fffW 911, a ©• &c«A VOLUME I. LANSING, MICHIGAN, TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 1896. NUMBER 13. T HE F A R M E R S' MARKET. Editor Record: I noticed in t he M. A. C. RECORD of F e b r u a ry 4 a paper read by J a m es Y. Clark before t he F a r m e r s' I n s t i t u te held at Pontiac, entitled " Prospects of t he Young Farmer." He strikes t he key-note when he says t h at " T he great question is, not how to produce more cheaply, not how to increase production, b ut how to m a r k et b e t t er t h at which we already produce. T he only remedy for the present ills of agriculture lies in t he direction of educa tion and organization." F a r t h er on he says " We have arrived at a j u n c t u re in our history where t he very in t he stinct of self preservation calls for organization for daily support and protection of t he farmer in his social a nd business life." To meet t he demands of t he h o ur allow me to sug gest t he following plan for marketing t he products of t he farm and garden, hoping t h at this or some better one may speedily rind favor. First, of course, there m u st be organization; t he Grange or F a r m e r 's Club would do. It would not be necessary for all farmers and gardners to be members of the club, b ut they should be controlled by it. A suitable m a r k et place with store-room, refrigerator and elevator would in time need to be provided, charg ing a fee, say, of 10 cents per load. All products could t h en be b r o u g ht to t he m a r k et and p ut on sale, while t he owner r e t u r ns home to a t t e nd to his business. T he way to get Btarted is to begin. Organize if you have not already done so. T h en for t he first year take some one article and see w h at can be done. T a ke tomatoc s for instance—in Bay City last year we sold t h em as low as 8 cents. Hold t h em at 25 cents (the consumer would feel perfectly satisfied w i th t h at price), get all t he growers to bring t h em to t he market place. I n s t e ad of getting up at 3 a. m. and standing around the m a r k et all t he forenoon, take them up the. night before getting your pay t he next night when you deliver another three-quarters of t he whole a m o u nt b r o u g ht in is sold, you only get pay for three- q u a r t e rs of what you b r o u g ht in, and in case of g l ut in t he market t a ke home your share of w h at does not sell and feed them out. If only load. L et us see if this would pay. Say for the season t h at 12,000 bushels were marketed, b ut only 10,000 bushels sold at 25 cents, bringing $2,500 instead of selling 12,000 bushels for $960 (8 cents per bushel), making a gain of $1,540. Would it not be worth a trial? B ut some one says, "You might not sell over half t he 12,000 bushels." Well, let us see, 6,000 bushels at 25 cents would give $1,500 and t he other 6,000 bushels t a k en home and fed is certainly worth 5 cents per bushel, which, added to t he $1,500 would make $1,800, still a gain of $840. At t he end of t he year we would know t he amount we have been able to sell. During the winter each grower should send in to t he office an estimate of t he acreage he intends to plant, and footings made and the amount, with t he amount sold t he previous year, sent to each grower, or, better still, look about for increased sales. W h en well started have canning and evaporating estab lishments for all overproduction. W i th some such organized effort we would not be t u m b l i ng over each other trying to m a r k et tomatoes at 8 cents, sweet corn at 2 cents, cabbages at 4.50 per ton, a nd other things in like proportion, or lees. Prices of farm products at present are a m a t t er of sentiment. Reports come in t h at we have raised a very large crop of potatoes, a nd t he sentiment obtains t h at potatoes Will be very cheap and so they are. If a man raised 1,000 bushels last year he would have to grow 4,000 this year to get t he same amount of money; b ut t h at is not t he worst of it, some cannot sell at all at any price. L a st year we raised about half as many as this year and had about enough, so t h at if a farmer had 1,000 bushels last year he would get $750, this year he h as 2,000 bushels b ut can only sell 1,000 at 15 cents or less and gets $150. I could make some strong exclamation b ut will only ask: Are our heads made of wood ? W h e re are we at anyway? J. B. STEVENS. Essexrille, March 11,1896. AN ACCURATE T H E R M O M E T E R. C. F. SCHNEIDER ('85) DIRECTOR WEATHER SERVICE. Some time ago our office was visited by a gentleman who brought with him a thermometer and asked t h at it be compared with t he standard instruments with which every W e a t h er Bureau office is equipped. T he instru ment was of a kind which is familiar to many a house hold—about eight inches long, mounted on white metal and this mounting supported in a japanned back. T he visitor explained t h at he was curious to know if it was reliable because he used it in determining t he tempera t u re of his incubators. Comparison with our thermom eters developed t he fact t h at it h ad an almost constant correction of a b o ut -{-10 degrees; t h at is, it constantly read about 10 degrees too low; yet he said t h at it h ad hatched chickens very successfully. In t he first place a good and reliable Using this instance as a sort of a text, a few words about thermometers and their exposure has been sug gested. ther mometer cannot be obtained for less t h an about $3.00. T he thermometer should be filled two years before being used, so t h at t he molecular changes in t he glass which are so productive of errors, shall t a ke place before graduation of t he stem. . In other words glass undergoes a " seasoning " process m u ch t he same as wood, although t he change is m u ch lees and slower. After t he thermometer h as been laid away for about two years it goes t h r o u gh t he process of calibration, which is the process of determining the proper location of the various degree marks on t he stem. T he boiling first point (212°F) and t he freezing point (32°F) are ascertained by subjecting t he instrument tem to t he perature of the boiling point (at normal atmospheric pressure at mean tide level) and to the t e m p e r a t u re at which ice from distilled water melts under standard atmospheric pressure. D ue standard atmospheric pressure is necessary because t he boiling point, particularly, varies greatly at different altitudes, as for instance t he boiling point at Pikes Peak—eleva tions of 14,147 above mean tide—is about 186°F instead of 212°F which obtains at New York City. Stanley, t he great African explorer, verified and obtained many of his altitudes by t he boiling point. reference to After t he freezing and boiling points are fixed on t he stem of t he thermometer the successive degree mark ings are made. Here 8gain errors have to be guarded against which arise from the bore changing its diameter from point to point unless suitable allowance is made for this graduation by p u t t i ng t he marks closer together in some places and farther apart in others. A small part of t he contents of t he t u be is made, while at a con s t a nt temperature, to occupy different p a r ts of t he bore; its varying lengths in different places in t he bore indi cate how t he graduations should vary. is another very Thermometer exposure important factor. All Weather Bureau thermometers are exposed for t he sole purpose of obtaining t he real temperature of free air, therefore they should be placed in some open space, and where t he circulation of t he air is entirely unobstructed. They should not be placed simply in t he open air b ut should also be protected from free exposure to t he sky and direct rays of the sun. By t he Weather instru this is accomplished by t he covered Bureau ment shelter, which protects the thermometers from t he direct and reflected rays of t he sun and t he radiation to and from t he sky. W i th t h is brief explanation of t he time and care necessary to construct an accurate thermometer and a short allusion to its proper exposure it is easy to see why little dependence can be placed on t he ordinary thermometer (often with a "storm glass" attachment) which is frequently found hanging on t he "side porch." It is also interesting to t o te t he cause of t he many criti cisms of official temperatures which are often made in the summer time when it is imagined by some t h at t he air is m u ch hotter t h an the official thermometer would show. This is caused by t he humidity or a m o u nt of In warm weather t he g r e a t er t he moisture in t he air. amount of moisture in t he air t he more oppressive is t he effect on t he h u m an organization because it loses its animal electricity quicker and easier. F or instance on a May afternoon with t he t e m p e r a t u re ranging from 80° to 85° and t he relative humidity ranging from 80$ to 90£ t he weather is close and oppressive, t he least ex ertion causes t he sweat to issue from every pore; t he poor mortal in want of sympathy calls up t he W e a t h er Bureau, asks what t he t e m p e r a t u re is and h as his faith greatly shaken in official methods and equipment when informed t h at the temperature is b ut 85°, when accord ing to his feelings it should be nearly 100°. On t he other h a nd a t e m p e r a t u re of 95° with a low humidity is m u ch less depressing. ABOUT SPENDING A VACATION. J. M. BARNAY, '98 m. R e t u r n i ng after t he long winter vacation, spent in practically applying t he knowledge which t he province of t he mechanical course of this college to im p a rt to its students, I always resume my work of t he course with renewed energy. T h is will be readily under stood by those who have spent their vacation u n d er similar circumstances. is it T he progress in t he mechanical world d u r i ng t he past year h as been very marked. A sa result of t he increas ing competition among bicycle manufacturers, machine tool makers are vieing with each other to produce machines t h at will do t he largest a m o u nt of work in t he shortest time. 1 hey have already attained a degree of perfection t h at is simply marvelous. L et us consider, for instance, t he "automatic h ub machine," as it is called. T he W a r n er & Swasey Co. of Cleveland, O., in whose shops I have spent my vacation, is building one of t he best machines of this type. E x treme rigidity in construction is necessary, for upon this depends t he life of t he forming tools. So we find t he machine of very heavy build, with t he cone m o u n t ed on a hollow spindle which will permit round steel up to t wo and five-eights inches in diameter to pass t h r o u gh it. On t he head end of this hollow spindle is t he powerful split chuck designed to withstand t he enormous press u re exerted by t he wide forming tools. T h is c h u ck is operated by a turnBtile, engaging with rack and pinion, fastened on rear p a rt of t he bedframe j u st u n d er t he spindle, and imparts its motion to a hollow plunger free to slide within t he spindle. By this arrangement t he power of t he operator is many times multiplied. T he forming tools are carried by a very substantial tool car riage forming an arch over t he machine bed and attack three sides, while permitting six ing the stock from other tools fixed in t he revolving t u r r et head of t he machine to operate upon t he end of t he stock. T he machine h as automatic feed, with automatic stop, and an oil p u mp to keep c u t t i ng edges well oiled. T he ma chine will t u rn o ut finished bicycle h u bs made from a solid b ar of steel two inches in diameter at t he r a te of six m i n u t es per piece, or about one h u n d r ed pieces per day of ten hours. T he fact is not to be lost sight of t h at at this rate t he tools do not require grinding until after about 3,000 pieces have been t u r n ed o ut by t he machine. Truly wonderful, if we consider t h at a very few years ago t he same article represented more t h an a half day's work, and required four or five separate operations. W h at young s t u d e nt wouldn't grow enthusiastic in t he face of such exhibitions of t he designer's ingenuity? It is in working amidst such surroundings t h at we are best able to judge t he direction in which improvement is necessary, and to j u d ge what p a rt of our college edu cation requires our particular attention or to discover any deficiencies in our knowledge of mechanical m a t t e rs such as may be supplied during t he m o n t hs of s t u dy following. These are some of t he reasons t h at lend me t he renewed energy on my r e t u r n. T he benefits, then, t h at a s t u d e nt may derive from a vacation spent in practically applying t he principles he has learned during t he nine months of t he college year I consider almost incalculable. L et every mechanical student who intends to follow mechanical engineering t h r o u gh life try it, and he will never again find himself undecided as to t he best way of spending t he vacation. L et him remember t h at in order to become successful mechanical engineers a little more is necessary t h an a passing interest in his studies while at college. I wish to refer, before closing this article, to Mr. Nicola Tesla, t he young electrician who established his fame by t he great work of designing t he electrical equip m e nt for t he power station at Niagara Falls, and who gave to t he world t he high voltage electric generator. Coming from parents of limited means, passing t h r o u gh college and working his way independently up to fame and the enviable position he now holds, his life affords a good example to all young men striving toward t he same goal. T he example of Nicola Tesla has particular force with our Mr. Barnay, for they are fellow countrymen, both being natives of B u d a - P e s t h . — E D. T he writer of " The F a r m e r s' M a r k e t" is a son-in-law of M. A. C. Miss Sarah E. Wood of t he class of 1883 's Mrs. J. B. Stevens. 2 THE M. A. C. R E C O R D. A P R IL 7, 1896. 3V 311. Q. '©. Skeord. PUBLISHER WEEKLY BY THE MICHIGAN AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE EDITED BY T HE FACULTY. ADDRESS ALL M A IL TO LOCK BOX 262 LANSING, MICH. S U B S C R I P T I O N, 50 C E N TS P ER Y E A R. Business Office with KOBEKT SMITH & Co., State Printers and Binders, 406 Michigan Ave., East, Lansing, Mich. To be entered as second class matter at Lansing, Mich. S H OP VISITS.—Familiarity with machinery can only be acquired by direct examination of machines. Not only is it difficult to comprehend fully t he details of machines from a s t u dy of text-book illustrations, b u t, also, in this progressive age text-book illustrations soon become antiquated. t h at s t u d e n ts may become ac quainted with t he details of various classes of machin ery, t he best shop arrangements and t he more recent engineering practice, it is customary in t he many engi neering schools to supplement t he regular work by visits of inspection to prominent engineering establishments in various parts of t he country. In order While we at M. A. C. are particularly fortunate in regard to machine equipments, also in t he privileges accorded us with respect to inspection a nd testing by a n u m b er of t he industrial concerns in this vicinity, still, in t he opinion of t he writer, it is particularly desirable t h at t he s t u d e n ts in t he mechanical course should u n d e r t a k e, in connection with their regular work, to visit more distant points for purpose of inspection. We believe, for s t u d e n ts will appreciate t he value, in connection w i th t he college work, of a t r ip t h at would include t he inspection of b l a st furnaces a nd accessories, rolling-mills, rolling mill engines, a nd so on. instance, all mechanical We recommend t h at our s t u d e n ts consider t he under t a k i ng of s u ch visits of inspection during t he coming summer^vacation. ENGINEERING E X P E R I M E NT STATIONS.—A bill was re cently introduced in t he senate of t he United Stated providing for t he establishment of engineering experi ment stations in t he "land g r a nt colleges" of t he various States. T he object is to promote scientific investigation, engineering research, and experimental testing for t he best interests of t he government a nd t he industrial development of t he S t a t es wherein such stations shall be located. T he bill provides for t he publication of bulletins, and, to some extent, for t he supervision of engineering inspection and t he granting of engineers' licenses. AT T HE COLLEGE. S t u d e nt labor began yesterday. Miss Grace Fuller, '91, called at M. A. C. last T h u r s day. Gerritt Masselink returned to Cass City last Thursday morning. Dr. Grange went to Traverse City last Friday, return ing Saturday. Baseball game last S a t u r d ay with U. of M. at A nn Arbor resulted 20 to 6 in favor of t he University. Chace Newman, clerk for t he Mechanical Department, has been visiting for several days in Grand Rapids. T he Western Union Telegraph Co. is constructing a line to t he college from t he Grand T r u nk line along t he west side of t he college farm. T he next meeting of t he " Try and T r u s t" circle of King's D a u g h t e rs will be held at t he residence of Mr. Thos. Gunson on Tuesday, April 14. T he meeting of t he M. A. C. Grange, which was post poned last Friday evening on account of Mr. Orth's lecture, will be held on F r i d ay evening of this week. T he Browne a nd S h a rp Mfg. Co., of Providence R. I., twent- inch have donated to t he mechanical department five copies of steel scale. their new catalog a nd a twelve Mr. E li Minch, Bridgeton, N. J., writes to t he Experi m e nt Station: report—concise, full a nd practical. Michigan are certainly t he most valuable I receive." " T h a n ks for your most able strawberry reports On Wednesday evening, April 1, Prof. Babcock was called to t he Howard Terrace phone and asked if he could find t he log sosine of a fricasseed chicken. He h as n ot yet been able to find it in Jones' logarithmic tables. Prof. Taft last T h u r s d ay for Hartford, S o u th Haven and Kibbies. At Hartford he will look up t he left matter of irrigation, a nd at Kibbies he will start some experiments with for diseases of t he peach. insecticides fungicides a nd T h r o u gh t he kindness of several other d e p a r t m e n ts of t he college, t he laboratory work in Bacteriology will be carried on with m u ch greater facility t h an was at first anticipated, as a n u m b er of microscopes have been loaned to D r. Grange by them. Mr. E. C. Smith, business manager of t he Pontiac Asylum, looked over our college last Friday. Quite ex tensive changes and repairs are contemplated in t he asylum barns, and for t h at reason Mr. S m i th gave espe cial attention to our barns and herds. On Wednesday a meeting of t he M. A. C. Republican Club was held and t he following officers elected: S. B. Young, Pres.; J. D. McLouth, Vice Pres.; S. H. F u l t o n, Sec'y; C. H. Briggs, Treas.; C. C. Pashby, B. A. Bow- ditch, C. A. Jewell, Executive Com. Mr. Bowditch was elected as representative t he meeting in Chicago, April 3,1896, of t he National Republican Col lege League and left for Chicago Thursday night. T he membership now n u m b e rs over 100. Arrangements are being made to have several lectures on t he political questions of t he day by prominent men t h r o u g h o ut t he state. to attend T he Bachelors have inaugurated after-dinner enter tainments, which a re held in their club rooms on Satur day evenings. On t he evening of March 28 t he follow ing program was rendered: Piano solo, Miss Brush; " T he College Now and Twenty Years Ago," A. A. Crozier; Debate, " A course of lectures would be more beneficial to t he students of this College t h an a course of Concerts." Affirmative, Messrs. Newell and Hoyt, Negative, Messrs. Howe and T r u e; T he L a st Word on Athletics, D. J. Crosby. After t he literary program warm sugar was served. T he next entertainment will occur on t he evening of April 18. NEWS FROM GRADUATES AND S T U D E N T S. J o hn Whitten, with '97, is studying law in Lansing. E. A. Hayden, with '94, is now teaching at Helena, Mont. Will G. Merritt, with '93, is doing chemical work at Lewis R u n, P a. E a st Helena, Montana, is now t he abiding place of Peter V. Rose, '95. Will Bristol, with '83, visited t he college March 29, on his way to Shreveport, L a. J o hn Nies, '95, TO., is doing construction work for t he Holland Electric light plant. Bert Cook, '93, who has been very ill for over two months, is again able to be out. The Republicans of G r a nd Haven have nominated R. M. Kedzie, with '93 TO, for city clerk. Adam F. Foster, with '92, is with t he G r a nd Rapids Engraving Co. as bookkeeper a nd stenographer. Zachary Veldhuis, sp. '93, graduated from t he veterin ary department of t he Detroit Medical College April 2. C. H. Hoyt, '85, is now working for t he Detroit Graphite Co. with headquarters at 162 C h e s t n ut St., Cleveland, O. E. A. Holden, '89, a nd t he P e r ry brothers, one of whom will enter M. A. C. next term, were visitors at t he College last Thursday. L. H. Baker, '93, teacher in t he Galesburg schools, spent his vacation with his parents in Lansing. He called on college friends one day last week. H. B. Fuller, '92, principal of Lewiston schools and commissioners of Montmorency county schools, spent last week's vacation in Lansing and vicinity, and made t he College several visits. A. T. Cartland, with '96, who is at present in Alle gheny College, Meadville, Pa., writes to know w h at credits he can g et from Allegheny at M. A. C. He wants to r e t u rn and g r a d u a te with '97. Roy C. Bristol, '93, is now with W. L. Holmes & Co., musical instrument dealers, Lansing. F r e q u e n t ly t he city papers making mention of social gatherings close with some such expression as t h i s: " E x c e l l e nt music was furnished by Prof. Bristol." Bulletin 111 by Prof. Bailey, of Cornell Experiment Station, contains an account of experiments by Waldo E. Rohnert, '89, who undertook to produce new varieties of sweet peas by crossing. Mr. R o h n e rt is with C. C. Morse & Co., seedsmen, S a n ta Clara, Cal. E. Noyes Thayer, '93, w., and Warren Maxfield, '93, board at 716 W. Polk St., Chicago. Maxfield g r a d u a t es in 1897 from R u sh Medical College. Thayer works for ' a large engraving company—the largest in this country. They will be glad to see all M. A. C. men. G. D. G. Thurston, who attended M. A. C. in 1858, when t he college first opened, is a Jersey cattle breeder, agricultural implement dealer a nd farmer at Sturgis, Mich. Sheridan Osborn, now a farmer at Sturgis, was also in t he same class with Mr. T h u r s t o n. T he Horticultural D e p a r t m e nt has received from Prof. U. P. Hedrick quite a n u m b er of Chinese a nd J a p a n e se flower and vegetable seeds. T he flower seeds have been planted in t he forcing house, a nd as soon as warm weather comes t he youDg plants will be transplanted to beds in t he open air. T he vegetable seeds will also be planted soon. I. B. Sweeney, with '89, is located at Burrows, Mich. He says: " T h e re are 90 acres in t he old homestead a nd 166 acres in t he farm which brother Ed. and myself own. We have been following mixed farming. F ed 75 lambs t he past winter. We are going into dairying and breed ing registered Jersey cattle. We have five registered Jerseys on hand, having sold a St. L a m b e rt bull to F l i nt parties lately." " I am almost isolated from my old associates a nd friends at M. A. C, having m et b ut one of t he a l u m ni in S t. Louis in t he past five years. If any of t he alumni, s t u d e n ts or faculty, or any of my friends should ever pass this way they will receive a hearty welcome, a nd find t h at t he latchstring always hangs on t he outside." P E R RY G. TOWAR, '85, Central Cycle Co., Y. M. C. A. Building. St. Louis, Mo. A most delightful p a r ty was given on Monday even ing by Mrs. J. H. Wyckoff in honor of Miss Daisy Cham pion, of Lansing. Mr. a nd Mrs. Wyckoff h ad prepared a large n u m b er of very interesting games—many of them new to Trentonites—and for t he time being all " Roman present imagined they were young again. scandal " was so like every day scandal t h at every gen tleman who participated registered a vow never to gos t h at sip again. Might tell some very amusing things happened b ut won't. At eleven o'clock ice cream a nd cake were served, after which a pig drawing contest resulted in Mr, Harrison's capturing t he first prize, while Capt. Sterns accepted t he booby prize.—Trenton Visitor, April 3. Many of our readers will remember G uy Van Alstyne, whose father a few years ago kept a r e s t a u r a nt in this place. We have lately heard a scrap of his history since he left here which illustrates t he possibilities for other boys. G uy went to G r a nd Rapids, where he obtained a situation in a hardware store at small wages. B ut he was faithful a nd frugal. After a little time he went to L a n s i ng with his small savings and worked his way through a term at t he Agricultural College. Then he beame a canvasser for t he Grand Rapids News, a nd saved enough to take another term at t he college. Now he is court reporter for t he News, and is highly esteemed both by his employers and in society. T h a t 's t he result of t he motto—Business rather t h an fun.—South Haven Messenger. CORRESPONDENCE. MANKATO, M I N N ., March 28, 1896. To the Editor: DEAR S I R —I have been recently receiving copies of t he M. A. C. record, and am pleased to learn of t he great growth and magnitude of t he College, where I once, in its infancy, was a student. first T he recommendations of t he F a c u l ty to obtain t he war records of its graduates is certainly most wise. I was associated with Gilbert A. Dickey d u r i ng h is entire service in t he army, in Capt. Howland's company of engineers, which went o ut u n d er Gen. F r e e- mont. In t h at company eight s t u d e n ts enlisted, Dickey, Prentiss, Clute, A. F. Allen, Beebe, Benham> my brother Thomas a nd myself; b ut we were improperly organized, soon discharged, as we were and when Gen. F r e e m o nt was from relieved t he command of t he D e p a r t m e nt of Missouri, we were retired. T he system of signals by means of flags intro duced in t he army by this company was retained a nd became of g r e at value to t he service. As I remember this p a rt of my service in t he army it seems like a fine little b ut pleas rollicking outing. Good company, a nt duties, swinging of flags a nd riding over t he beautiful prairies of southern Missouri. Dickey was t he first sergeant of this company a nd here obtained t h at knowledge of t he commissary d e p a r t m e nt t h at was so useful to him as commissary sergeant of t he 24th Michigan Infantry. In August, 1862, we both enlisted in t he 24th, he in t he regimental non-commissioned staff a nd I, as first sergeant of a company, h ad ample opportunity to be- come familiar with t he difficulties and perplexities of his position of supplying rations for a thousand m e n. m itkH ' A '< ( * APKH.7,18%. V ' - T HE M. A. C. RECORD. 3 There was never a word of fault found with his work in this department, either by officers or h u n g ry privates. His faithfulness in t h is work soon earned him promo tion to second lieutenant of company G; this position gave him more leisure a nd I saw more of him t h an be fore. He became a most excellent drill master. You are mistaken; he did not fall while storming a redoubt at Gettysburg, b ut was shot and instantly killed while we were maintaining a difficult line of bat tle w i t h o ut breastworks and were attacked by over whelming n u m b e rs of the rebels. My position was near t he r i g ht of t he line; Dickey's on t he left. During t he lull before t he attack I went down and had a talk with him person and was probably engaged last t h at I found him reading his him in friendly conversation. Bible. We talked a few moments a nd looked at t he lines of t he enemy filing t h r o u gh t he timber a nd preparing for t he advance. We said "good-bye" and I returned to my post and soon came t he shouting rebels and poor Dickey was no more, and I, wounded, was finding my way to t he rear. t he Two years ago I was at Gettysburg and visited his grave in t he shadow of t he government monument. I am, respectfully, G E O. W. H A I G H, w i th '62. AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE, M a r ch 23,1896. To the Editor: In t he winter of 1889 was held, in Lansing, t he first reunion of t he Central Michigan Agricultural College Reunion Association. W h e t h er this association died on account of its long name or from some other cause, h as not been learned. No second meeting has been held. By t he advice and consent of J o hn J. Bush, '84, t he president elect for t he second reunion, and Jessie I. (Beal) Baker, '90, t he treasurer elected for t he same meeting, I am authorized to t u rn over t he small balance in t he treasury to t he Alumni Association of t h is col lege. T he amount was $8. 31. At t he last reunion of alumni there was an unpaid bill due t he treasurer of $6.50. This would leave a bal ance of $2.81; to this I p ut in interest (approximately correct), $3.00, making a s um of $5.81. W. J. B E A L. ASH OF W H E AT F L O U R. R. C. K E D Z I E. A writer advocated t he breeding of wheats in a recent n u m b er of the Journal of Hygiene to secure a variety which would be so rich in albuminoids as to be a complete food in itself, and require no addition of meats a nd other foods rich in nitrogenous material to completely nourish t he h u m an body. No such wheat is known, or to be expected in t he immediate future. Indeed t he improved methods of milling, where t he whitest flour is sought, seems to be a movement away from highly nitrogenized bread, as t he p a t e nt flours are poorer in gluten t h an t he flour made by t he old Buhr- stone mill. At the same time these high grade flours are deficient in the ash elements of food, which not only nourish t he muscular and nervous tissues, b ut con t r i b u te to t he formation of t he bony structures, teeth, etc. T he chief ash ingredients of flour are t he phos phates, being about 96 per cent of t he ash. Nineteen years ago t he most of t he milling done in t h is S t a te was with t he Buhr-stone mills. T he H u n garian steel roller process was just beginning to be introduced in t he State. At t h at time (1877) sixteen specimens of flour, from thirteen different kinds of winter wheat, ground in t he Buhr-stone mills, were analyzed in this laboratory. T he percentage of ash in these flours averaged .61 per cent. The' average of numerous analyses of American flour, made by t he D e p a r t m e nt of Agriculture, quoted in Battershall's Pood Adulteration (1887), gives .51 per cent of ash. T he t en years between these two sets of analyses witnessed t he general introduction of t he steel roller process, and we may assume t h at t he latter set of flours were made by t he new process of grinding. T he significant fact stands out t h at there is a falling off of .10 per cent of ash in t he flour. Jago, in his chemistry of wheat, flour and bread, states t h at t he average ash in European flour is .40 per cent. T he ash in t he highest grade of Minne sota patent I find to be .39 per cent, and in t he patent flour from Buda-Pesth wheat, .50 per cent. T he ash in t h i r ty samples of winter wheat raised in Michigan aver ages 1.77 per cent, while t he average of 260 samples, analyzed by D e p a r t m e nt of Agriculture, is 1.84. T he bran contains t he largest proportion of ash, and most of the ash is separated in making t he whitest flour. Some of these rejected portions of wheat (aside from bran) would seem to be well adapted to nourishing t he h u m an body, instead of being used for cattle feed. T h us in t he analysis of wheat grits recently I found 1.20 per cent of ash, or nearly double t he amount found in fine flour, and three times t he amount in choicest p a t e nt flour. It is possible t h at t he process of refinement in making wheat flour h as been carried to an excess, and not enough of t he ash-containing materials retained for making t he strongest food. Chemical Department. T HE COLLEGE H E RD AND T HE T U B E R C U L IN T E S T. P R O P. C. D. S M I T H. In former ages one of t he most dreaded diseases was small-pox. Gibbons tells us t h at this disease decimated t he population of whole provinces and covered nations with a thick cloud of dread. T he discovery of vacci nation h as dispelled t he gloom and almost entirely eliminated t he fear of this disease. It is more sinister, more covert In modern times consumption h as t a k en t he place of small-pox. in its approach, more stealthy and unrecognized in its work, yet equally fatal in its results. No sudden inflammation or other outward manifestation m a r ks its attack. I ts approach, because unknown, is t he more dreaded. Because of these facts public attention h as been of late largely drawn to this disease. Scientists tell us t h at it is d ue to t he presence of a specific germ, an organism so m i n u te as to require t he aid of t he most powerful combination of lenses in t he microscope to demonstrate its presence. Expert bacteriologists have also shown t h at t he disease may be conveyed from one animal to another t h r o u gh t he milk, or t he meat, or even t h r o u gh t he dust left by t he dessication of t he sputa falling upon t he floor. It became, therefore, a prime importance to t he consumer to know whether t he ani mals which furnished him with milk or meat were victims of this disease. Veterinarians had learned years ago t h at t he outward appearance of t he animal was not a safe criterion as to its health. Tuberculosis might be pres ent in a dangerous form, and yet t he animal afflicted give no outward manifestation of the disease. T he dis covery of t he tuberculin test has placed in t he h a n ds of t he veterinarian a diagnostic agent which can be relied upon in a very large per cent of cases to tell whether t he animals to which it is applied have or have not t he dreaded disease. It is not my purpose here to discuss t he efficacy of t he test. As soon as its usefulness h ad been demonstrated, public institutions all over t he land began to test their herds. Private individuals were not slow to follow, and, indeed, in many cases they led in t he work. T he results were surprising. Wealthy gentlemen with pampered herds, kept in close confinement, in warm and often illy ventilated stables, found, to their intense surprise, t h at their sleek, fat, a nd apparently healthy and vigorous animals, were badly afflicted with tuber culosis. T he h e r ds of colleges and experiment stations, of asylums and of other public institutions were not exempt. Reports are current of t he destruction of whole herds of highly bred and valuable thoroughbred cattle, and t he institutions are few whose large herds well fed and well housed stock have entirely escaped. The college herd at M. A. C. has been carefully selected with t he single purpose of gathering together, for illus tration to students, t he best specimens obtainable of t he most important breeds. In t he care of these animals great pains have been taken never to pamper, b ut to allow plenty of daily exercise and an abundance of sun light. Our Holsteins have been fed as near t he upper limit of their capabilities as t he combined j u d g m e nt of the superintendent of t he farm and t he herdsman would permit. During t he past winter t he Jerseys have been accorded t he same treatment. T he beef breeds, t he Shorthorns, Hereford a nd Polled Angus have been k e pt in good healthy condition, have not been overfed, and have been compelled to take daily vigorous outdoor exercise. T he presence of tuberculosis in t he herd h as therefore not been suspected. It was deemed wise, however, since t he r e t u rn of Dr. Grange from his win ter's work at A nn Arbor, to thoroughly test t he whole herd, t h at any shadow of doubt might be removed. Fifty-seven animals have therefore been tested. T he temperatures were taken during t he day a nd early evening of March 31st, and t he hypodermic injec tion of t he tuberculin made on t he late evening of t he same day. During t he following day, t he first of April, t he temperatures were carefully noted at hourly inter vals. T he results of these observations formed t he basis of t he verdict of Dr. Grange as to t he health or disease of t he animals treated. Beginning now with t he Jerseys, of which t he college owns ten, and which h ad been subjected to t he highest feeding of any of t he herd during t he winter, we were rejoiced to find t h at t he relentless veterinarian con demned b ut one calf. Of t he Holsteins, of which t he college owns 13, among whom m u st be mentioned our * matchless trio. Belle Sarcastic, Houwtje D, and Rosa Bonheur 5th, b ut one was condemned, and that, to o ur intense sorrow, was Rosa Bonoeur 5th. Belle Sarcastic, Houwtje D., Oatka, College Houwtje, and all t he rest of family, our noteworthy milk givers of t he Holstein escaped without a shadow of suspicion. At this we were greatly rejoiced, b ut o ur joy is tempered by t he misfortune to our motherly and phenomenal, Rosa Bon h e ur 5th. Of t he Shorthorns, which n u m b er 17 in t he college herd, Mjsie 44, her two m o n t hs old calf, and col lege Victoria B. were condemned. T he Guernseys and our sole representative of t he Polled Angus breed, end t he list of thoroughbred cattle found diseased. E i g ht o ut of 52 thoroughbreds were found to be affected. Of t he four native cows purchased for experimental purposes, one Was found diseased. It is needless, in conclusion, to discuss t he results of t he test, b ut two facts are so important t h at they cannot be neglected. 1. None of t he dairy stock, which have been highly fed and carefully watched to m a ke record, are diseased, with t he single exception of Rosa Bonheur 5th. 2. T he condemned Shorthorn, Mysie 44, is 14 years old, and is a relic of a former epidemic of tuberculosis on t he farm. To insure a perfectly clean bill of health, every ani mal which gave t he slightest indication of t he presence of t he test by a rise of temperature ever so slight, will be tested again in t he course of two months. T he condemned animals have been separated from t he herd at once, and will, if t he Board consents, be reserved in an isolated barn for such experiments as Dr. Grange may see fit to perform. Station. Experiment T HE COOK ARCTIC E X P E D I T I O N. B. O. LONGYEAR. Mr. S. P. Orth, of Oberlin College and formerly a s t u d e nt at M. A. C, gave a most interesting lecture in t he chapel, Friday, evening, on t he Cook Arctic Expedi tion. Mr. Orth went as botanist to this expedition and related his experiences in a very entertaining manner. The lecture was well illustrated by stereoptican views taken on t he trip and saved from t he wreck. This expedition was organized to do as much work as possible in one season in making surveys and scientific collections in botany, zoology, geology, etc. T he com pany was composed of thirty men, t he largest expedi tion of its kind, and their Bhip used, t he Miranda, was t he first iron vessel ever used in Arctic exploration. T he expedition started north in t he spring of 1894, a nd it met first iceberg near St. J o h n s, Newfoundland. Near here came t he first delay caused by t he ships compass getting of order. Leaving St. J o h ns again, dense fogs and many ice bergs were encountered and during one of these fogs t he ship collided with an iceberg early one morning b ut no serious damage was done a nd t he vessel continued on its way toward t he north. A short stop was made on t he coast of L a b r a d or and after again r e t u r n i ng to S t. J o h ns t he vessel started for Greenland. Reaching t he coast of Greenland at Sukketoppen t he party made a short inland expedition, finding game, and especially moEquitoes plentiful. inland expeditions. A Starting north again t he vessel struck a sunken reef and was forced to r e t u rn to harbor, being able to float only by working t he pumps. T he ship was compelled to wait here for help while t he members of t he com pany made fishing schooner finally came to their aid and they endeavored to cross t he straits b ut lost t he Miranda during a heavy sea. The crew escaped on t he schooner. Packed in among a cargo of salt fish they h ad to endure seasickness a nd were finally reduced nearly to starvation. After sailing six h u n d r ed miles down t he coast of L a b r a d or t he ves sel reached Sydney, Cape Breton Isl. At this place M r. O r th with p a rt of t he company took passage on t he Portia for New York. B ut one more event was to be added to this eventful trip. In a fog off M a r t h a 's Vine yard t he Portia collided with a three masted schooner cutting it in two, and all b ut one of t he crew going down. New York was reached without further acci dents in t he fall of '91. Mr. O r th told many interesting things concerning t he habits and customs to t he Eskimo and related some amusing experiences with It is safe to say t h at all who heard him spent a profitable and very enjoyable evening. them. Botanical Department. Prof C. B. Smith and Miss Inez Beam, of Lawton, were t he guests of Mrs. S. S. Wood t he first of t he week.—Marcellus News, April 3. 4 THE M. A. C. RECORD. APRH. I, m, SOME NOTES ON LEVEE PROTECTION IN M I S S I S S I P P I. W. L. CUMINGS, '93. T he bottom lands of Mississippi comprise nearly 7,000 square miles, or about four and a half million acres. T h is area is between t he Mississippi on the west and a r a n ge of foot-hills t h at lies from 30 to 60 miles to t he east. These hills approach the river at Memphis, and again approach it at Vicksburg, some 400 miles below. t he " Bottoms," t he T he area t h us enclosed is termed *• Delta," or locally, t he " Swamps," and is all alluvial land, m u ch of it of recent formation. In former years this whole area was subject to over flow, b ut now, owing to t he completion of t he levee system, it is fully protected. The present levees are t he o u t g r o w th of t he protection levees built by t he planters in early days. These were built by individual effort a nd their height and strength varied according to t he resources of each planter. They were invariably built close to the river, for in t he steamboat days, the river front was t he most valuable part of t he district. They followed t he crooks and t u r ns of this eccentric stream, in order to protect every acre possible t h at was tribu t a ry to t he river trade. T he levees are now built and maintained jointly by t he United States Government and t he Levee Boards, which are associations of counties formed for t h at pur pose. T he latter raise the money by a certain percentage of all taxes on all lands protected, t h us levying t r i b u te to t he base of t he foot hills. T he greatest system is used in t he construction and maintenance, and where t h e re occurred 20 years ago a low protection levee, per h a ps 4 or 6 feet high, we now see a superb line from Memphis to Vicksburg, and averaging 12 feet in height. T he standard levee now is one with 10 foot crown and 3 to 1 slope on each side, with top 3 to 4 feet above t he highest known water, b ut even this is being improved on, and many engineers are adding a banquette, which is an additional strength. artificial base on t he land side for Necessarily t he line follows t he main course of t he r i v e r , \ b ut all recently located lines are placed some distance back and no a t t e m pt is made to protect all t he " b e n d s" or necks as the outlay would be greater t h an t he benefit. One can ride a h u n d r ed miles on one of t he river boats and never see t he levee in t he whole time. Occasionally the banks of t he river begin to cave, and in some cases t he levee, t h at was once 2,000 feet from t he bank, is undermined and destroyed. In such cases a new line or loop is built some distance back and connected with t he old levee at safe points above or below t he threatened place. is prohibitive. The ground No wood or stone is used in the construction, in fact the all wood is excluded as carefully as possible and cost of masonry first is cleaned of all trees, logs, etc., all stumps are grubbed, and the base is well ploughed for this aids in forming a perfect union of the embankment and the base. All roots and limbs are removed from the dirt used for con struction. The reason for this is obvious:—each root in decaying leaves a cavity t h at in time of high water may serve as a conduit and allow enough water to pass In suspicious t h r o u gh places muck ditches are dug before t he levee is built a nd generally are near line. These are usually 12 feet wide on top and about 7 feet deep, and they are refilled with clean dirt, put in in shallow layers so as to ensure good tamping. They serve t he double purpose of forming a more perfect union between levee and base, and also of exploration for hidden logs and s t u m p s. I have seen a log forty feet long and five feet through, found six feet beneath t he surface while t he m u ck ditch was being excavated. to ultimately form a crevasse. t he center I ts tributaries ramify all parts of T he land is uniformly higher near the river t h an in other part of the bottoms so the problem of drainage is not difficult. The main drainage outlet in Mississippi is t he Yazoo river, which empties into the Mississippi t he near Vicksburg. bottoms and many rise within stone throw of the F a t h er of Waters. It is t h us easy to see how, without levees, t h is water during an overflow would extend to the foot hills, perhaps sixty or seventy miles back. is said t h at since t he completion of the levee system, there has never been more t h an 3% of the whole area damaged by immense h i gh water. It will be readily seen what an service t he levees have rendered. Land has increased in value many fold, t he health t h an before, t he territory, new settlers are railroads have entered pushing in and new areas are constantly being opened up, all on account of t he completion and maintenance of t he levee system. is better It been out of its banks. T he next high water will be watched with intense interest by all residents of t he delta and should be of interest to all residents of t he Mississippi valley. Owing to t he completion of levees on t he western side, t h us protecting immense areas in Arkansas and Missouri, t he water will be confined as it Instead of spreading back to never has been before. t he foot-hills on each side, it will be confined by t he levees of each side, which will not average more t h an two miles from t he river. Some argue t h at this con finement will raise t he flood height so t h at m u ch of t he levee system will be destroyed, while others claim t h at the increased velocity due to t he confinement will scour out t he river bed and t h us aid navigation interests as Still from overflows. well as lessen future danger others maintain t h at t he river bed is gradually filling up and t h at t he levees will have to be gradually raised until their maintenance will be so costly as to be pro hibitive. Nearly all engineers, government and local, are not increasing the levee height, b ut are strengthen ing their lines and waiting for t he verdict t h at will be rendered when t he next high water occurs. recently received SMOKE RECORD.—The writer a "marked copy" of the Electrical Engineer containing an account of tests made by B. R. T. Collins, a former class mate, of two types of smoke preventing furnaces located at t he Harrison street station of t he Chicago Edison Co. Undoubtedly the results of these tests will be of interest to all residents of the Campus, as t he writer has heard many express a desire t h at t he prevention of smoke should be undertaken at t he college boiler house. We wish, however, to call particular attention to one feature of the tests, namely, t he "smoke record," which was k e pt by means of instantaneous photographs taken at fifteen- minute intervals t h r o u g h o ut each test by t he official photographer of the Edteon Company. C. L. W. College Lands T h e re a re s o me Fine Timbered and Farming Lands Belonging to the Agricultural College which have lately been p ut FOR SALE 2 Registered Shorthorn Bull Calves. One roan, calved J u ne 18,1895, sired by the famous Crnickshank 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 Pnllpd Rllll flfllf 1 riGU rUllBU DIM Udll A deep red, calved July 7,1895. S i r ed by J im Corbett, dam Cara, 8393. \ TTnlctoin Thill f alf A white and black calf, sire Maurice 1 nUlblClU DIM t*0.U Clothilde, 17638, dam College Pauline Wayne, 30900, calved Feb. 13,1896. ALSO 10 SHROPSHIRE RAM LAMBS All Stock which is not Registered is Eligible. ADDEESS INQUIEIES TO C L I N T ON D. S M I T H, Agricultural College, Mich. HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES AND STUDENTS Is Your Education Complete? You t h at broad and liberal preparation II l| l /C 1 1 /1 V L and enjoyable prosecution of your life's work ? which is so essential to t he successful GRADUATES OF HIGH SCHOOLS May enter t he F r e s h m an class without further exam ination. Those who have finished t he EIGHTH GRADE work are prepared to pass t he required examination, while those who have finished t he n i n th grade work are better prepared for admission to M. A. C. ON THE MARKET The course embraces all t h at you have learned in your previous school days b ut goes far deeper. They are Located in the Counties of Manistee, Wexford, Benzie, Antrim, Kalkaska, Missaukee, Charlevoix, Otsego, Cheboygan And a fine tract in Montmorency County will also be on sale very soon. Many of these lands are covered with Nice Hardwood Timber And a large portion of them are GOOD FARMING LANDS Portions are within short distance of thriving towns They have lately been and near railroads stations. viewed by an 8gent of t he board, and minute descrip tions of timber, location and soil are on file in t he office People desiring to of the State L a nd Commissioner. purchase Buch a nd t e r ms descriptions in the State Land Office. lands will find prices, Full descriptions of these Lands will be IN O UR F I N E LY E Q U I P P ED L A B O R A T O R I ES The Natural Sciences CHEMISTRY PHYSICS BOTANY AND MATHEMATICS Are t a u g ht with" special reference to Agriculture and t he every day affairs of life. FOR CATALOGUE ADDRESS, "THE SECRETARY," Agricultural College, Michigan. H i gh waters are not of annual occurrence and several years may pass without t he water touching t he side of t he levee. This is the third year t h at the river has not Printed in Succeeding Issues of The Record.