3V 9IL a ©. 31 ecor A VOLUME I. LANSING, MICHIGAN, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1896. NUMBER 36 ORCHIDS OF MICHIGAN. HOMER U. SKEELS, '98. Persons who become interested in botany a re very liable to select some special family upon which they put most of their time. The selection of an order, by a botanist as his hobby-horse is influenced by many things and is often caused by peculiar circumstances. One sometimes becomes interested in the early spring flowers: a r b u t us is here the first to a t t r a ct attention: Indian from pipe, cranberry, a nd wintergreen, till huckleberries are ripe, when we find ourselves deeply interested in this family of aroniaties to t he exclusion of m a ny other plants just as interesting. this we easily r un along through the HUNTING F R O G S. In the boy. who is being n a t u r al on a Sunday by taking a walk in t he woods, there is the peculiar Ixmt towards destructiveuess which leads him into t he s w a mp to hunt frogs. But swamps grow more than frogs: o ur boy is very liable to find violets, that, for the moment, distract his destructive tastes and cause him to bead the knee before his future god. It was on such a trip as this that a youth stumbled into a s w a mp that w as carpeted with the peculiar plant growth t h at florists call "spagnum." In a little corner, out of the way, he nearly stepped on a queer looking flower. There it stood, j u st a little green stalk barely six inches high, but topped with a flower that looked for all the world like a snake's mouth; beautifully colored, a deep, rich red on the upper lip. t he lower covered by t he tongue, which w as finely cov ered with little clubs of purple and rose. Did you ever find anything t h at so grasped your senses t h at you dropped all yon were carrying and went down before it in open-eyed wonder? And how carefully you dig around it, slowly raising t he root till you have it all free, then wrapping it up in your kerchief start off home as fast as you can go. And iiow carefully the fond mother plants t he poor beauty in her best flower bed. When this youth reaches the stage in school life t h at introduces him to botany he remembers his little plant and wonders w h at it w a s. By his meagre de scription the teacher tells him, " It might have been an orchid, but such things are very rare." T h at set tles it; if t h at w as an orchid our lad wishes to study nothing but orchids. And so for t he s w a mp he goes. M E E TS T HE L A D Y S L I P P E R. Probably the first group to a t t r a ct his attention is the ladyslipper tribe. In t he deep t a m a r a ck s w a mp or low, d a rk woods, about the middle of May he finds a queer plant with a single flower on a short stalk springing from two bright green leaves. The flower h as the usual calyx t h at he h as studied in other flowers, but the rest of it looks like a wooden shoe with a slit down t he middle as though it were made to be laced up. The color is a beautiful pink or a dark red, sometimes nearly white, a l w a ys with purple veins. T a k i ng this to t he school room he learns t h at it too is an orchid, a stemless (Cypri- pedium acaule, Ait.) Another trip reveals t he little white ladyslipper (Cyp. candidum, Muhl.) This h as no slit, but the lip (or shoe), one-half inch long, is pure white with purple veins. And then the yellow mocca sin flowers (U.pubescens, Willd. and C. parviflorum, Salisb.) show themselves in t he oak woods, on hill sides a nd along the edges of s t r e a ms in dark, deep woods. And here, too, a surprise a w a i ts us, in find ing t he laced wooden shoe t h at we collected on mossy hummocks by wading knee deep in the water, grow ing on top of high hills under oak a nd pine. ladyslipper At this time the little r a m 's head ladyslipper (C. arietinum, R. Br.) m ay be found in cool bogs; it h as a small flower a nd the shoe is pointed at the toe, being decidedly " up to date," except in color, which is red with pretty white veins. THE SHOE DOES NOT F I T. As t he school w o rk progresses we begin to wonder w h e re the essential organs, stamens a nd pistils, of our orchids can be. Other plants show t h em plainly enough, b ut our favorites seem to be all slipper. We h a ve noticed t h at the shoe doesn't fit t he Chinese-like foot t h at is t h r u st into it, b ut a little fly c a u g ht crawl ing out between t he top of t he lip a nd the foot seems to struggle a nd h as a coat of yellow stuff on his back w h en he does get through. This tells us t h at a sta men is on t h at quefcr foot, a nd we find one on each side with t he stigma just in front of them. So here is another thing to hold o ur attention to t he orchid family: they depend, almost absolutely, on insects for fertilization a nd a re planned to m a ke the bugs pay for their nectar by carrying pollen. About this time there comes before us in the low woods a plant t h at seems to be all buds but doesn't flower. On closer Inspection we find flowers, b ut they a re green, and here we discover t h at all orchids—for this must surely be an orchid because of its non-con formity to t he type flower a nd t he presence of t he lip—are not beauties. But if this is an orchid it must have a special means for being fertilized. Then we remember having read about Darwin's putting a pen cil into the mouth of the orchid to see if the pollen would stick to it. tells us it is By this we find something new: no dusty, sticky pollen here: instead we have two little club-shaped yellow bodies, attached by a Short stalk to a flat disk that is now adhering to our pencil. As Ave gaze in wonder at these little curios we see them leave their erect position a nd gradually fall toward the point of the pencil. This is queer; let's try another; but. in put ting the pencil back, the action is explained; for right there where those pollen masses are now pointing is a shining viscid, surface which the stigma. And again we declare that t he orchid family is the queerest and most interesting in the whole botany. This little green-flowered orchid is only one t h e s e ' p e c u l i ar of a large group, nil of which have pollen masses, some Avith round disks, others with square disks, and still others with long, strap-shaped disks t h at are nearly as long as t he pollen m a ss itself. In this month of early flowei's we may find another In orchid (Orchis spectabilis, L.) t h at is quite pretty. the low woods it is most common; a spike is sent up from two or three pretty green leaves, bearing six or eight showy flowers. T he upper p a rt is a rich pink- purple, with which the pure white fan of the lip con trasts pleasingly. THE COMING OF J U N E. June, with its masses of beauty, is marshaled in by the little purple flower t h at our frog hunter first dis covered; and the s w a mp t h at grows Arethusa bulbosa, L. is one that may be visited with profit to the orchid hunter once a week during the whole summer. About the woods there m ay be seen patches of an oval leaf, green above, slightly purple beneath, queerly plaited, iron. as though it h ad been r un through a These a t t r a ct attention in the fall; visiting t he spot the next J u ne we find a few leafless stalks of yel lowish-purple flowers themselves to us as being orchids. T h is plant (Aplec- t r um hicmale, Nutt.) bears the queer formation t h at is called puttyroot; some people consider it as edible, but the writer w as very much disgusted with the taste and feeling left in his mouth after chewing one of the bulbs. t h at at first, sight recommend fluting (Liparis Loesellii, It h as t wo bright leaves a nd a stalk of small greenish-white lid-like stalks, At this time the t w ay blade Richard.) makes its appearance. green flowers. the anther, whose pollen masses are without threads or glands. interesting because of It is THE MONTH OF GREEN ORCHIDS. This is the month of green orchids, and the pine- oak woods, with high, dry knolls t h at drop off into damp ravines abound in queer species of this genus. T he H a b e n a r ia hyperborea, R. Br. grows in w et hol lows on the hill tops; t h is is peculiar from being self fertilized to a great extent. is the ground, Hooker's orchis, (H. Hookeri, Torr.) low with two oval leaves spreading flat on the flowers have a creamy tinge, a nd the lip is nearly one and one-half inches long, H. orbiculata,Torr., is a very noticeable p l a nt when growing; t he t wo leaves a re almost perfect circles, each six inches in diameter, lying flat on the ground on opposite sides of t he stem, of a queer fattish-green color—one stops still to ad mire them. The flowers a re quite large, b ut green; t he spur is peculiar, being nearly two inches long and shaped like a long handled club. H a b e n a r ia dilitata, Gray., is an exception in color, having a close spike about a foot long of small pure It grows in open glades of t a m a r a ck white flowers. and spruce s w a m p s. The ragged fringed orchis (H. lacera, R. Br.) comes at t h is time, a nd is green, b ut belongs w i th t he J u ly H a b e n a r i as in h a v i ng fringed lip. So f ar those of this genus h a ve h ad entire or merely notched lips, but t he lacera h as a lip with a fan-shaped outline, b ut the fan h as been stripped with a pencil, as by some Sunday school boy, from the cen ter t o w a r ds t he margin, till nothing is left b ut t h r e a d s. All of these plants, as do the July fringed orchids, show distinctive differences in t he shape, a r r a n g e ment, a ud action of t he pollen m a s s e s; a nd no g r e a t er pleasure can bje derived from a ny botanical study t h an may be enjoyed by interviewing these different species of rein orchis in their native h a u n t s. BUT J U NE IS NOT L I M I T ED TO T H E SE G R E EN F L O W E R S. Indeed, t he richest a ud most magnificent of t he whole family, even rivaling those fantastic curiosities from South America, bloom in t he cool shade a nd open this month. glades of our spruce s w a m p s, during filling The Calopogon pulchellus. It. Br. for instance, flowers, the glades with its line stalks of flesh pink each an inch square, six to ten on a stalk, growing as thick as the grass in a pasture, forms a view not easily forgotten. And here is a queer one; look IIOAV you will, t h at flower is "out of w h a c k !" It looks to be bottom-side u p; really it is the ouly one t h at is right side up, t he lip being on t he vqjper side, while the others a re wrong-side up, caused by a t w i st of t he pod during growth. THE QUEEN OF O R C H I D S. ladyslipper. After Then back on the edges of t he glade, a m o ng t he spruce a nd t a m a r a c k, one finds t h at almost g r a n d e st of orchids, t he showy following the t r a in of flowers through t he Arethusa, yellow, pink, and white, moccasin flowers, and now with an armful of Calopogons, each having been avowed the finest specimen of plant life ever seen, you find your self confronted by a clump of tall, rich-leaved plants. Searching t he ground for little wonders, one stumbles into this clump with its crimped leaves, six inches wide and ten inches lohg, before he realizes w h at he has found; and there, right on a level w i th his eye, nodding a dewy good morning, s t a n ds t he queen of t he orchid family. T he slipper is t h e r e; it is t wo inches long, a beautiful light cream, mottled w i th t i nt t h at would s h a me t he fairest a delicate flesh cheek the sun ever s a w; and, to back it up, instead of the twisted yellowish green sepals of the others, we And them broad and petal-like; and, p a r t a k i ng of t he coloring of t he lip, they surround it with a halo of pure white. And a bunch of six or ten stalks, with from one to three flowers on a stalk, s t a n ds before you; not only this, but t he s w a mp t h at grows one plant of Cypripedium spectabile, Salisb., usually grows hundreds of t h e m; a nd we have seen m a ny a staid, prim schoolma'm g a t h er her a r ms full a nd t h en sit down on a log to rest, tired out, b ut w i th a look in her eyes a nd an expression on her face t h at would be a revelation to those w ho only see her w h en pale from t he usual coat of chalk dust. And now, having tired ourselves out, we find the moss under our feet has a covering of slender plants, with only a single leaf in t he middle of each stem and one at the top. Above this is a single flower, or sometimes t w o, an open m o u th like t he Arethusa, but not so large. It is a delicate thing, not over a a little half inch w i d e; a bright creamy shading on t he lower lip. T h is fra g r a nt at first sight, a nd it is; a peculiar fragrance, not strong, b ut after being con^ned in a b a s k et for a half hour, on opening the cover we a re reminded of those delicate eastern prefumes, of fine permeating fragrance, which is not like a n y t h i ng else, b ut seems to have t he best p a rt of carnations, roses, lilies, cloves and spices, combined in one breath. rose pink, w i th looks~ to fringed appear is t he purple T he J u ly H a b e n a r i as a re t he fringed orchids. T he first orchid, (H. psycodes, Gray). This grows in s w a m ps quite abund antly, a nd h as been found along roadsides even in flowers, settled districts. spike each about three-quarter often consists of forty or fifty flowers; t he lip is fan- shaped, a nd delicately, though not finely, fringed. It h as a spike of purple square. T he inch At about the same time, H. leueophea, Gray, m a k es flowers its appearance. This h as light cream-colored tint. T he spike is sometimes one with a greenish sided, a nd in d a rk woods is often one a nd a half feet long. T he lip is three-parted, a nd t he p a r ts a re finely fringed. Soon following these, come t he color orchids, yellow and white fringed, (H. ciliaris R. Br. and H. blepha- riglottis, Torr.). T he t a m a r a ck s w a mp is their home, and a gaudy place they make it. The yellow fringed h as a spike about eight inches long, of flowers over a half inch square, t h at a re t he brightest salmon yel low ever created. And the white fringe is as purely white as the other is yellow. there lis another In this month curiosity, t he Coral is one green orchis, (H. virescens, Spreng.), which is peculiar in having a prominent nose right in t he middle of t ae lip. July root, also gives (Corallhorhiza multiflora, Nutt.). These plants are parasitic, have no leaves, a nd no green coloring mat ter. The roots look like a piece off of a coarse coral rock, t he stalks are yellow, and the flowers, arranged in a loose spike, are purple or yellow, dotted with white. These grow in rich woods on dry hills and along ravines. along t he surface of AUGUST ADDS HER MITE. Angnst furnishes a few orchids in this part of the state. The rattlesnake root (Goodyera pubescens. it. Br.), h as roots running the ground, witli here and there a clump of dark green leaves about t wo inches long; these are curiously marked with white veins. They a re evergreen, and one is often startled by seeing them in the dry leaves, late in fall or early in the spring. From the center of the cluster of leaves grows an almost naked stalk that bears a spike about three inches long, of small, white, sack-like flowers, that are very interesting in appearance and in their means for fertilization. The last of the month, and lapping over into Sep tember, the ladies tresses, (Spiranthes cerinua. Rich ard.), m ay be found along rich swamps and in damp meadows. This little beauty has grass-like leaves, and a short, close, twisted spike of creamy white flowers; these have a delicious odor, strong a nd sweet. railroads, through There a re many other orchids in Michigan; we have named twenty-four, and the state can boast of forty- six. The genus Microstylis, containing t wo species, called Adder's mouth orchids, has but one leaf about half w ay up a slender stalk, t h at bears a loose spike of minute, green flowers. F a r t h er north the little Calypso borealis, .Salisb., is found. This has but one leaf from a little bulb, resting in t he moss, which produces a short stalk bearing a single, snowy, pink, purple, and yellow flower, much like a tiny lady- slipper. The Crane fly orchis (Tipularia discolor, Nutt.), pro duces a long spike of little greenish flowers t h at look just like mosquitos! Then the Pagonia h as a brother, (P. divaricata, Nutt.), whose ribbon-like sepals and petals a re over t wo inches long. Orchids ai'e perennials, and many of them can be j.hey repay, groAvn with success under cultivation. by their foliage, almost tropical in some, and none at all in others, and their peculiar flowers, varying from a shoe to a fly in shape, and with t he most ex quisite blending of bright and sombre colors, all the for time t h at need be spent in preparing a place them. And the study of their means for fertilization, opens to one's mind new ideas regarding the laws and methods of nature. AT THE COLLEGE. H a r ry Westcott entered College last Tuesday. \V. G. Amos, '97/H, entertained his mother one day last week. E. A. Baker, '99>H, spent Sunday at his home in Carson City. E. M. Kanter, with '96m, visited t he College last Fri day evening. Mrs. F. C. Kenney is receiving a visit from her sister, Miss Shaw. Representative Redfern visited his son, Scott J., a few hours last Friday. The Hesperians entertained the co eds of the cam pus last Saturday evening. . The Y. M. C. A. and Y. W. C. A. handbook and Col lege directory will be out tomorrow. Our reporter saw President Snyder feeding a threshing machine one day last week. Carl N. Hoppough, '99, and M. J. Richmond, '00, wheeled home last Friday and returned Monday. Eugene Price, '00, while playing foot ball last Thurs day sprained t he muscle of his shoulder quite badly. Mr. a nd Mrs. K. L. Butterfield have taken up their residence at 309 W a s h t e n aw street west, Lansing, Mich. T HE M. A. C. K E C O KD OCTOBER 13, 1896. A practice game of foot ball with Lansing high school on T h u r s d ay evening resulted in a score of 6 to 0 in favor of M. A. G. L. C. Brooks, '92m, returned to M. A. C. last Thurs day. The "Sacramento," on which he w as second engineer, h as been laid up for t he winter. Messrs. F. C. Kinney, R. L. Stocoum, C. D. Butter- field, and G. D. Miller w e nt on t he excursion to t he home of W m. McKinley last FrWay evening. T he State central committee of t he Sound Money Democratic p a r ty has placed the name of Dr. H o w a rd E d w a r ds on its ticket for member of t he State Board of Education. The ladies of the F i r st Presbyterian church of Lansing gave a reception in t he church parlors last Friday evening to F r a nk Yebina, '95, w ho will soon leave for J a p a n. Lieut. Lewis and family a re spending the last of their vacation at 115 West 23d street, Baltimore, Md. The Lieutenant reports the son as flourishing—carries his father's sword now. At a meeting of the International Association of F a r m e r s' Institute Workers, to be held in Chicago tomorrow a nd Thursday. K. L. Butterfield, '91, will ivad a paper on "Causes of Friction in F a r m e r s' In stitute Work." The McKinley and Hobart Bicycle Club of Lansing made a run to the College last Wednesday evening. They and the students were given a short political address from the steps of the Library by Labor Com missioner Morse. F. T. Williams, "98, and T. L. Hankinson, '98, broke the record in student labor last Friday. They were assigned, by Mr. Fulton, to build a fence in No. 12. It is said that in t wo and one-half hours Williams laid up t wo rails and Hankinson one. The Trust a nd Try Circle of King's Daughters will give an entertainment in the Y. M. C. A. rooms Oct. 23. Mrs. Lewis Esselstyn will give an address on Persia, after which light refreshments will be served. Admission 10c. All a re invited to come. The M. A. C. Republican club elected the following officers last Thursday: President, J. W. Rigterink; vice president, S. H. Fulton; secretary, C. W. Loomis; treasurer, George F. Richmond; executive committee, C. C. Pashby, D. J. Crosby, J. D. McLouth. The Imperial Hungarian grass from field No. 5 w as threshed last week and yielded 80 bushels of seed. The ground planted w as less t h an t wo acres and the crop w as drilled in rows three feet apart. T he s t r aw from the entire crop w as hauled at one load. WOMAN IN THE SHOP. P R O F. C. L W E I L. in the Shop." The editor of the RECORD requests an article, and suggests for a subject, "Woman I understand t h at our editor h ad t he school, or college, shop in mind when making t he suggestion, a nd t h at he Avishes t he writer to consider the value to women of a training in shop practice, a nd especially in such practice as is usually considered to afford a particular field for men. The work of a school or college shop is generally arranged either as a part of a manual training course or as auxiliary work in a professional training, or preparation for a certain trade; t h at is, the schools having shops, are, as a rule, devoted to giving instruc tion in manual training, engineering, or trades. T he shop, of a certain kind at least, serves as a valuable manual training aid in the education of girls. By manaul training we do not mean a training of t he hand to bring about increased productive skill, but rather "a training of t he mind through the senses of touch and perception." T he use of tools in working materials helps greatly to secure a nd fix the habit of 1/linking. T he claim is made by some that training in cook ing, sewing, and similar pursuits is more fitting a nd profitable for girls than a training in t he use of tools, and Ave feel t h at such is t he case in so far as w h at may be termed a direct profit is concerned, b ut believe that the training of young girls in the use of tools is fully as fitting a nd furnishes more profitable results from a "true manual training standpoint" t h an work along any of t he lines first mentioned. We must bear in mind, Avhen considering the values of various kinds of work as aids in manual training, in \vhat t he true object of manual training consists. I have defined manual training as "a training of the mind through the senses of touch a nd perception;" it would seem evident that the result sought in such training is not productive skill or t he production of a salable article. C. M. Woodward, an authority, says in a quite recent article: training " T he pre-eminent value of such (manual) should never be jeopardized by t he trifling value of a concrete product." We believe Mr. Wood ward's statement is worthy of careful consideration, in so far as pure manual training is concerned. Obser vation a nd a consideration of t he conclusions arriA^ed at by those who have m a de m a n u al training a special study t h at among w h at m ay be called primary manual studies none a re more condu cive to t he a t t a i n m e nt of desired results, in t he case of either sex, t h an some kinds of woodwork, for instance such as light carpentry a nd wood carving. lead to t he belief We Avould note, however, t he necessity of providing such instruction as mentioned above at an early age in order t h at full value be derived from the same, a nd Avill conclude concerning pure manual training by stating t h at the manual training exercises furnished by carpentry a nd wood-carving a re of particular value in the case of either boys or girls. We Avill next consider "Woman in t he Shop" as a student of some one of t he so-called technical profes sions, for some of such professions offer great oppor tunities for Avomen, for instance a r c h i t e c t u ra W h at woman can accomplish in the line of architecture is illustrated by t he career of Miss Gannon, of New York cily. When a young woman enters upon t he study of one of the technical professions, imTolving in its study practice in shops, it is not only desirable, but neces sary, that she carry on such shopwork as is under taken by young men engaged in the same profession. The work of engineering a nd similar technical school shops, it must be understood, is not a r r a n g ed for manual training instruction, as previously defined, is bordering rather on t he work of the t r a de school shops, b ut while in t he latter shops t he object sought is the training of pupils for a definite trade, not only a training in principles a nd fundamental processes, but also a training of t he hand for the sake of produc tive skill, In t he first named t he intention is to pre sent to the student the underlying principles a nd t he touch main processes of a number of trades directly upon the student's future professional work; the acquisition of a knoAvledge of a n u m b er of trades, is the object sought r a t h er t h an m a n u al dexterity in any one trade, a nd such knowledge constitutes pro t he foregoing fessional will, we believe, show hoAV essential it is t h at young Avomen entering upon the study of a technical pro fession involving shopAvork should make such Avork a part of their course of study. • capital. Consideration of t h at We conclude then that it is both essential a nd fit ting in primary manual training a nd in the study of certain for girls a nd young Avomen to undertake certain lines of shopAvork that haATe been considered in the past by many to form par ticular fields for boys a nd young men. technical professions This is certainly coming. Need we consider "Woman in t he Shop" as t he stu d e nt of a special trade, and of such t r a d es as men have been considered heretofore peculiarly adapted to undertake? It Avould seem t h at w o m an h as entered the this Avork also. At a recent meeting of upon American Society of Mechanical Engineers Mr. Gobeille, the manager of large industrial AA-orks, made the following statement: "Seriously I believe t he 'woman question' will be prominently before t he In a little while women will society in a few years. be running all the lighter tools in machine shops a nd factories. I am doing it and others must come to it." We a re of t he opinion t h at the above is a someAvhat extreme A'ieAV of future industrial condition, neA^ertheless the s t a t e m e nt is one worthy of serious consideration because of its source. the present time Avomen a re employed in shops and foundries doing work t h at h as been considered in the past suitable only for men, still we have not expected t h at women would enter t he industrial walks of men to the extent predicted by Mr. Gobeille, but if Mr. Gobeille predicts correctly we cannot but apprehend Avith some uneasiness our future inventive genius a nd mechanical skill have been developed to an extent among our people t h at precludes at least the possibility of industrial scenes in this country such as are described by Mr. F. F. Prentiss in a recent number of Cassier's Magazine as occurring in J a p a n. We quote from Mr. Prentiss' article, wishing to point Avhere a considerable ingress on t he p a rt of woman into Avhat a re considered, in this country, t he indus trial walks of men m ay lead in some cases. industrial condition. We know that at Fortunately Mr. Prentiss describes for driving piles in J a p an a nd says: Attached to t he h a m m er block were twenty-seven ropes carried up to the top of the frame and down on the outside, look- the a p p a r a t us used i OCTOBER la, 1896. T HE M. A. C. R E C O R D. 3 ing very much like an old-fashioned May-pole. Twenty-seven women had hold of t he ends, and with a sing song, all together, pulled down; up the rod four feet traveled the hammer, then, at a scream, all let go and down it came on top of t he pile. These women were paid twenty cents in gold per day." Mr. Prentiss does not describe t he style of dress worn by these workingwomen, b ut we do not doubt, from w h at we h a ve learned of Japanese customs and costumes, t h at the clothing of these women would have been quite satisfactory to the most radical "new woman." We certainly hope it was a better condition of affairs t h an t h at described by Mr. Prentiss t h at the in mind who, at a gentleman from the bouth had banquet, when called upon to respond to t he toast, "Woman," spoke of woman, in reference to man, as, "once our superior but now our equal." A quantity of Florida moss, Tillandsia usneoides, w as burned which gave 2.20 per cent, of ash. Analy sis of this ash gave 3.50 per cent, of real potash, and 1.73 per cent, of phosphoric acid. This ash contained a large amount of salts of lime and magnesia, and nearly half their weight of salts of soda. • Desiring to subject an epiphytal orchid to the same process I obtained from Mr. Gunson, the College Florist, a fragment of Dendrobium Nobile, which weighed 11.245 grams when dry, and left .335 g r a ms of ash when burned, or 2.97 per cent, of ash. F r om this ash 28 milligrams of potash ( K20 ), and 19 milli grams of phosphoric acid ( P206) were obtained. T he ash of all these epiphytes contained, in addition, lime, magnesia, soda, silica, and oxide of iron—the same elements t h at are found in plants growing in the soil. If an epiphyte shall be found t h at leaves no ash when burned we may assume t h at ash. materials are not necessary for such plant. T he fact t h at the low est forms of plant life, such as mould and yeast, con tain potash and phosphorus in their ash, is significant. I have just gathered a fungus growing on the dead limb of a black walnut tree, and find it contained 3.05 • per cent, ash, and yielded 38 milligrams of phosphoric acid. The presence of potash and phosphoric acid in all forms of plant life is something more t h an an acci dent, and bears some important relation to nutrition. the question with which you started: Where do these plants get these vital min erals? Manifestly from some outside source, because plants do not form mineral matter. T h at epiphytes are on t he alert for mineral matter is shown by their careful conservation of the ash elements they already hold. Note the thin and papery character of the cast- off leaves of orchids shed leaves of forest trees. The orchids seem to search the pockets for the last penny before they throw aside their worn-out clothes. in comparison with the I now return to P l a n ts that grow within the reach of the ocean spray carried far inland by the wind, such as t he Florida moss, may obtain ash elements from sea salts lodged on them. The large amount of the soda salts found in Florida moss would strengthen this impres sion. Parasitic plants, like the Mistletoe, by means of their haustoria penetrate the cambium of their host and drink in with t he sap both mineral m a t t er and In like manner the arboreal epiphytes organic food. by their roots penetrate t he bark of their host and may derive mineral matter from this bark which is seven times richer in ash elements t h an the wood. Many saprophytes derive their mineral as well as their organic food from decaying wood, and it is rea sonable to suppose that arboreal epiphytes should derive their mineral food from bark. If the orchid is attached to brick or an earthen pot, such materials are merely hardened soil, and from them the plants, by the acid juices of their roots, may extract mineral matter. Florists often place moss in the frame that supports the orchid to retain w a t er and the plant may derive a supply of ash. The firm attachment of (he roots of orchids to the wooden frame that gives them support, suggests t he possibil ity of the extraction of mineral matter from the wood, if the water given the orchids contains mineral mat ter this becomes an evident means of supplying ash food to the plant. By water culture I have raised stalks of Indian corn three feet high with no source of mineral food except well water frequently changed. It may be found t h at by watering orchids at the proper time with a very dilute solution (one p a rt in a thousand of water) of the phosphate of potash, the growth of the plant may be promoted. It is claimed by some t h at atmospheric dust is the source of ash elements to epiphytes, but this is doubt ful unless the dust settles upon the bark or other sup port of the plant and thus comes in contact with the roots of the orchid. We have no evidence t h at the leaves of land plants absorb mineral matter. The normal channel for mineral matter is through the roots of plants. This is a long letter, but your question could not be answered in a few lines. Department. Chemical However, we a re inclined to believe t h at in case women in this country are going into the machine and similar shops it is because of lack of opportunities to learn such t r a d es as cooking, weaving, and house work, trades t h at many people consider more espe cially fitting for women. It would seem t h at a condi tion of affairs confronts us t h at points out the neces sity of establishing numerous trade schools where young women may be taught those trades for which women are more particularly adapted. But some may say t h at we should not attempt to d r aw any line in regard to "adaptability," and t h at a woman has "as much right" to become a machinist or a blacksmith as a man or as some other woman to become an archi tect, and we do not question this right. Perhaps it is simply "an old-fashioned notion of propriety" t h at leads some to prefer seeing a woman at work sewing, cooking, or at household duties rather t h an engaged in cleaning castings. Woman finds a place in the man ual training school shop and in the professional school shop, and it is also true that in many of our factories, in certain lines of work, a place is made for woman, but we are inclined to believe t h at such an "whole sale" entry of women into machine shops, foundries, iron works, and so on, as Mr. Gobeille might lead us to anticipate, would not tend toward t he elevation of mankind, and t h at it is not advisable to arrange for girls' trades schools along such lines. THE ASH OF ORCHIDS. D R. E. C. K E D Z I E. N. H. Sept. 1, 1890. Dr. Kedzie: Dear Sir—I have been interested in reading a reprint of your paper entitled "The Chemi cal Tripod in Floriculture," in the Florists' Exchange. In it you make the statement t h at no plant can grow in the absence of potassium and phosphorus. Are you If so, will you kindly let me know correct in this? where epiphytal orchids get these elements. I am working on the subject of nutrition for orchids and w a nt to secure all the light available. Gray states t h at oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen and carbon a re the only absolutely necessary elements needed by all plants. Of course the terrestrial plants do not flour elements. Do you know ish without the mineral whether orchids analyze any mineral elementsV Of course there is dust in the atmosphere; but it hardly seems possible t h at any solution of it can reach many varieties of orchids in their natural habitat. I should be under great obligation if you can give me any sci entific information on this point. Yours txmly, J. M. W. K., M. 1). Agricultural College, Sept. 7, 1896. Dr. J. M. W. K.: Dear Doctor—Your esteemed favor of Sept. 1st is received, in which you call in question my statement that no plant can grow in the absence Of potash and phosphorous, and ask how can epiphytal orchids get potash and phosphorus? In this discussion it seems to me that the first ques tion to be decided is whether such orchids contain these ash elements? If epiphytal orchids do not con tain these ash elements it is useless to inquire where I have therefore directed my at they can get them. tention to the question whether epiphytes contain pot ash and phosphorus. Unfortunately these plants are in our green houses, and we do not very precious "have orcids to burn." turned my I therefore first attention to an epiphyte growing on forest trees in Florida, and k n o wn as "tree pine," the Tillandsia bulbosa. T he roots of the plant had freely penetrated the bark of the tree and the bark had to be cut a w ay to get the separate plant. On burning this plant there remained three per cent, of ash, from which 25 milli grams of real potash ( K20) and 18 milligrams of phosphoric acid were obtained. A NORTH MICHIGAN DAIRY HERD. GORDON H. T R U E. It h as been my privilege during t he last t wo weeks to test some of the cows in one of the remarkably good dairy herds of Michigan. The owner is one of the enterprising farmers of the state, and, to one who has visited t h at p a rt of the country before, it will be no surprise to know t h at he is located in the northern peninsula; for, if energy and thought are p ut into the operation of farming anywhere, it is in the north of Michigan. The farm is mostly within t he city limits, where land is poor but high priced, and carries a herd which, as a result of careful selection, intelli gent breeding, and diligent weeding out, is good enough to pay handsome dividends even in these times of low prices, a nd on a farm of almost pure a nd unad ulterated sand. One of the things preached by Agricultural Colleges is t he importance of the dairyman's keeping a record of the milk and butter fat production of his herd, Six years ago the owner of this farm had learned this lesson and began such a record. The milk of each cow is weighed two days in a week throughout the year and the average of these is taken as t he average for the year. He has t h us been enabled to intelli gently weed out the poorer ones, and pedigree nor price have not been spared where performance was lacking. Two years ago the average yield from forty-four a n i m a ls w as 8,028 pounds of milk for t he year; last year thirty-six head averaged 9,171 pounds, while this year, the figures at present indicate, that the average will be over 10,000 pounds per head, and twelve of the thirty-six animals are heifers with first calf. The time was when this record would have satisfied the owner, but now he has set his m a rk at 12,000 pounds of milk per head. A test of the herd milk showed an average of 3.2 per cent, of butter fat. The treatment of young heifers is unusual and inter t wo esting. They are bred so as to come in before years old, and about three m o n t hs before calving feeding grain is commenced and gradually increased till, when the calf comes, the heifer is on full grain feed. No trouble has been experienced with this method, and it is argued t h at thereby it is possible to determine one year earlier w h e t h er or not the heifer is worth keeping in the herd. While all the animals are well fed none are stuffed or even forced to their full capacity, 'iud there has been but one case of milk fever three years. in the last The herd consists of registered Holstein Fresian cattle owned by Mr. W. S. Carpenter, of the Broad w ay Dairy F a r m, Menominee, Mich., a nd h as been kept to produce milk and cream for t he city trade. It seems to me there is something to be learned from Mr. Carpenter's experience. Farm Department. NEW BOOKS IN THE LIBRARY. The following books have recently been added to the library: Brewster—Memoirs of Sir Isaac Newton, 2 vols; Trea tise on optica. Cross—Free-hand d r a w i n g; d r a w i ng lessons for gram m ar grades; d r a w i ng lessons for primary grades, Davis—Standard practical plumbing, vol. 2; Diction ary of National Biography, vols. 45, 40. Duthie and Fuller—Field and garden crops of north western provinces, 3 vols. Dyer—Handbook of light artillery; firing regulations for magazine rifle, caliber 30. Forbush and Fernald—The gypsy moth (Mass. Bd. of Agri). Home—Precis of modern tactics. Lamb—English d r a m a t ic poets, 2 vols. Lintner—Injurious insects of N. H., 10th reports. Matthews—Poems of American patriotism. Michaux—Flora Boreali-Americana, 2 vols. Prang—Primary course in a rt education; complete course in form study and drawing, 4 vols. Yoorhees—First principles of agriculture. Wegg-Prosser—Galelio and his judges. Also a number of government reports and books DOES POLLEN BEARING DEPLETE THE VIGOR OF THE PLANT? from the bindery. Above is the title of a thesis which M. G. Kains, '95, is preparing for an M. S. degree in Agriculture at Cornell. Mr. Kains writes, "If any botanically in clined alumnus can give me references to literature on the drain of pollen-bearing on the plant, I will be much obliged extremely scarce." to him. References are The longer I live the more certain 1 am that the great difference between men, the great and the in significant, is energy—invincible determination, an honest purpose once fixed—and then the victory. T h at quality will do anything t h at in the world; and no talents, no circumstances no oppor tunity, will make a two-legged creature without it, —Goethe, can be done 4 T HE M. A. O. E E C O R D. . OCTOBER 13, 1896. The M. A. C. Reeord. PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY THE MICHIGAN AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE E D I T ED BY T HE F A C U L T Y, ASSISTED BY T HE STUDENTS. A D D R E SS A LL M A IL TO L O CK B OX 262, L A N S I N G, M I CH S U B S C R I P T I O N, 50 CENTS P ER T E A R. Business Office with R O B E RT S M I TH P R I N T I NG C O ., Printers and Binders, 108-120 Michigan Ave. West, Lansing, Mich. Entered as second-class matter at Lansing, Mich. For various reasons T HE M. A. C. R E C O BD is occasionally sent to those who have not subscribed for t he paper. Such persons need have no hesitation about taking t he paper from the post- office, for no charge will be made for it. The only way, how ever, to secure t he RECORD regularly is to subscribe. SALUTATORY. I that say will title. By to canvass t he dignity of I w as asked by the RECORD to compose a "salu shall p:irt of my duties, Institute work, hardly be tatory," but w h at resolu worth it h as been tion of t he Board of Agriculture to addition made a in F a r m e r s' for new students for M. A. C. In this work I am under t he direction of President Snyder, but I will take t he liberty to say t h at plans a re already being carried out for soliciting special course students, a nd a large number of circular letters and leaflets are now in pro cess of distribution all over the State. I would like to urge, upon t he p a rt of every one w ho receives the RECORD,—alumni, old students, and farmers generally, co-operation with us in securing a large attendance of special course students this coming winter. Many young men wrill be glad to improve this opportunity if they only know of it, a nd a personal word calling attention to the advantages offered will often do more than scores of letters. So we most earnestly ask for your aid. If you will send to President Snyder the names of half a dozen young men in your neighbor hood who might be induced to come they will be fur nished with t he courses. We shall have more to say about our plans as they develop and are ready for execution. Mean time we shall be glad to know t h at you a re with us in an effort to enlarge the usefulness of M. A. C. KENYON L. B U T T E R F I E L D, '91. ^ Student Field Agent, M. A. C. information regarding detailed / CO-OPERATIVE BOOKSTORE. A mass meeting of faculty a nd of students w as field in the Chapel last Friday evening to hear reports from t he committees appointed the previous week. Dr. Edwards, chairman of t he committee to see about transportation between Lansing a nd t he Col lege, reported as follows: T he street car company assures us good service, at least, until t he present controversy with in the courts, which wrill probably be a long time in t he future. A b us line wrould not be supported by t he surround ing community so long as t he cars run. Therefore, it does not appear to t he committee feasible to go into t he transportation business. t he city is settled Prof. Hedrick reported for t he committee on co operative association work: At its first meeting t he committee agreed to abandon t he idea of a general store on account of t he starting of t he street cars. As to a bookstore t he committee reported some in teresting facts, based upon investigations carefully made. The average price of fourteen text books used at t he College is $2.45. These books can be got by wholesale at an average price of $1.81, leaving a mar gin of 64 cents for transportation, cost of handling, and profit, to say nothing of t he additional margin t h at will result from discounting bills. As an example of w h at has been done Prof. Hedrick referred to the annual report of t he Albion College Cooperative Association, which has been in successful operation for nearly three years. Some of tHe~ele- ments which this association h as found valuable a re wrorth considering: 1. Life membership fee, $1.00, entitling members to all special privileges a nd discounts. 2. Two prices on all l>ooks, members getting them at the lowest figure. 3. Start with 100 paid memberships. 4. All sales spot cash. 5. Discount all bills. Albion College started with a capital of $100 a nd discounted all bills at t he begin ning of the first term, with sales over $1,000 during the first few days. 6. F ix prices at such a figure as to yield a small profit above expenses. Use surplus to enlarge business. 7. Select a good, hustling business m an for man ager and pay him a fair salary. 8. Exercise great care in ordering books, pains to avoid loading up with books not needed. taking This association h as succeeded in greatly reducing the eost of books to students a nd is worthy o ur care ful consideration. A lengthy discussion, in which both faculty a nd students participated, followed t he report, a nd t he committee wras instructed to formulate a plan of or ganization to be reported at t he next meeting. STATE AGRICULTURAL REPORT. Every farmer now-a-days needs a few well selected books bearing on his calling, which shall contain, be sides the leading principles of the art, a record of t he experience of t he best farmers in his o wn region. To the progressive farmer of Michigan no better foun dation for such a farm library is to be h ad t h an t he reports of t he Michigan State Board of Agriculture, containing as they do, in permanent form ready for the library shelf, a report of t he farmers' institutes, witli t he leading papers, discussions, a nd questions and answers, brief reports upon t he state fair, state dairymen's association, a full report of t he officers of t he Stale Agricultural College, with t he work of complete reprint of all the bulletins of t he state experiment station. The reports of the State Board of Agriculture thus contain a fund of agricultural information adapted to t he needs of t he Michigan farmer to be found nowhere else. When it is considered t h at these reports a re published by t he state a nd furnished free as long as t he supply lasts, it would seem t h at noth ing more were needed for them to find a place in nearly every farm house in Michigan. departments, a nd a t he various The volume just issued, for t he year 1895, is t he largest yet published, containing 900 pages. Among its special features of interest are a report of the first series of farmers' institutes held under t he increased appropriation, a report of t he first convention of Michigan farmers' clubs, and a brief report of the 4th annual meeting of t he State Live Stock Association. Among t he topics treated by t he farm department of the Agricultural College a nd experiment station are new forage plants, variety tests of wheat, dairy mat ters and reports of feeding experiments. Some of t he leading horticultural topics are an account of the new irrigating system at t he College, recent experiments in treating plant diseases, a report of t he South H a ven substation and special articles on various fruits. Among the contributed articles we notice an interest ing account of the lettuce industry at Grand Rapids. Finally, we would say, get this book and as many of t he earlier volumes as possible. T he publication of these reports began in 1849, and the volumes for sev eral of the earlier years m ay still be had. These index indexed, a nd an reports a re all cov h as been c o m -. t he ering years forty first piled finally, do not in one volume. And again store these books in t he garret, or use them for scrap books because they a re free, b ut place them on shelves within easy reach a nd you will be surprised to find how many questions of every d ay agriculture can be answered by consulting their pages. A VACATION TRIP. P R O F. W A R R EN BABCOCK, J R. August 27th last found Mrs. Babcock, Mr. C. D. Butterfield and myself aboard a 1)., L. & N. excursion train bound for Petoskey and northern Michigan. At Grand Rapids our train passed to t he tracks of t he C. & W. M. road and wre were dropped at our destina tion about 9 o'clock t h at evening. Through t he kind ness of Prof. AY. O. Hedrick our party w as safely lodged for the night, though, owing to t he great num ber of excursionists in the city, many were less fortu nate. I heard one farmer tourist complaining t h at he w as forced to give t he price of two bushels of w h e at for a bed that night. Petoskey stands on rising grounds along t he south shore of Little Traverse Bay a nd looks out upon t he waters of Lake Michigan. I ts n a t u r al advantages as a resort and as a business center, t he fact t h at the air alleviates the sufferings of h ay fever patients to gether with t he enterprise of its residents h a ve all , combined to make it a thriving northern town. As we pass along a nd around t he b ay we come successively to B ay View, Roaring Brook, Wequeton- sing, H a r b or Springs a nd Harbor Point, t he last t wo being on t he northern shore of t he bay. All t h e se to gether with Petoskey make up one long line of resorts connected by t he G. R. & I. railroad, which r u ns to H a r b or Springs following the line of t he beach. B ay View h as grown from a camp meeting ground, w i th tents of poles a nd canvas, to a large collection of well-built summer cottages along well-laid out streets. The old stump t h at did service as a pulpit in the early days of the resort has given place to a large assembly t h at hall, capable of seating t he immense crowds yearly attend these. Our p a r ty experienced some trouble in finding t he stream from which the resort, Roaring Brook, derives its name, b ut our efforts w e re finally rewrarded. A truly beautiful stream it is, running through a wild, tangled wood of cedar, its w a t e rs clear a nd cold a nd all its surroundings having an air of peace a nd quiet —not in t he least suggestive of t he n a me t he natives have given it. At H a r b or Springs, with Prof. Hedrick a nd Mr. C. J. F o r e m an as guides, we visited t he Catholic In dian school. H e re Poor Lo is introduced to t he mys teries of the three R's a nd receives instruction in t he industrial a r ts of his pale-face brother. T he boys' and girls' departments a re strictly separate, Catholic sisters having charge of t he girls, while t he boys a re instructed by men. Though m a ny of t he pupils were a w ay on their vacation, a nd t h us t he institution w as not in operation, enough w as seen to convince us t h at the school gives its students a training t h at cannot fail to better their condition. Mr. Butterfield invested a quarter in a pamphlet printed in t he Indian lan guage by a young Indian printer, and I doubt not t h at t h at same pamphlet proved to be intensely interest ing. To appreciate the efforts of these few Catholics to raise t he red m an from his present deplorable con dition, we m u st recollect t he adverse circumstances under which this w o rk is carried on. T he general government h as w i t h d r a wn such schools, though it never encouraged them much; a nd t he consequently church, for t he Indians themselves cannot contrib ute. Add to t he financial difficulties those t h at come from t he stolid a nd indifferent natures of t he pupils and we have enough to discourage t he most persever ing. support must come its help from their from Of course we visited t he other places, helped our selves to t he bark, of t he birches regardless of signs w a r n i ng us not t o; rode in t he ferries upon t he b a y; got sea sick—that is t he others did, a nd otherwise en joyed ourselves. After all, t he chief attraction of resort is its viewr of t he bay, with its varied each shades of blue water, its tossing w a v es or glassy smoothness, its white, pebbly beach, its border of green hills, its craft, its clustered t o w n s. Our rains h ad been followed by strong westerly winds a nd chilly, unpleasant w e a t h e r, a nd we al ready sighed for a "sunnier clime," so after a stay of four days in t he Petoskey region we started for home by w ay of Mackinac Island. No description c an do justice to this "Gem of t he North." H e re is seen in wrhat stupendous proportions Nature builds. Arch Rock, Sugar Loaf Rock a nd Lover's Leap a re sights t h at repay one for t he longest journey; while asso ciated with these are some of the most stirring events of Michigan's early history. Standing on t he sight of old F o rt Holmes, 336 feet above t he w a t er and named in honor of the American hero of 1814, the straits, t he lakes, t he island lay before us. T he sight is simply superb. We must h u r ry on. Wedenesday, September 2d, we take t he steamer City of Alpena, of t he D. & C. line a nd start for Toledo, calling at Cheboygan, Al pena, Sand Beach, Port Huron, a nd Detroit. Barring- some rainy w e a t h er a nd a little rough w a t er w h en lakes a nd j u st out from Alpena t he trip down t he rivers w as greatly enjoyed by us all. It w as during t he rough weather j u st mentioned t h at t he w r i t er experi enced his first s ea sickness, a nd he n ow thoroughly appreciates t he force of t he saying t h at one so af flicted is not afraid t h at he will die, b ut t h at he won't die. However, we left t he steamer for an hour at Alpena, a nd after a w a lk upon t e r ra firma a nd a visit to one of Alpena's large lumbering mills, our stomachs were restored to a settled condition. A brief stay of t wo hours in Toledo a nd we r e t u rn to Detroit, there to p a rt company with Mr. Butterfield, who, from this point, will have to account for himself. After a visit in Detroit a nd our old home in Wash t e n aw County Mrs. Babcock a nd myself returned to the College Sept. 12th. Mathematical Department. OCTOBER 13, 1896. THE M. A. C. KECORD. 5 T HE P U RE FOOD LAWS. J O HN I. B R E C K, '84, INSPECTOR. through I am pleased to assure t he readers of t he Record t h at t he operation of t he P u re Food L a ws during t he p a st year h as been very successful a nd of v a st benefit to both consumers a nd producers of food products in our State. W h en t he l aw w e nt into force, to say t h at 95 per cent, of t he spices sold were adulterated, is a conservative statement. T he sophistication of other articles w as enormous, especially of vinegar, jellies, lard, honey, b u c k w h e at flour, a nd other articles. At t he present time n ot more t h an 15 per cent, a re found adulterated. This means much to t he f a r m e rs if we consider vinegar alone. A year ago practically no pure cider vinegar w as sold jobbers a nd wholesalers. At pi*esent about t he only "cider" vine gar in t he m a r k et is made from apples. A careful investigation h as convinced me t h at t he enforcement of t he l aw created a m a r k et for 200,000 bushels of apples rotted on t he ground. At the average price of 10 cents per bushel it t he depleted pocketbooks of Michigan put orchardists t he snug s um of $20,000, or a sum equal to the appropriation for two years. Carload upon car load of artificial jellies were shipped back to manu facturers and their place filled with pure fruit jellies. The honest and industrious honey bee is now produc ing our honey, instead of i ts being produced by t he drones who manufacture glucose at a cost of not to exceed t wo cents per pound. Buckwheat flour is now ground at t he flouring mills instead of at the gypsum quarries. t h at would otherwise haye into B ut while we can congratulate ourselves upon these corrections, there still remains one evil which h as so far ridden haughtily a nd defiantly over all opposi tion, viz.: t he oleomargarine fraud. Experience h as proven t h at t he only way its sale and use can be regu lated is to deny to it t he privilege of masking in t he guise a nd garb of pure butter. Twenty-four states now have such a statute, a nd Indiana, Illinois a nd Michigan are t he only dairy states which have not such a law. Two years ago over eight thousand peo ple petitioned our legislature for such a law, b ut their petitions were denied, although there were practically no protests filed against it. T he farmers a nd dairy men who a re looking after their own interests should exact a pledge from every candidate for senator a nd representative t h at if elected he will favor t he enact ment of such a law. If he will not do so, then vote to leave him at home where he can not ruin w h at should be the chief agricultural industry of Michigan. AMERICA'S F U T U RE IN L I T E R A T U R E. E D W IN A. BAKER, '£ T he t r ue index to t he power a nd influence of a nation for t he time being, as well as t he sole guaran tee for the perpetuity of its glory in the future, is t he nation's literature. Every ancient monarch, or com monwealth which has achieved greatness, has become indebted to some literary genius for t he preservation its fame. Nations of t he present day will be of known to future ages only as they a re portrayed in the literature of today. We are now entering upon a new e ra in t he literary world. T he stage which w as marked a nd empha sized by such men as Longfellow, Lowell, Whittier, Emerson, a nd Holmes, is now past. W h at will be t he character of the coming age? In the past we h a ve little to stimulate our national van ity. We m ay pride ourselves upon the richness of our treasures, upon t he abundance of our resources, upon the freedom of our institutions, y et we must concede t h at as yet we hold a very modest place in the domain of letters. America is poor, when its literature is compared w i th t he accumulated literature of a thou sand years of which England h as to boast. Conditions which produce great epic writers, lyric- poets, dramatists a nd writers of fiction, have been with us entirely wanting. We, as a nation, h a ve been too busily engaged in a struggle with Nature, in building homes a nd in erect ing a civilization to allow much time for t he pursuit of literary work. It is not strange, then, t h at having been engaged in preparing a dwelling place for a great nation, t h at the development of our material in terests h as far outstripped our culture a nd refine ment, t h at we a re rich in money, b ut poor in liter ature. W h en we have attained a certain degree of age and growth t he genius of our people will take a new t u rn a nd then we can hope to change the opinion now held by many, t h at literary talent of a high order must necessarily be trans-atlantic. Until t he present time we h a ve enjoyed t he vigor a nd activity of an early a nd growing youth, a time so unfavorable to calm, pensive thought a nd t he cultiva tion of letters. W h en we have outlived this stage of restlessness which n ow characterizes us a nd gained the calmness which comes with age, then can we hope to gain distinction in literature. This conclusion is verified by existing conditions in our country today. The E a st has already become set tled a nd quiet. H e re we h a ve t he birthplace of our only American literature. T he W e st is yet in an un settled state a nd h as t a k en no p a rt in t he world of letters, which is w o r t hy of mention. This same rea son explains t he superiority of Europe over our na tion as a whole. It cannot be denied, however, t h at literary genius is manifest in t he national mind. Al though the evidences justifying may be few, yet they are sufficient to justify t he most brilliant expecta tions. Our country, despite its youth, is not barren, even of t he most delicate growths. Irving, Bryant, Lowell, Holmes, Longfellow, Emerson, H a w t h o r n e, Webster, and Whittier constitue an assembly which would do honor to any nation. As we look from this point in .our progress to time a century removed can we n ot see before us an e ra which will even rival t he brightest splendor of t he most celebrated literary period in England? It is then t h at t he golden age of America will begin t he era which will establish h er literary fame. Thought, which, since its escape from t he t y r a n ny of t he dark ages, h as gathered strength as it gained freedom a nd scope, will reach its m a t u r i ty of growth in a land so broad a nd free, a nd an atmosphere so congenial as ours, a nd blossom forth in a literature unrivaled in its richness a nd beauty a nd matchless in its strength. The Station has Fifteen Bushels of BUDA PESTH . . . W H E A T . .. Which it will sell at seventy=flve cents per hushel. Address CLINTON D. SMITH, DIRECTOR IF YOU MAKE A tt MISTAKE And get in the wrong place try Thompson 8c Van Buren for your next job of printing. II IF YOU NEVER MADE A MISTAKE Be sure you're started right (for Thompson & Van Buren's) then go ahead. ^^ OTTAWA STREET EAST BOY'S . . . BU6K sells Furniture Rlooi ALL GOODS DELIVERED TO COLLEGE FREE. Best W o v en W i re Cots - Springs, $1 25 - 1 50 WE S E LL E V E R Y T H I N G. M. J. & B. M. BUCK. O P EN E V E N I N G S. LOWEST PRICES WILL BE QUOTED TO SCHOOL LIBRARIES and others sending lists of books wanted to Lansing Book & Paper Co., Lansing, Mich. Fred MM. j£eaMn 8— CO CO » CO CO C3> CO C3> CO f3 CO co CO G£> H Q H (0 w of *> * H to rl 3 0) w> 5- 5 < o CO H z u a co u © 9 0 i o DC 3 O •D O I- a u o u in > w oc * W Z Lu O 5 i- i A