fffW % a ©• ^RecorI VOLUME I. AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE,MICHIGAN, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 1896. NUMBER 2. vallis, h as been^spending nearly his whole time since his appointment in September, in making a horticul tural survey of t he state. r T HE F A R M E RS AND T HE M I L L E B S. BY D R. R, C. K E D Z I E. AT T HE COLLEGE. Acting President C. J. Monroe, spent last Tuesday at t he College. C. J. Foreman, assistant librarian, is spending a vaca- of several weeks at his home, Harbor Springs, Mich. J. S. Conway, stenographer for t he experiment sta from a three week's vaca tion, returned tion spent at Decatur and Kalamazoo. last week Chas. P. Bush, with '83, is paymaster for t he Louis ville, Texas & St. Louis R. R, with headquarters at Louisville, Ky. Henry P. Jenney, '74, sues t he township of Mussey, Lapeer county for $3,000 for legal services in a town ship drain case. The families of Profs. Barrows and Weil now reside in Lansing, at 515 Capitol Ave. N., where they wiil remain until t he professors r e t u rn from their institute work. Nelson Adsit ("Nat"), with '78, has a meat market at Medicine Hat, Northwest Territory, having moved into town from his ranch. Mrs. Ella Kedzie and her son W. R. Kedzie, '98,' re t u r n ed J a n u a ry 14 from a six weeks stay at L a ke Worth, Fla. During their visit Mrs. Kedzie made many interesting sketches of t he tropical scenery while Roscoe added some one hundred and fifty specimens to his botanical collection. The usual alligator and chameleon boxes formed a part of their luggage. The Lansing Telephone Exchange now has phones at the president's house and office, t he secretary's house and office, t he mechanical, mathematical, physical, bo tanical, agricultural, a nd horticultural laboratories, t he engine house, greenhouse, Howard Terrace, Station Terrace and Abbott Hall; at t he residences of Profs. Vedder, Weil, Beat,.Smith, and Taft; and at O. H. Palmer's. At t he December poultry show in Saginaw, C. S. Brooks exhibited fifty-five birds from ten varieties of t he College flock, and was awarded thirty-two regular prizes and two specials, one of t he latter being a Climax bone cutter, for being t he largest exhibitor. At t he Jackson show week before last over 1,000 birds were exhibited and the College was again first in t he n u m b er of birds exhibited. Here Mr. Brooks entered sixty birds, securing nine firsts, eight seconds, seven thirds, and five specials. T he College does not accept t he cash prizes won in such competitions. LATER—We have just learned t h at Mr. Brooks won another special prize at Saginaw—a prize for being t he most attractive exhibitor. He was married on Wednesday, J a n u a ry 15 to Miss H a n n ah McKenzie of Saginaw. They are at home in their cosy residence just outside the College grounds. The RECORD extends congratulations. NEWS FROM GRADUATES AND FORMER S T U D E N T S. C. H. Alvord, '95, is teaching in t he Hillsdale public schools. Horace E. Blodgett, with '83, is a hardware dealer at Midland, Mich. Dr. Warren H. Rand, with '76, hag an extensive p r a c -. tice at Charlotte. Benj. E. Benedict, with '71, is an associate editor of t he Michigan Farmer. Thomas F. Rogers, with '74, is editor a nd proprietor of t he Ravenna Times. Lewis Delamarter, with '74, is pastor of t he First M. E. church at Kalamazoo. Cecil J. Barnum, '94, has just been appointed princi pal of t he Goodrich, Genesee Co,, schools. Glenn Perrigo, '88, has recently been promoted to t he position of head bookkeeper in a bank at F t. Scott, Kas. Wm. S. Baird, '85, ie traveling representative for t he Snow- Church Co. Collection A gency of Grand Rapids'. C J. E. Hinkeon, '92, (M. D. from U. of M. '95) h as located at Grand Ledge, and is working up a good practice. E. S. Antisdale, '85, eye, ear and throat specialist, of Benton Harbor, Mich., is also reported to have married recently. Geo. J. J e n k s, '89,' m., together with his father-in-law, Mr. F r a nk Wells, of Lansing, will open a lakeside resort near Sand Beach, Huron Co., Mich. Dr. N. S. Mayo, '88, has been appointed resident state secretary for the U. S. Veterinary Medical Association of Kansas. Prof. U. P. Hedrick, '93, professor of horticulture and in t he Oregon Agricultural College at Cor- botany E. M. Shelton, '71, has received permanent appoint ment as agricultural adviser to t he government of Queensland, Australia. CI Tracy Gillis, with '94 m., has' a flourishing business as stenographer for several firms in Traverse City. He hopes to visit M. A. C. next summer. E. O. Ladd, '78, horticulturist and register of deeds for Traverse county, is an active worker in t he winter institutes. He resides in Traverse City. D. D. MoArthur, '94, h as recently been promoted from teacher at t he Yankton Agency School, to Super intendent of t he Omaha (Neb.), Agency School. A. H. Perry, with '78, is in t he hardware business in Traverse City. He h as two boys and two girls. T he boys, of course, are great with the rod and t he gun. Clarence M. Weed, '83, professor of entomology in t he •New Hampshire Agricultural College, is spending a leave of absence in t he Bermuda Islands, studying their flora and fauna. F. M. Paine, '89, has been located in Traverse City for two years and has built up a thriving business as florist. He has a large greenhouse and t he prospects are t h at he will have to double his plant soon. The report of t he Wisconsin F a r m e r s' I n s t i t u t es for 1895 does honor to Prof Georgeson (M. A. C. '78), by quoting emphatically, all by itself, upon t he first page, the following words from a circular issued last year: " 'A live institute, well attended, is t he most intensely practical school of agriculture one can conceive of. No one knows it all. Everybody can learn something from somebody else, and nowhere else is practical informa tion of t he kind needed by t he particular community dispensed in so liberal measure. It is a school in which experience takes precedence over theory, and in practi cal affairs we all acknowledge t he t r u th of t he old adage, 'experience is t he best teacher.'"—Industrialist, Kas. J. H. Holmes, with '92, WJ., is held in Grand Rapids on t he charge of murdering Albert Johnson, a motorman in t h at city. T he news was a great shock to us here for we had known Holmes as a pleasant, studious gentle man. He was in the class of '92 here nearly two years, then went to Ann Arbor where he graduated with t he degree of mechanical engineer. About a year ago he opened a civil engineer's office in Lansing and since t h at time has spent considerable time in our library study ing. About six months ago he entered t he employ of the Perkins Mfg. Co. in Grand Rapids, and was still in their employ when t he quarrel with Johnson occurred; which ended by Holmes' shooting t he latter t h r o u gh the heart. SOME W E D D I N G S. Weddings, like twins, never come singly. To some» who do not read T HE UNION L IT it will be news t o] know t h at since t he close of t he fall term, five of our alumni have married. Kenyon L. Butterfield, '91, to Miss Hattie Millard, at Lapeer, November 28. On t he evening of December 24, Wendell Paddock, '93, to Miss Jessie Francis, of Laporte, I n d. They will reside at Geneva, N. Y., where Mr. Paddock is an assist a nt in t he experiment station. Christmas night, George E. Simmons to Miss F a n n ie A. Moore, of Hanover, Mich. Their new home is in F t. Wayne, Ind., where Mr. Simmons is a draughts man for an electrical supply company. Ray S. Baker, '89, to Miss Jessie I. Beal, 9u, Thursday evening, -flan. 2, at t he residence of D r. a nd Mrs. W. J. Beal. Mr. and Mrs. Baker left immediately for their home in Chicago, 527-44th place. Mr. Baker is an editorial writer on t he Chicago Record. from misunderstanding ' Sometimes friction wholly unnecessary arises between two classes of people their motives and principles of action. A case of this kind occurred a little more t h an twenty-five years ago be tween t he farmers and millers of Michigan in regard to the W h i te Clawson wheat. This was a soft white winter wheat of large productive capacity, and h ad been in high favor with t he millers who used t he buhrstone mills, because of its large yield of velvety white flour. It h ad accordingly been in high favor b o th with farmer and miller. B ut about this time a new process of mill ing—the Austrian—where steel replaced t he buhrstone for grinding, required a different quality of wheat to give t he best flour and most profitable results. In place of t he soft white wheat, a hard and flinty kind was required which should produce the largest amount of "middlings" from which to make t he "patent process flour," which also commanded a higher price. rollers I n s t e ad of frankly saying t h at t he roller process re quired a different kind of wheat, t he millers attempted to drive t he Clawson and other soft wheats out of t he market by declaring they "contained too little gluten to be fit for h u m an food," "unworthy of cultiva tion," and by concerted action cutting down t he price of Clawson wheat t en cents a bushel, and recommending t he Lancaster to t he farmers as a more desirable wheat to sow. t h at T he Master of t he county grange in a wheat district wrote to t he College saying t h at " t he Clawson h ad for years been a choice wheat in t he estimation of both farmers and millers, t h at it seemed to be as good now as it had been in years past, t h at their families were using it for bread with t he same satisfactory results as in former years both in nourishing quality and in preserv ing t he health, t h at it produced five bushels per acre more t h an t he Lancaster, and they saw no good reason for this sudden decrying of t he Clawson wheat by t he millers of t he state, and t he reduction of t en cents a bushel in price and t he evident effort to drive it o ut of cultivation." If this t he millers instead of denouncing former favorite wheat h ad frankly stated t h at a new process of milling called for another kind of wheat, t h at in place of t he soft white wheat, they wanted one of h a rd and flinty quality, poorer in starch and richer in gluten, much friction on t he one hand, a nd suspicion on t he other migh have been avoided. The farmers should understand what kind of wheat is now most in demand,, viz., a h a rd flinty wheat, capable of making t he largest amount of " patent flour," a nd this n ot because of any conspiracy of t he millers b ut P e r h a ps simply because of t he new method of milling. it may puzzle a farmer to know what is meant by a flinty wheat. W i th a sharp knife c ut across a kernel of wheat a nd look at t he c ut surface. If this is hard and clear, with little floury appearance, you may safely call it a hard wheat. This is t he kind of wheat t he millers want, a nd t he kind t he College is trying to find for t he farmers. If in addition to this quality of berry, t he wheat shall be hardy and yield a large crop, so m u ch t he better for all parties. If in addition to these quali ties, t he wheat shall be of a light color, white or light amber, better still, for miller, baker and consumer of bread delight in light flour and white bread. While millers eagerly seek for these strong wheats, there is yet a large demand for white winter wheat for mixing and blending with t he other wheats to secure t he proper color and temper of flour. As Michigan leads t he country in winter wheat, arid its winter wheat flour leads t he markets, it is seen t h at there m u st be a prom ising future for wheat growing in our state. I shall have more to say on this subject of wheats for Michigan. TO NEW STUDENTS AND OTHERS Who Visit t he College—What to do w h en you A r r i ve in L a n s i n g. Come to t he College at least one day before t he open ing of t he term, t h at you may be ready to begin your studies promptly with the class. >^ T a ke t he MICHIGAN A V E N UE car for t he College. W h en you arrive on t he grounds go to t he PRESIDENT'S O F F I CE for information. T r u n ks will be brought o ut by t he COLLEGE B U S, which leaves t he postofflce in Lansing at 10:30 a. m. and 4:30 p. m. each week day. Leave checks at t he Secre tary's office and your baggage will be attended to. 2 THE M. A. C. RECORD. JANUARY 21, 1896. 3V 9 H. (SI. ©. fteeora. PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY THE MICHIGAN AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE EDITED BY THE FACULTY. SUBSCRIPTION, 50 CENTS P ER Y E A R. PRESS OF ROBERT S M I TH & C O ., LANSING, M I C H. We desire to n u m b er among our exchanges every local newspaper in t he state, and all college publications throughout the country. In accordance with the provisions of Act 103 of Ses sion Laws of 1893 Supt. of Public Instruction P a t t e n- gill has appointed Messrs. Gower, Stone and Bates as a Board of Visitors to examine t he work of t he College and report upon its condition with any recommendations which they may deem best to make. A short sketch of each appointee will be of interest to our readers. Mr. C. A. Gower, U. of M. '67, is one of t he best known of Michigan educational men having been Supt. of Public I n s t r u c t i on two terms and Supt. of t he Reform School for some years, resigning five years ago to accept t he general management of t he Lansing Capitol Investment, Building and Loan Association. Mr. F r ed H. Stone, a well known lawyer of Hillsdale, is a graduate of Hills dale College, as well as t he U. of M. in the literary and law courses. Mr. R. M. Bates graduated at M. A. C. in 18S5, and is a thorough going dairy farmer at Hastings, Mich. ' - T HE LONG I N S T I T U T E. T he full program for t he long institute has not yet been fully arranged, b ut we can say t h at it will be held in South Haven, F e b. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, beginning t he evening of the 3d, t he day sessions being held Tuesday, Wednesday, T h u r s d ay and Friday. The conductor will t he presiding offieer Hon., be Hon. C. J. Monroe, and Chas. W. Garfield. It is a fruit institute, with all t he subjects bearing directly on the fruit grower's business. T he evening sessions will be occupied with various topics which have not" yet been assigned. The day lectures will be five in number, each one with its dis cussion occupying an hour. The following is the pro gram of speakers and topics with t he hour they come on. __ At 10:00 a. m. each day, Roland Morrill: 1st day— T he Peach, Locating and Planting t he Orchard; 2d day—The Peach, Cultivation and Care; 3d day—The Peach, Marketing; 4th day—The Peach, Varieties and Profits. At 11:00 a.m., Dr. R. C. Kedzie: 1st day—Rainfall and Frosts in the F r u it Belt; 2d day—The Simpler Chemistry of t he Soil; 3d day—Soil Exhaustion; 4th day—Feeding the Soil. At 1:00 p. m., Prof. L. R. Taft: 1st day—The D r o u th as it Affects Michigan F r u it Growers; 2d day—Manage ment of F r u it Crops in Dry Seasons; 3d day—Irrigation for Michigan; 4th day—Fungicides and their Applica tion. , ^ At 2:00 p. m, Prof. W. B. Barrows: 1st day—Birds and Horticulture; 2d day—Bees and Horticulture; 3d day—Insects and Horticulture; 4th day—Insecticides and Horticulture. At 3:00 p. m., Prof. C. D. Smith and Prof. P. B. in t he Soil; 2d day— Woodworth: Water in the Soil; 3d day—What Cultivation Does; 4th day—What Cultivation Does. 1st day—Water WOMAN'S INFLUENCE. [Read at Newaygo County Institute, Fremont, Jan. 10, by Mary Robertson, Hesperia, Mich. This is a broad subject and should I undertake to tell you all the influence woman has exercised since the world began, in church and state, in war and peace, in science and art, in literature and works of philanthropy,, at home and abroad, as wife and mother, it would take volumes rindj ears to write them. The history of any age or any clime is I will endeavor, however, to give in my own way a brief outline of w h at I consider " Woman's Influence." incomplete without some mention of its women. This nation, so glorious, so free, so prosperous, so noted for t he high position it holds among the other nations of the earth, is under obligations to its women as well as to its men for its growth and prosperity. Did not a woman through her aid and influence, yea, even to the pledging of her jewels, equip Columbus for his voyage of discovery, showing clearly l h at this broad land might yet have been a howling wilderness, t he abode of t he wild beast and the savage, if woman h ad not acted? History tells us of the daring deeds of man; lands discovered, battles fought, books written, and tions made. inven B ut w h at memories awake at t he mention of Mollie Pitcher of revolutionary fame, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Maria Mitchell, Clara Barton, Florence Nightingale, and many more familiar, honored names of noble women. Is there any department, any circle, great or small, t h at a good woman. has not touched a nd adorned? Look at her influence in t he church. W h at would it be without woman? There she p u ts forth her best efforts; she gives her prayers, her time, and her talents; every precious gift she lays on God's altar. She n u r t u r es and sends forth the young min:ster to every part of t he earth to do b a t t le for t he Lord of Hosts. S he herself is heard in the pulpits of t he land. She has even severed every kindred tie and gone forth into t he wilds to carry t he gospel and rescue t he perish ing. She has crossed t he boundless ocean and gone into t he jungle and broken down t he temples of t he idolaters and shown t h em t he ways of t he t r ue and liv ing God. Wo r (3s cannot be found rich enough to tell all t h at woman h as done along this line of light. Suffice it to say t h at she has shed an influence over t he church at home and abroad t h at will live forever. Woman has also been influential in the great works of reform, so m u ch so t h at her influence has been felt around t he world. Woman has risen from obscurity by t he simple act of hurling her cutty stool in her madness at t he Dean's head in E d i n b u r gh for saying " m a ss in her l u g" (ear), in Scotch. T h at one act, ridiculous as it seemed, was t he signal for a general uprising t h at did not cease until it ended in a revolution never to be forgotten. The serpent with his evil wiles t h at lost to woman E d e n, and sent her forth into the world in shame and in sorrow still follows her in t he guise of t he " S e r p e nt of t he Still." He has entered her home and made it desolate. He drags her sons down into the unfathomable pit; he makes beggars of her .daughters and takes away all t h at makes life worth t he living, her purity. The once loving t h at husband and father has become such a demon every living thi^g flees in horror from, his approach. B ut women have arisen in their might to crush this foul destroyer of their homes and all they hold most dear. W i th Frances Willard and her legions of u n daunted followers they will never cease their warfare until the head of the " S e r p e nt of the S t i l l" is a shape less mass. It is these noble women whom t he sons and daughters of America delight to honor, whose sweet influence falls like the manna, all around. "For.God and Home and Native, Land They fight still nobly on, "When God opens wide his portals May they enter one by one." H as woman any in State? L et us see. Abraham Lincoln said, "All t h at I am or hope to be I owe to my mother." influence ' From the earliest ages woman has had more or less influence in t he political world. During t he F r e n ch Revolution of Madam De Stael was felt so keenly, t h at Napoleon, jealous of her power and wonderful abilities, banished her. influence t he Man has come to the conclusion t h at t he best thing for him to do is to acknowledge t he superiority a nd genius of woman and bows before it. She has knocked at t he door of t he college and university built exclu sively for men and been admitted. S he is gently knock ing at the door of Congress, and the day is not far dis t a nt when she will not have knocked in vain. She holds her national and state conventions for Woman's Suf frage with a dignity which reflects credit on her name. She holds office of t he lesser degree, and does it well, thereby showing her fitness for life higher ones when they come to her. She will not tamper with t he returns, neither will she charge railroad fare up to t he state is marching twice on t he same date. Yes, woman slowly b ut surely to the White House; because if states men owe to her their existence, the only way for t h em to repay her is to let her share t he spoils. In works of philanthropy, woman has borne her part, and man has ever found in her a solace. S he is found in t he hovels of the lowly, feeding t he hungry and soothing t he bed of pain. S he was found on t he battle field in our late war, binding up t he wounds of the fallen and paying the last sad rites to the slain. She was like an angel of light in t he hospital, where she moved from cot to cot so gently, smoothing t he fevered brow, and receiv ing the last sad message to dear ones at home; fill ing every ward with her presence, till dim eyes bright ened at her approach and feeble lips moved and called her blessed. She has launched her frail bark into t he foaming billows when the storm king was revelling in his glee, t he drowning from and snatched t he jaws of death, thereby making her name reveTed by all. Her talent in t he field of literature is undisputed, W ho can read " Uncle Tom's Cabin," and not see slavery in all its hor- ors. W ho can read J u l ia W a rd Howe's " Battle H y mn of t he Republic," without t he feeling to do and to dare for t he right sweeping over him. Woman's influence in literature has made t he world better; she has breathed feelings, her noblest through her pen her deepest thoughts, by her cheering and helpful words. She has lifted t he burden from many a weary shoulder and been an incentive to higher aims and nobler p u r s u i ts in life. Her influence over man began when she persuaded him to eat t he apple. S he has held him in undisputed power ever since. Yet a woman has power to raise a man to highest heaven or plunge him into t he lowest depth. She may make him an abject fool, b ut in doing so she lowers herself in t he h u m an scale. B ut t he sweetest name in all t he earth is mother, and dearest spot is home; and may God help t he man, woman or child who has neither. The mother is t he presiding genius, t he queen of love and beauty; and home is w h at she makes it; and t he spell she casts around her whether it be for good or evil is lasting for all time. Napoleon says t he future destiny of a child is always with the mother; t h at is probably what sent him to St. Helena. The overthrow of nations has been traced back to t he evil influence of mothers. Catherine De Medicis was t he instigator of one of t he direst deeds ever known in history, t he massacre of St. Bartholo mew. Benjamin West said his mother's kiss made him a painter. The gentle mother of Robert Burns imbued her spirit into her young son by telling him t he traditions of her country while seated at her wheel. spirit bursts forth in t he beautiful songs t h at have made so m u ch music for t he world. T h at It h as been said t h at home is where the heart is. The sailor as he paces t he lone deck at midnight, .listening to the ceaseless splash of t he waters, and t he creaking cordage, in fancy sees t he images of loved ones, and t he little cot by t he shore passes before his vision. And many a silent prayer has gone up to t he throne of Grace, as t he tears coursed down t he bronzed cheek, t h at t he bark would anchor safely in t he harbor of home. Children, prize your home. Mothers, live such lives t h at your influence will shed a luster t h at time will never dim, so t h at when your tired hands are folded peacefully on your breast, and your toil in t he home is over, your children may say of you: "This was our queen, this the shrine we worshipped; so long as we live never shall we forget your teachings; they will follow wher ever we lead and save us from t he evils t h at threaten. To us you have been a queen on earth—bright be your crown in heaven." May God prosper t he women of every clime, whose sweet and holy influence has circled t he world like a halo of glory, and may He hasten t he day when see shall stand where she rightly belongs. DEATH OF D R. E L D R I D G E. Dr. C. H. Eldridge, '83, died October 25,1895, in San Francisco, Cal., after an illness of nine days, with peri tonitis. in November, 1859, and re Dr. Eldridge was b om ceived his early education in t he public schools at Dresserville, Ohio. He afterwards moved to Litchfield, Mich., and from there entered this college in 1879, grad uating in '83. Three years later he g r a d u a t ed from t he medical department of D a r t m o u th college. F or a time he practiced in Toledo, O., then moved to Hartford, Wash., where he followed his profes'sion until last spring. At t h at time he moved to San Francisco and accepted a position with t he d r ug firm of Leipnitz & Co. as prescribing physician, which position he held at t he time of his death. We mourn t h at he, who had so many friends here in in t he prime of life and t he East, should be c ut off among strangers. ABOUT T HE P O T A T O. to England' A n. Australian agriculturalist, Mr. Krinchauff, has called attention to the fact t h at t he potato will celebrate into England the 300th anniversary of its introduction It was in 1596 t h at Sir Walter Raleigh next year. returned first from America with tobacco and potatoes, which originally grew in P e ru Although t he potato, it is estimated, now furnishes one- sixth of t he nourishment of t he h u m an race, for a long time it was a delicacy for t he rich alone. Even at t he beginning of t he seventeenth century noblemen paid t h em two shillings -a pound for potatoes and seasoned t he JANUARY 21, 1896. THE M. A. G. RECORD. 3 with sherry. People often visited t he gardens of t he botanist Gerard at Holborn to see t he plants in bloom. There is talk of a celebration in honor of t he anniver sary.—New York T r i b u n e. HOW SOME OF OUR BOYS AND GIRLS ARE SPENDING THE WINTER VACATION. L. D. Sees is farming at Unionville. Oscar Gorenflo has entered t he U. of M. I N S T I T U TE QUESTION B O X. A. S. Eldridge and E. R. Austin are attending school. [Some questions asked and answered at Institutes.] W h at is t he relative value of carrots, potatoes and beets as rations?—J. V. CRANDALL. Carrots are considered b e s t . — P R O F. S M I T H. Is it profitable to top graft an apple tree t h at is forty or fifty years old?—A. M. ALTON. No, not ordinarily; b ut if desired should not graft on old timber. First grow new top.—F. W. R E D F E E N. W h at kind of gooseberry is best? Would you set in spring or fall? Would you mulch with straw or use ashes and bone? 1. Downing. J. N. STEARNS. 3. No straw mulch.— 2. Spring. W h at is t he best method of fitting the ground for strawberries?—H. MCCARTY. Plow deep and pulverize thoroughly.—R. M. KELLOGG. W h at instrument inches beneath ground?—MALLERY. is used t he surface to cultivate in preparing twenty-two strawberry The subsoil plow.—R. M. KELLOGG. How do you train blackberries? So far I have always pinched back or summer pruned, then cut back laterals in spring.—J. N. STEARNS. Are dwarf pear trees as profitable as standards for orchard purposes?—CLEVELAND. I consider t h em so.—J. N. STEARNS. , W h at do you t h i nk of t he Wheatland peach? W h at is your opinion in regard to overproduction of fruit in this locality (Fremont)?—KIMBELL. 1. T he " W h e a t l a n d" is a splendid fruit, b ut a very shy bearer and not a profitable variety. 2. We already have an overproduction of poor fruit; we will never have too m u ch good fruit.—R. D. GRAHAM. Do you consider currants a paying crop? W h at vari eties are considered best? W h at varieties of sour cher ries are b e s t ? — L E NA W A DE WOODHULL. 1. Yes. 2. Victoria, Red Duld, London Market, Longbunch, Holland. 3. Richmond, Dyehouse, Moren- cy, Kentish.—R. D. GRAHAM. F A R M E R S' I N S T I T U T E S. W o r th H u n d r e ds of D o l l a rs to T h e m. Ludington, Mich., J a n u a ry 8.—The farmers' institute held here during t he past two days was largely attended by farmers and fruit growers of t he county. Messrs. G r a h am and Stearns, expert speakers, discussed t he question of peach growing and marketing all day yester day, and answered scores of important questions. T he peach men say t he meeting will be worth h u n d r e ds of dollars to them. L a st night t he topics were " Green Peas," " Canning Industries," and " T he Cultivation of Small F r u i t s ," b y ^ A ^p M. Smith, H. M, Hoff, and Stearns, of Kalamazoo, respectively. This forenoon Prof. Smith, of t he Agricultural Col lege, gave a most elaborate and interesting discussion of b u t t er making, and Rev. B. S. Mills spoke on grasses and grains.—Detroit F r ee Press. G r e at I n t e r e st at M a r q u e t t e. T he Marquette Mining J o u r n al of J a n. 10 speaks t h us of t he farmers' institute at M a r q u e t t e: " T he last night's session was one of t he most inter esting and best attended of t he institute. Too m u ch cannot be said of H. W. Mumford, A. A. Crozier, and J. H. Brown, who were sent here by t he S t a te Board of Agriculture to assist in holding t he institute. They left t he impression with those t h at attended t h at they were conversant with both scientific and practical agri culture. They will be heartily welcomed at t he next meeting. T he total attendance was in t he neighbor hood of 2,300 people, and t he first meeting was a great success. T he farmers t h r o u g h o ut this section should be gratified over t he results, and be proud t h at such an institute was held largely attended." in our city, and was so At t he close of t he meeting held by Mrs. Mary A. Mayo, at theMCongregational church, on the afternoon of J a n u a ry lw, and addressed solely to ladies, t he fol lowing motion was made, supported and unanimously adopted by a rising vote: " We, t he women of Newaygo county, wish t he officers of t he State Board of Agriculture for sending to us this gifted Christian woman, Mary A. Mayo."—Fre mont News, J a n. 15. to extend our heartfelt t h a n ks to specimens of t he best strains of t he leading breeds are k e pt for illustration to t he classes of students. Some of t he animals are worthy of special notice as they are prize takers or are m a k i ng records closely approaching t he best ever made. T he breeds of cattle represented are Shorthorn, Hol- stein, Jersey, Hereford, Guernsey, Brown Swiss, and Aberdeen Angus. T he breeds of sheep are Shropshire, Hampshire, Oxford, Dorset-horned Lincoln, Cots wold, Leicester, and various types of Merino. Among t he breeds of Swine we have Duroc Jerseys, Essex and Poland China. F. B. Ainger is working in t he Auditor General's office. Walter Gospill is working at his trade at Sturgis, Mich. Vadim Sobennikoff and F r a nk Yebina are studying at M. A. C. W. J. McGee is workirjg on the Board of T r a de in At t he poultry house will be found selected specimens Chicago. S. B. Young has a clerkship in the Board of H e a l th office, Lansing. H. L. Fairfield is working for a telephone company in Grand Rapids. C. M. Ward well is p u t t i ng in private telephone lines at Williamston. . A. M. Patriarche ware store in Saginaw. is clerking in Morley Bros, hard i of t he leading breeds of chickens. E x p e r i m e n ts in stock feeding are in progress during t he greater p a rt of t he year, especially in t he winter, with dairy cows, pigs, and sheep. In t he basement of t he agricultural laboratory are in b u t t er t he dairy rooms, equipped for making, with Babcock testers, separators, creamers, cream va's, churns, b u t t er workers, and other a p p a r a t us needed t he manufacture of b u t t e r. An electric motor furnishes t he power. instruction in , J. V. Kinsey is selling books in Toledo, O., and R. L. Clute is at t he same business in Indiana. Many are spending t he vacation at home studying or recreating for next season's work at t he College. C. E. Martindale is w m k i ng for t he P e r k i ns Co. in their bicycle department] and will G r a nd Rapids, not r e t u rn in t he spring. E. D. Partridge, J. C. Coats, L. L. Christen sen, J. E. Mayes, L. R. Love, R. B. Buck, W. G. Anderson and C. E. Meyers are working here. F. M. Morrison is in a machine shop at Aurora, 111. J. M. Barney E. J. M a h an is in a shop in Pullman, 111. works in a shop in Cleveland, O. C. F. H e r r m a nn is studying geometry, working in his father's store, negotiating Speculum ads., and hustling t he base ball business. He has already arranged games with Albion, Olivet, Orchard L a ke and Ann Arbor. By far t he largest n u m b er of those engaged in active these may be men employment are teaching. Among tioned t he following: J o hn W. Rigterink, A. C. Cole, E. E. Gallup, A. C. Krentel, W. B. Chapman, Mies Marie Belliss, Miss P h e be Dean, R. E. Doolittle and H. B. Gunnison who are teaching in this county or just north of us in Clinton county. B. A. Bowditch, F. W. Rob- ison, L ee Chapman, O. A. Jewell, J o hn Severance, S. J. Redfern, F. T. Williams, A. R. Rogers, E. Shaw, G. F. Richmond, D. J. Hale, Miss B e r t ha Holdsworth, J. C. Nichols, R. E. Morrow, W. E. Locklin, E. A. Robinson, S. Culbertson; and L. S. Munson who teach near their respective homes, and F. V. W a r r en at Jones, H. A. Dibble at Grandville, J. T. Berry at Cass City, S. W. Tracy at Neebish, U. P., and S. H. F u l t on at Bear L a k e, Mich. T HE MICHIGAN AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE Is t he P l a ce to O b t a in a S u b s t a n t i al E d u c a t i on at a M o d e r a te E x p e n s e. It offers a course in agriculture which comprises all subjects in agriculture and horticulture, English lan guage and literature, botany, chemistry, zoology, veter inary science, physical science and political economy. Also a mechanical course, comprising *the general work in mathematics, language, etc., with special train ing in mechanics and electricity. In b o th courses study is supplemented by practical application, in manual labor, of t he principles t a u g ht in t he class room. E a ch department is well equipped with all necessary labor. There appliances for study, investigation, and are eight laboratories, twenty-six professors and instruc tors, a farm fully equipped with modern machinery, improved breeds of for mechanical work. live stock, complete shops The F a rm D e p a r t m e n t. T he College farm consists of 676 acres of which 350 acres are under systematic cultivation, 80 acres in cam pus, 40 acres in gardens and fruit, and t he remainder in p a s t u re and woodland. T he woodland is used preservation of virgin forests in t he State. to illustrate t he methods of T he main part of t he farm is devoted to ordinary farm crops, to illustrate t he better methods of farm manage ment. , F o r ty acres are devoted to experiment work. On t he farm are four stock barns, one grain barn, piggery, hen house, tool barn, and a barn used exclu sively for experimental feeding. Two large and three small silos supply storage room for about thirty acres of corn. In t he stock barns are representative animals of t he leading breeds of cattle, sheep, and swine. Typical H o r t i c u l t u r al D e p a r t m e n t. T he horticultural building contains offices, class room, laboratory, seed room, tool room, and other rooms for repairing tools, grafting fruit and vegetables and prepar ing them for market. The equipment for class room illus tration is very complete in t he way of models, charts, and drawings, together with a large assortment of t he various h a nd tools, apparatus, and supplies used by t he gardener and florist. T he department is also well supplied with green houses of approved construction, where may be found not only various interesting forms of" tropical plants, many of which are of economic value, b ut t he more common plants of t he florist, including such as are used for cut flowers, decoration, and out door planting, be sides such vegetables as are commonly grown under glass. In t he class room t he elementary principles of horti culture are t a u g h t, and lectures are given upon t he best methods of growing and handling the various crops; while t he students are required by t he labor system of t he college to p ut this instruction into practice. T he Zoological L a b o r a t o ry consists of a lecture room for eighty students, rooms for anatomical study and histological work, and a pri vate study containing a good zoological library. In connection with t he laboratory is t he large McMillan collection, which, with specimens added at t he Col insect lege and by exchanges, forms one of t he finest cabinets of t he W e s t. In t he general museum will be found skeletons and preserved specimens of typical mammals and birds from all parts of t he world, reptiles, b a t r a c h i a n s; t he fauna of Michigan is specially well represented; a large col lection of shells, native and exotic; a collection of invertebrates from t he Smithsonian institution; three collections of insects, a faunal, a scientific, and an eco nomic; a manikin, skeletons of man and of t he lower animals; alcoholic and microscopic preparations of ani mal organs and tissues; fossils from all t he groups of rocks; rock specimens in lithologic geology; and a small b ut growing collection in ethnography. t he divisions illustrating In t he B o t a n i c al D e p a r t m e nt t he agricultural students are t a u g ht by specimens in h a nd t he names and uses of t he different parts of plants; t he names of different plants and their relationships, in agriculture especially those useful or detrimental and horticulture; t he minute anatomy of plants as seen by using compound microscopes; t he physiology of plants; t he botany of trees and shrubs for horticulture, landscape gardening, and forestry; grasses and weeds of t he farm and garden; fungi injurious to farm, garden and orchard crops. T he mechanical s t u d e n ts are t a u g ht t he s t r u c t u re of woods and their adaptation for certain purposes. In t he botanical laboratory is a fire proof room for 50,000 plants in d u st proof cases; 200 or more kinds of grasses and weeds of full size sewn to cardboard; and tight cases for 100 large drawers of seeds of grasses, clovers, weeds, and other economic plants; a workroom; a storeroom containing our choice of t he Michigan for laboratory estry exhibit at Chicago; four rooms for work with simple and compound microscopes, other apparatus, duplicate books of illustration, costly maps, charts, lantern views; large n u m b e rs of photographs illustrating t he agriculture and forestry of Michigan, .for California, Jamaica, experiment station work, containing 1,500 kinds of seeds, and other a p p a r a t us to aid in identifying and testing seeds, etc. T he students are much assisted by India, Singapore; one room 4 THE M. A. C. RECORD. JANUARY 21, 1896. an excellent grass garden, weed garden, botanic garden, arboretum, and a model forest. their rooms, excepting works of reference and bound volumes of the leading serial publications. The Chemical Laboratory front was erected at a cost of $18,000. The south is two stories, and is 40x70 feet, ground space. The upper story contains a lecture room with 150 seats, the study for the professors of chemistry, and two work rooms. The first floor contains a room and fixtures for quantitative analysis, a balance room with fourteen chemical and two assay balances, evaporating hoods; cases for apparatus, etc. Connected with this is the qualitative analytical room with twelve tables and working room for forty-eight students, provided with Bonn self-ventilating hoods and furnished with water and gas for each student. Beneath this room on the first floor is the experiment station chemical laboratory and assay room, with com plete fixtures for mineral assays. The Veterinary course of study embraces three terms in the senior year, the autumn term being devoted to anatomy, while the spring and summer terms are given up to the study of materia medica, and the accidents and diseases which affect domestic animals. Provision is now being made for the study of bacteriology with reference its application to the contagious diseases of domestic ani mals. Operations are also performed before the class at convenient seasons. to Connected with the library is a reading room supplied with over two hundred of the leading English and American periodicals. Physical Laboratory. The department is well equipped with suitable appa ratus to practically illustrate the modern industrial light, mechanics and applications of heat, sound, electricity. The instruction is given by lectures illustrated by experiment . The work in the class room is supplemented by labor atory work. The exercises are largely taken from the dairy, farm and shop. Special attention is given to working illustrations and explanations of such subjects as physics of soils, of fuels, cream separators, ice ma chines, hydraulic rams, condensation of milk, and heat motors; also the construction and management of dyna mos, electric lights, electro platers, electric heaters, telephones, telegraphs, motors, and storage batteries. The aim of the course is to prepare young men in such a practical way that they can be relied upon to build or operate the apparatus used in mechanical, elec trical, and agricultural engineering. Mechanical Course. The aim of the instruction in Mechanical Engineering is to give the student a thorough training in the ele marking corn ground, hay making, harvesting, etc., judging and handling all kinds of Uve stock including poultry; dairy practice, care and handling of milk, making of butter. On the gardens great attention is paid to the methods by which plants are propagated, and each student is required to perform the work of sowing seeds, grafting, budding, layering, and making cuttings of various kinds, and is taught methods of pruning and training. Nearly all of the labor of the department is done by students, and thus they obtain practical insight into the methods employed by horticulturists. How to Enter the College. By an act passed by the last legislature the Superin tendent of Public Instruction is required to send twice in each year to the County Commissioners of Schools, questions for candidates for entrance to this College. Those who intend entering the College can take th© examination at the regular teachers' examinations, which is held in each county, and thus be sure of their entrance before coming here. At the College, examina tions are held at the beginning of each term. The next entrance examination at the College will be held Tues day, February 25, 1896. The subjects embraced in the examination are arithmetic, geography, grammar, read ing, spelling, penmanship, and U. S. history. Students entering the mechanical course will be examined in algebra to quadratic equations in addition to the studies Free Hand Drawing. In all science schools drawing is freely used in such studies as botany, entomology, zoology, etc. It is con sidered the best possible training for the observation. Technicalities are avoided as much as possible. It is aimed to develop the observing power of the eye and a feeling for form, and to train the hand to represent in a certain measure in outline and light and shade what the eye sees. The plan is to advance the student as rapidly as consistent with thoroughness, and as much attention is given to individual instruction as the lim ited time and the large number of Btudents will allow. The requirements are 120 hours of class room work, but in this time must be done a specified number of drawings of a standard satisfactory to the instructor. The Library thousand volumes. Besides contains over eighteen a full collection of works on history and general literature, it is well supplied with scientific and techni cal works, and with the journals of agriculture and allied arts. Each of the departments of instruction is equipped with a serviceable collection of books of reference. Current publications recording the results of investiga tions in the sciences and useful arts are being constantly added. Liberal appropriations have been made by the legislature for the maintenance and extension of the collection. Students have access to the library eleven hours daily, and they are permitted to draw books for reading in mentary work—both theoretical and practical—of his chosen profession. In this course particular emphasis is placed upon the work in mathematics, study of the theoretical principles underlying the sciences of machines and mechanics, and the practical construction of machines. Students in the mechanical course have laboratory practice of various kinds. Among the more important subjects are steam engine, steam boilers, valve gears, machine design, strength of materials, kinematics, thermodynamics. Instruction is given in the testing of steam engines, boilers, pumps, and materials, also in the measurement of power, calibration of instruments, etc., etc. The shop work is supplemented by a course of lec tures on shop methods, and during the senior year a course of lectures is given on engineering practice. The student is also required to. study English literature and modern languages. Student Labor System. All students taking the agricultural course are re quired to devote twelve and one-half hours per week to manual labor on the farm or garden. All kinds of labor are performed by the students, under the supervision of competent instructors. Students receive pay for labor that is of value to the College. On the farm, student labor is devoted partly to the study of the details of farm operations, such as repair ing tools, construction and operation of farm machinery, carpenter shop work, fence building, plowing, harrowing, given above. Candidates for admission to College must bring references as to character, and should be not less than fifteen years of age. Any young man over eighteen years of age will be conditionally admitted to College without examination. Persons holding third grade certificates as teachers, or who are graduates from high schools, are admitted to College without taking entrance examination. The Spring term opens on Monday, Feb. 24,1896, and the next College year begins Monday, Aug. 24. For catalogues or further information write SECRETARY, Agricultural College, Mich. MICHIGAN EXPERIMENT STATION. The Experiment Station is organically connected with the Agricultural College. Its function is to carry on such lines of investigations and experiments as will be most immediately helpful to the farmers of the State. The results of experiments are published from time to time in bulletins which are distributed free through the mails to all newspapers of the State, and to all fruit in growers and farmers or other persons interested these subjects »ho apply for them. The usefulness of the Station is farther extended by answers to inquiries regarding soils, crops, weeds, or breeding, feeding and care of domestic animals. Ques tions relating to horticulture and agricultural subjects are therefore invited and will receive prompt attention. The regular mailing list of the Station is already very large but should be farther extended. Every farmer should receive the bulletins regularly. For bulletins and reports address the Secretary, Agricultural College, Michigan.