2%  inches  diameter,  a  S t a r r e t ts  combination 
center-square  and  protractor,  and  a  rotary  measuring 
machine. 

"  T he  Continuous  use  of  Condensing  W a t e r"  and 
" T he  Carbonizing  of  Wooden  Lagging  on  Cylinders 
and  P i p e s"  are  t he  titles  of  two  very  interesting  and 
valuable  articles  in  Power 
for  March.  These  articles 
should  be  read  by  all  mechanical  students. 

Over  Prof.  Smith's  desk  in  his  office  hangs  an  attract 
ive  banner  made  of  t he  fifty-two  blue,  red,  and  white 
ribbons  taken  as  premiums  at  t he  Saginaw  and  Jackson 
poultry  shows  by  Mr.  Brooks  last  December  and  J a n u 
ary.  The  banner  is  t he  work  of  Mrs.  Brooks. 

Among  recent  additions  to  t he  instrumental  equip 
ment  of  t he  department  of  civil  engineering  is  a  Fuller's 
slide  rule,  imported  from  London  by  the  College.  T he 
new  rule  is  a  most  ingenious  arrangement  for  making 
to  purely 
arithmetical  calculations,  reducing 
mechanical  processes. 
consists  of 
T he 
three  cylinders telescoped, with  various  indices  attached; 
its  outside  diameter  is  about  4 inches  and  length,  when 

instrument 

t h em 

H.  L.  Chamberlain,  with  '97, m.,  is  now  employed  by 

Lansing  Confectionary  Co. 

E.  M.  O'Neil,  with  '93, has  r e t u r n ed 

to  us  to 

take 

special  work  under  Prof.  Vedder. 

F r a nk  R.  Poss,  '94,  was  recently  elected  Secretary  of 

of  t he  Simons  Dry  Goods  Co.  of  Lansing. 

Peter  V. Ross,  '95,  finished  his  duties  as  teacher  at 

Howell  and  started  for  Colorado  March  24. 

Erwin  S.  Ferry,  sp.  post-graduate  in  Dl,  is  now  In 

structor  in  Physics,  University  of  Wisconsin. 

F r a nk  W.  Prudden,  with 

'81,  is  connected  with 

Chicago  & Northwestern  Railway  at  Austin, 111. 

L.  C  Smith,  m.,  '97,  Asst.  Cashier  Gaylord  (Mich.), 

State  Savings  Bank,  will  r e t u rn  to  College  next  year. 

C. J.  Strang,  '78, editor  and  publisher  of  t he  People's 
Banner,  Grand  Ledge,  has  sold  out  to  M.  L.  Phares, 
who  will  conduct  a  paper  at  Sunfield. 

Bulletin  40 of  t he  Oregon  E x p t.  Station  is  from 
t he 
pen  of  U.  P.  Hedrick,  '93, who  gives  t he  conclusions  he 
has  drawn  from  a  careful  survey  of  the  fruit  interests  of 

{Concluded.) 
Next  to  rice,  more  barley  is  raised  t h an  any  other 
cereal,  it  being  grown 
in  all  t he  provinces.  Barley, 
either  in  t he  form  of  flour  or  in  t he  whole  grains,  is 
cooked  with  varying  quantities  of  rice,  t h us  forming  an 
important  article  of  diet,  especially  among  t he  farming 
classes.  W h e at  perhaps  is  next  in  importance,  and  like 
barley  is  raised  t h r o u g h o ut 
t he  empire.  Almost  no 
bread  is  made  from  this  wheat,  b ut  onmen  (a  kind  of 
vermicelli),  undon, 
fu,  and  other  similar  preparations, 
to  be  eaten  with  soup,  are  made  in  large  quantities  and 
exported  to  a  considerable  extent.  Beans,  peas,  and 
buckwheat  are  also  quite  generally  grown. 

T he  annual  yield  of  rice  for  t he  whole  empire  is  a b o ut 
20,000,000  bushels,  t he  yield  per  acre  varying  from  20  to 
80 bushels.  Of  barley  and  wheat  about  3,000,000  bush 
els  of  each  are  raised. 

t he 

As  I  said  before,  these  crops  are  raised  in  t he  large 
fields  which  surround  t he  village.  On  his  little  plot  of 
perhaps  two  acres  in  the  town  stands 
farmer's 
In  his  little  garden  are  grown  vegetables  and 
house. 
fruits,  which  make  up  a  great  part  of  t he  food  of 
t he 
family.  About  the  same  vegetables  grow  in  our  J a p a n 
ese  gardens  t h at  would  be  found  " on  t he  Hort.,"  except 
t h at  we  have  no  cauliflowers,  cabbages,  nor  tomatoes. 
t he 
One  thing  remarkable,  though,  in  t he  garden  of 
Japanese  farmer,  is  his  radishes.  They  grow  to  a  mam 
m o th  size,  sometimes  two  feet  long  and  four  inches  in 
diameter. 
I  t h i nk  some  families  use  a  ton  or  more  of 
these  in  a year.  The  largest  and  finest  are  dried  in  t he 
sun  and  kept  for  winter,  while  t he  rest  are  p ut  in  a  sort 
of  a  pickle  of  salt  and  water.  Pickles  form  an  import-

ant  part  of  the  diet  of  t he  people  of  our  country,  and 
beside  t he  radishes,  egg  plant,  beets,  cucumbers  and 
t u r n i ps  are  used  in  this  way. 
Except  apricots,  fruit 

is  seldom  used  on  t he  table. 
We  have  a  great  deal  of  fruit,  b ut  it  is  always  eaten 
"  between  meals."  Our  apples  and  cherries  are  not 
nearly  so  good  as  those  grown  in  this  country,  b ut  we 
have  very  fine  pears,  prunes,  apricots  and  persimmons. 
In  t he  southern  part  oranges  and  lemons  are  raised. 
in  J a p an  take  the  place  t h at  apples  do  in  this 
P e a rs 
country.  We  have  such  a  variety  t h at  we  are  not  with 
out  fruit  from  J u ly  to  t he  following  spring.  T he  trees 
three  feet  in 
grow  to  an  enormous  size,  often  being 
diameter  and  fifty  or  sixty  feet  tall. 
In  t he  spring  when 
in  bloom  they  are  veritable  mountains  of  white.  T he 
pears  themselves  are  large,  many  of  t he  winter  varieties 
reaching  four  inches  in  diameter.  One  of  these  large 
varieties  has  a  name,  Enkolos, meaning  " kill  dog."  The 
reason  for 
this  name  is  t h at  once  a  dog, 
lying  under  a  tree, was  struck  on  t he  head  and  killed  by 
a  falling  pear. 

its  bearing 

We  have  no  cultivated  small  fruits,  b ut  raspberries 
I  have  never  seen  blackberries,  gooseber 

grow  wild. 
ries,  currants,  or  strawberries  growing  in  our  country. 

T he  Japanese  farmer  keeps  b ut  little  live  stock.  Hogs 

the  physician.  Cattle  were 

and  sheep  are  not  kept  at  all,  and  cattle  only  for  pur 
poses  of  work.  All  our  woolen  fabrics  are 
imported 
from  C h i na  and  t he  European  countries,  and  so  little  is 
used  t h at  we  have  no  need  of  sheep  for 
their  wool. 
Silk  and  cotton  are  worn  almost  entirely.  Milk  is  hardly 
known  a s ^ a r / a r t i c le  of  food,  and  is  used  only  ab  pre 
scribed  by 
first  b r o u g ht 
into  J a p an  from  China,  and  kept  secretly  by  t he  royal 
families.  They  were  considered  almost  sacred.  Now  a 
n u m b er  of  t he  pure  breeds  of  America  have  been  im 
ported  into  our  country.  Horses  are  now  quite  gener 
ally  used,  and  even  t he  poor  farmer  keeps  one  horse. 
It 
like  this  country  where  t he  n u m b er  of 
horses  like  t he  n u m b er  of  dogs  indicates  the  poverty  of 
their  owner. 

is  not  yet 

or  more 

It  may  be  one  or 

rooms—parlor,  sitting-room,  a 

The  house  of  the  Japanese  farmer  is  not  an  elaborate 
affair,  b ut  it  is  comfortable. 
two 
stories  high,  with  very  steep  t h a t c h ed  roof.  There  are 
five 
large 
kitchen,  store-room,  and  bed-rooms,  while  t he  parlor 
and  sitting-room  are  often  used  as  bed-rooms.  Chairs 
are  not  used  at  all,  and  only  low  individual  tables  are 
used  at  meal  time, from  which  t he  food  is  eaten  without 
t he  aid  of  knife  or  fork.  Chop  sticks  are  used.  The 
b e ds  are  made  up  on  t he  floor,  and  mattresses  and  bed 
ding  removed  to  t he  closet  during  the  day. 

Upon  t he  opening  of  the  seaports  of  our  country 

to 
in  1854,  t he  Sunrise 
t he  world  by  Commodore  Perry 
to 
Country  was  awakened  from  a  long,  sweet  dream 
t h at  civilization  had  been  advancing  during  her 
find 
slumbers.  Since  t h at  time  her  history  has  been  one  of 
advancement.  She  has  sent  her  sons  to  t he  great  new 
world  and  they  have  returned  with  the  best  knowledge  of 
t h is  nineteenth  century  to  enlighten  their  fellow  coun 
trymen.  Many  Americans  have  held  positions  in  our 
colleges  and  among  t h em  several  from 
this,  our  Agri 
cultural  College.  The  influence  of  Christian  mission 
aries  has  done  its  part:  Caste  is  broken,  and  t he  farmer 
and  t he  mechanic  are  no  longer  " low  c l a s s"  on  account 
of  their  occupations. 

Our  government  supports  six  experimental  stations 
and  two  agricultural  universities,  besides  granting  aid 
to  numerous  provincial  agricultural  and  mechanical 
colleges.  Upon  awakening  some  forty  years  ago  our 
little  empire found  herself  behind  the  rest  of  t he  world 
b ut  she  is  striving  harder  and  harder  to  reach  the  front 
r a nk  of  nations,  and  Nepon  is,  I  think,  progressing. 

National  pride  prompts  me  to  boast  t h at  Nepon 
is 
t he  only  country  in  Asia  with  parliamentary  form  of 
government.  Nepon  is  t he  only  country  in  the  world 
which  has  been  ruled  by  b ut  a  single  dynasty.  Nepon 
is  t he  only  country  in  the  world  t h at  has  never  been 
conquered  by  a  foreign  foe. 

S E E P A GE  W A T E R S. 

ABSTRACT  BY  A.  A.  CROZIER. 

little  understood  subject. 

Bulletin  33 of  t he  Colorado  Experiment  Station,  by  L. 
G.  Carpenter,  79,  on  the  "Seepage  or  R e t u rn  W a t e rs 
from  Irrigation"  is  a  valuable  contribution  to  an  im 
portant  b ut 
" In  countries 
where  irrigation  is  practi  :ed  it  is  often  t he  case  that, 
t h o u gh  streams  may  be  drained  dry  by  the  diversion  of 
t he  waters  into  canals,  not  far  below  the  stream  will 
again  be of  considerable  size, and  this  without  t he  inflow 
t he  Btream 
of  visible 
tributaries."  This  renewal  of 
the 
comes  from  irrigating  water  which  has  penetrated 
soil  and  found  its  way  back  into  t he  old  channel. 
In 
t he  valley  of  the  Poudre  Professor  Carpenter  estimates 
t h at  at  t he  present  time  about  one-third  of  t he  water 
fields 
drawn  from  t he  canals  and  conducted" upon  t he 

THE  M.  A.  C.  RECORD. 

\ 

MARCH  24,  1896. 

its  way  t h r o u gh  t he  soil 

for  irrigating  purposes  finds 
back  to  the  river,  where  it  is  available  again  for  irriga 
tion  farther  down  t he  valley.  At  t he  prices  at  which 
sales  have  been  made  this  r e t u rn  water  of  t he  P o u d re 
river  is  worth  nearly  half  a  million  dollars  annually,  and 
in  t he  valley  of  t he  P l a t te  from 
two  to  three  million 
dollars.  The  longer  t he  lands  are  under  irrigation  t he 
more  of  this  seepage  water  is  returned. 

I he  r e t u rn  of  t he  surplus  water  to  the  main  stream  is 
from 
slow,  and  it  may  be  several  years  before  water 
some  of  t he  canals  finds  its  way  back  into  t he 
river. 
T he  water  not  only  passes  t h r o u gh  t he  soil  slowly  b ut 
m u st  first  fill  t he  deeper  subsoil  before 
it  can  again 
reach  t he  river.  This  filling  of  t he  subsoil  in  irrigated 
districts  manifests  itself  in  various ways.  Wells  are  less 
deep,  springs  and  marshes  appear,  and  streams  previ 
ously  dry  begin  to  flow.  The  r e t u rn  of  these  irrigating 
t h r o u g h o ut 
or  seepage  waters 
t he  year  and  serves  materially 
flow 
of  rivers  which  pass  t h r o u gh  irrigated  districts.  T he 
a 
t he  head  waters  of 
withdrawal  of 
for 
stream 
irrigating  purposes,  particularly 
is  done  when 
it 
t he  water  is  high,  may  therefor  3 be  an  actual  benefit  to 
owners  farther  down  t he  stream  by  promoting  an  in 
creased  flow  later  in  t he  season. 

is  practically  uniform 

to  regulate 

t he 

if 

POULTRY  D E P A R T M E N T. 

In 

t he  issue  of  March  10  brief  mention  was  made  of 
t he  feeding  experiments  t h at  were  being  carried  on  in 
t he  poultry  department. 
It  will  not  be  out of  place  now 
to  speak  of  what  may  be  seen  in  t he  breeding  house 
of  this  department. 

including 

As  one  enters  t he  house  he  sees  on  each  side  of  t he 
hall  several  pens  each  containing  a  half  dozen  or  more 
pure  bred  fowls,  which  are  at  present  making  a  busi 
ness  of  producing  eggs  for  sittings.  There  are  ten 
breeds  represented, 
Single 
Comb  Black  Leghorns,  Rose  Comb  Black  Leghorns, 
Black  Minorcas,  Silver  Pencilled  H a m b u r g s,  Black 
Hamburgs,  L i g ht  Brahmas,  Golden  Wyandottes,  Hou-
dans,  Barred  Plymouth  Rooks,  and  White  P l y m o u th 
Rocks.  Two  more  breeds,  t he  Partridge  Cochin  and 
the  Black  Langshan,  will  be  added  to  t he  flock  this 
spring. 

t he  following: 

Five  hens  are  now  sitting  and  t he  incubator  contains 
208  eggs  t h at  are  due  to  h a t ch  today.  The  incubator 
will  be  refilled  at  once.  The  department  will  soon  add 
to  its  equipment  a  new  Kennesaw  incubator  from  W.  H. 
Nichols,  Marietta,  Ga.  Mr.  Brooks  is  now  booking 
orders  for  sittings  and  will  probably  be  able  to  fill  any 
order  within  two  or  three  days  after  it  is  received. 

WOOD  ASHES. 

MUSKEGON,  M I C H .,  F e b.  13,  1896. 

I  enclose  a  sample  of  ashes  t h at  I  would  like  very 
m u ch  to  have  analyzed. 
I  can  buy  quite  a  quantity  of 
them  b ut  would  like  to  know  what  I  can  afford  to  pay 
for  t h em  as  fertilizer  for  fruit. 
I  think  they  are  extra 
good  ashes  from  what  tests  I  am  able  to  use, b ut  as  they 
will  cost  me  more  t h an  I  have  ever  paid  for  ashes  before 
will  be  very  thankful  for  any  information  on  t he  subject 
and  am  willing  to  pay  for  it  if  there  is  any  charge. 

Very  truly  yours, 

H.  C.  R. 

These  ashes  show  on  analysis  t he  following  results: 

Real  potash  (K2O) 
Isoluble  phosphoric  acid 
Material  insoluble  in  acid—sand,  etc.__"__ 

Per  cent. 
4 58 
.87 
28.55 

I ' l l" 
I"-~~~~~~ 

These  ashes  contain  more  t h an  25 per  cent  of  inactive 
material,  probably  soil  in  careless collecting  of  t he  ashes. 
Estimated  by the  amount  of  potash  and  phosphoric  acid, 
they  are  worth  $5.93  per  ton. 

R.  C.  K. 

Chemical 

Department. 

I D E N T I F Y I NG  WHEAT  BY  T HE  K E R N E L. 

Mr.  N.  A.  Cobb,  of  New  S o u th  Wales,  Australia,  has 
been  studying  wheats  with  t he  view  of  obtaining  more 
definite  means  of  identifying  varieties  by  t he  appearance 
of  t he  kernels  alone.  His  results  from  over  4,000  meas 
urements  of  a  large  n u m b er  of  varieties  are  quite  sug 
gestive.  Among  other  things  he  concludes: 

1.  T h at  bearded  wheats  tend  to  produce  grains  long 

in  proportion  to  their  width. 

2.  T h at  club-headed  wheats  tend  to  produce  grains 

wide  and  flat  in  proportion  to  their  length. 

3.  T h at  bearded  wheats  tend  to  produce  large  grains 
largest 
4  T h at  mid-season  varieties  produce 

t he 

grains. 

5.  T h at  t he  longer  a  grain  is  in  proportion 

to 

its 

width  t he  darker  it  is  likely  to  be. 

6.  T h at  elongated,  roundish  grains,  on  the  whole, 

prevail  among  rust-resistant  varieties. 

FULL  OF  INTEREST  TO  STUDENTS 

"  THE  HARP  OF  THE  SENSES;  OR 

THE  SECRET  OF  CHARACTER  BUILDING." 

Lecture_by_proft  J.  & 

DeMotte 

Opera  House,  Friday  March  37 

Regular  Admission,  SOc;  to  Students 

25c. 

T I C K E TS  ST  T HE  S E C H E T K R Y 'S  O F F I C E. 

FOR 

SAfF 

2  Registered  Shorthorn  Bull  Calves. 

One  roan,  calved  June  18,1895,  sired  by  the  famous  Cruickshank 
show  and  stock  bull,  Volunteer,  101205.  Dam  College  Victoria  C. 

One  red,  calved  April  3,  1895.  Sire  Volunteer;  dam  College 

Mysie  4th,  tracing  to  Imported  Mysie  36th. 

\  Rpfl  PAIIPH  Rnll  Pfllf 
1  H0U  rUllCU  DUll  M il  A  deep  red,  calved  July  7,1893. 

S i r ed  by  J im  Corbett,  dam  Cara,  8393. 

\  Wnlctoin  Bull  Palf  A  white  and  black  calf,  sire  Maurice 
1  nUiaiGW  DUll  Ldli  Clothilde,  17638,  dam  College  Pauline 
Wayne,  30900, calved  Feb.  13,1896. 

ALSO  10  SHROPSHIRE  RAM  LAMBS 

All  Stock  which 

is  not  Registered 

is  Eligible. 

ADDRESS  INQUIRIES  TO  C L I N T ON  D.  S M I T H, 

Agricultural  C o l l e g e,  Mich. 

The Questions 

For  Entrance  Examinations  to 

M. A.  C. 

Have been placed in the hands of  the 

County 

— 

School  Commissioners 

If  you  wish  to  enter the College, go  to  the Spring 
Teachers' Examination  at the County Seat of 
your County Thursday  and  Friday, 
March  26  and  27,  and  ask  for 

M.  A.  C.  Entrance 
Examination  Questions 

Third Grade Teachers' Certificate  also  admits  with 
out  further  examination. 

CLASSES 

In the Spring Field Work in  Agriculture  and  Horti 
culture will 

BEGIN 

Work  on  April  6.  New  classes  in  Breeds  of 
Live  Stock,  Drawing,  Physics,  Elementary 
Chemistry, Civics, Horticulture, Political 
Economy,  Logic,  and 
Shop Work 

BEGAN 

Their work four  weeks ago.  Have you] 

BEGUN 

To think of attending the M.  A. C.  this spring ?  Don't 
lose time.  Classes are  moving. 

Next  Term  Begins  May  25 

FOR  CATALOGUE  ADDRESS, 

"THE  SECRETARY," 

Agricultural  College, 
Michigan.