su %. a ©. si ecor 1 VOLUME I. LANSING, MICHIGAN, TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 1896. NUMBER 8. T HE " R O U ND U P" I N S T I T U T E. (Continued from last week.) Second Day—Lire Stock a nd D a i r y. T he second day of t he institute was devoted to t he stock and dairy interests. H. W. Mumford of t he Col lege spoke upon "Economical Methods of Sheep Feed ing," advocating shelter, quiet, and regularity of feed ing. He h ad found corn a nd clover hay to be as a rule t he most economical ration and urged t he importance of using roots or silage. Hon. W. E. Boyden, Delhi Mills, of t he S t a te Board of Agriculture, gave a talk upon '-Will Feeding for Beef P ay in Michigan?" taking t he ground t h at well bred animals if properly handled could be placed upon t he m a r k et at 24 to 26 months at prices t h at would be re munerative, especially as t he coarse products of t he farm and aid in keeping up t he fertility of t he soil. they would consume "Practical Methods of Stock Breeding" was t he theme of Hon. W m. Ball of H a m b u r g. He believes t h at while special breeds are all right for t he specialist, t he ordi nary farmer will do better to breed and use a general purpose horse, sheep and dairy cow. T he above papers were discussed at length by H. H. Hinds, of Stanton, Aaron Clark of Middleville, W m. Lessiter and others. "The Dairy H e r d" was discussed by J. H. Brown of Climax, associate editor of t he Michigan F a r m e r. He advised t he farmers to weed o ut unprofitable animals, testing the milk with a Babcock tester and keeping a record of t he milk produced by each cow. He believes in cow comfort, and would furnish warm b ut well venti lated stables, and take off t he chill from t he water. Prof. C. D. S m i th spoke upon "The Feeding and Care of t he Dairy Herd." He recommended t he selection of animals from dairy breeds b ut regarded t he trueness to type of more importance t h an pedigree. If one is going into dairying he recoa mended t h em to go in for I i "*»- all they are worth. Mr. Brown next explained t he value and method of using t he Babcock tester and was followed by Mr. True who told "How to Make Good Butter." He spoke of t he necessity of cleanliness and of t he importance of a reliable thermometer. He prefers a c h u rn with no in terior fixtures and recommends t he use of a separator as more economical t h an either t he shallow pan, or deep setting. In t he evening Prof. Smith spoke upon " T he Experi m e nt Station," referring to t he value of t he bulletins t h at have been issued and t he work t h at is being done in t he various departments. Prof. Woodworth spoke briefly upon " T he Boiling Point," and Dr. Beal read an elaborate paper upon "Forest Fires" and t he importance of a Forestry Com mission to whom t he whole matter of forest preserva tion can be referred. T h i rd Day—General F a r m i n g. Hon. A. C. Glidden of P aw Paw, gave his theory upon t he "Movement of Water in the Soil," which is different from t h at usually held. R. M. Kellogg of Ionia, at tempted to disprove t he theory, attributing t he move m e nt largely to capillarity. Prof. F r a nk Kedzie discussed t he question "Is t he Use of Commercial Fertilizer Profitable in General t he comparative value as F a r m i n g ?" After stating shown by analysis of a ton of stable m a n u re and a ton figures drawn of commercial fertilizer, he presented from t he census which fertilizer less t h at was used in a number of t he counties in 1893 than was used in 1883. indicated Secretary I. H. Butterfield of t he College, read a pa per upon t he "Present Standing of Ensilage as a Food for t he Various Kinds of Stock," in which he considered t he animals from which the best results with ensilage were secured, and t he amounts t h at could be used to advantage. I. N. Cowdry of Tthaca, gave his experience in "Pota to Culture," advocating frequent and shallow cultiva tion as late as it can be given without injuring t he tops. "Forage Crops" as a substitute for clover were treated by A. A. Crozier, who recommended German Millet, and said a good word for Alfalfa and Crimson Clover, although t he latter are by no means sure crops in this latitude. Dr. R. C. Kedzie spoke upon "Wheats for Michigan," explaining t he work of t he College in testing new varie ties and distributing those t h at seem most promising. He regarded t he Golden Chaff and B u da P e s th as of u n u s u al merit. In t he evening Prof. Hedrick read a paper upon "Taxation" in which he claimed t h at real estate was bear ing more t h an its proportion of t he taxes, and ex-Gov Luce spoke upon " T he F a r m e r s' Contribution to Socie t y" citing many instances where t he leading men of t he various professions and business callings have come from t he farm. and and "Mother of Detroit, T he Women's Section, conducted by Mrs. Mary A. three sessions t h at were In addition talks of Mrs. Mayo upon "Making House Easier," Mayo of Battle Creek, held well attended and excited much interest. to t he Daughter," work Miss Margaret M. Sill a gave talk upon " Kitchen Economy," Mrs. Wm. T. Adams of Paris, spoke upon " Saving Steps," Mrs. J. B. S m i th of Grand Rapids gave " A Mother's View," Mrs. Myrtle it from " T he D a u g h t e r 's K. Cherryman Side," and Dr. Maria W. Norris followed with "A Physician's Counsel." Prof. F. S. Kedzie also talked upon " T he Chemistry of t he Kitchen," and Prof. Holds- worth upon " A rt on t he F a r m ." All of t he papers were ably discussed and t he meetings were regarded as of great value by all in attendance. looked at t he main At t he close of t he evening session of institute resolutions were unanimously adopted thank ing those who had t a k en part and approving t he plan under which t he institutes have been conducted during t he past year. wood lot which extends for some distance along t he D. L. & N. railroad, has been protected from fires from t he land cleared for t h at engines by a strip of cultivated purpose. T he north wood lot has a similar "fire belt" cleared of all surface vegetation extending t h r o u gh its center. In this wood lot is also maintained a system of roads or drives which are intended as a further protec tion against t he spread of fire. These roads, and other improvements made and contemplated, are making of forest park which is becoming a popular resort for s t u d e n ts and others during t he sum mer months. T he varied vegetation of its diversified surface, composed of upland, bottom land, swamp and river bank, all in a state of nature, make of this park a botanizing ground probably unsurpassed at any other college in t he country. this wood lot a A botanical survey of t he more prominent features of these wood lots h as been made. For this purpose each parcel was laid off in wards of uniform size, securely marked at t he corners with iron pipe. These wards have been n u m b e r ed and platted, and t he kind and relative amounts of recorded. Measurements of some of t he trees have been taken to learn in t he future their rate of growth. In one of t he wards all of t he large timber was c ut off from several acres a few years ago and a thrifty second growth is now taking its place. T he College woods are therefore no longer wild land b ut a source of profit and a means of study. thereon timber t he Experiment Station. M. A. C. AT T HE ROUND U P. W I RE F E N C E - T E L E P H O NE L I N E S. We have secured t he following list of graduates and students who were at t he Round Up in Grand Rapids: Hon. C." J. Monroe, with '61, S o u th Haven; Hon. C. W. Garfield, '70, Grand Rapids; Hon. F. W. Redfern, with '66,*Maple Rapids; B. E. Benedict, with '71, Detroit; J. H. Brown, with '87, Climax; J. E. Hammond, "86, Hills dale; Geo. C. Monroe, '91, S o u th Haven; B. W. Peet, '92, Grand Rapids; W. F. Wight, '&4, Allegan; G. E. Ewing, '92, Ross; W. M. Ball, '99, Grand Rapids; G . E. Van Als- '97, Grand Rapids; S. J. Redfern, '97, Maple tyne, with Rapids; H. E. Van Norman, '97, M. A. C; L. K. Thomas, with '98, Detroit; Dwight Cole, '93 ra., G r a nd Rapids; C. E. Martindale, '98 m.. Grand Rapids; F. W. Kramer, '97 m., Grand Rapids; W. A. Ansorge, w i th '95 m., Grand RapidB; J o hn Nellist with '96 m., Grand Rap ids; M. P. Thompson, with '96 m., Grand Rapids; Profs. F. S. Kedzie, '77, W. S. Holdsworth, '78, A. A. Crozier, '79, H. P. Gladdon, '85, P. B. Woodworth, '86, W. O. Hedrick, '91, P. M. Chamberlain, '88 m., and V. V. Newell, 94 m., all of t he Agricultural College; and K. L. Butterfield, '91, Supt. of Institutes, Agricultural College. T HE COLLEGE WOOD L O T S. A. A. CROZIER. F o r ty years ago t he 676 acres comprising t he College farm was covered with forest. Since then clearing has been done each year, gradually increasing t he tillable This process is now at an end, and area of t he farm. t he remaining woodland, comprising 150 acres, is reserv ed as a permanent forest, "to illustrate as far as possible t he most advanced methods of properly handling wood lands for continuous and lasting profit." The farm therefore now consists of over 500 acres of tillable land and one hundred and fifty acres of wood land, all "improved" and receiving care according to t he purpose for which it is devoted. T he two principal enemies of forest property are live stock and fire. W h e re stock is confined to a limited section of woodland all underbrush is soon destroyed and t he woods become open and park like, t he surface more or less covered with grass, attractive places for picnic parties, etc. b ut of little further use as a forest. T he duration of such a large forest timber, and even this often prematurely dies from t he unwonted exposure. limited to t he life of t he is necessarily T he College woodland h as therefore been securely fenced against stock, and all t he young growth preserv ed to t a ke t he place of t h e j a r g |r trees which are from time to time removed for j g i g f cd fuel. This wood land lies mainly in t w o MM 0 Ee called t he south wood lot, comprising t he I U HU as No. 17, and t he other the north wood lot, « f l f tf field No. 7, along t he flBto Red Cedar River. This as a measure of safety a g H ]| b ut direct means for taken. T he south further protection h a v e! two parcels serves I P R O F. P H I L IP B. W O O D W O R T H. An article t he wood in an exchange says fence must go: 1st, for lack of wood, and 2d, because t he wood fence is t he cause of t he "vexatious snow b a n ks which blockade our highways every winter, thereby rendering t h em unsafe and impassable for weeks at a time." T he fence recommended is t he wire fence and t he writer favors t he remittance of highway labor taxes as an inducement to build wire fences along t he high ways. There is a use to which t he wire fence can be p ut which would be a great convenience. F or distances not exceeding ten miles t he wire fence as ordinarily p ut up will answer very well for a telephone line or lines. During t he season j u st passed a company operating a line between two towns (Woodland and L a ke Odessa), used for one section of their line t he top wire of an ordinary wire fence. Two men in Northern Michigan four miles a p a rt ex pect to connect their houses by using a wire of t he rail road fence. All t he so called lightning arrester wires will be removed and light poles will be set to carry splices over gates and road crossings. D u r i ng t he past season a college telephone line with seven instruments of various makes was in successful operation over t he line of No. 14 fence wire. T he wire was not insulated at all, b ut was strung t h r o u gh trees and over buildings wherever it could go most conven iently. Almost any of t he regular telephones now on t he m a r k et will give very good service over such a line. There is absolutely no danger to "man or beast" from a wire used as a telephone line. Horses are said to be t he most susceptible of d u mb animals, and it is possible t h at a horse in contact with a wire might receive a shock. T he effect of t he shock would add to rather t h an decrease his gait, and it might teach t he horse not to use t he fence as a resting place. There are several evident reasons why t he wire fence is not an ideal telephone line, b ut its use as a telephone line will not impair t he value of t he fence as a fence b ut may help to have t he fence kept in repair. T he general introduction of t he telephone in t he farmer's home will m a ke a new era in t he farmer's life. It will most certainly in a large measure prevent his being classed with t he tiller of t he soil in t he eastern hemisphere—"a social and political nonentity." T he telephone service could be arranged to give at stated times t he forecast of t he weather, t he markets, and a bulletin of t he news of t he day. At evening time in his easy chair with t he receiver at his ear, he will listen to a digest of public opinion and t he very latest from t he Flying Squadron, Cuba's Czar and t he X rays. He will be t he independent lord in touch with t he dependents of t he town. Dept. Phytics and Electrical Engineering. 5V 91\. ®. ©. 9l.cora. PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY THE MICHIGAN AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE EDITED BY THE FACULTY. ADDEESS ALL M A IL TO AGEICULTUEAL C O L L E G E, M I C H. S U B S C R I P T I O N, 50 C E N TS P ER Y E A R. Business Office with ROBERT SMITH & Co., State Printers and Binders, 406 Michigan Ave., East, Lansing, Mich. To be entered as second class matter at Lansing, Mich. t h at of ' ' It is not hard to discover why An editorial in t he Detroit Tribune of F e b. 24, in dis cussing t he report of t he special faculty committee, a portion of which is found in this n u m b er of t he RECORD, has this to say: t he Michigan Agricultural College does not do better when t he men who r un it either do not understand its pur poses or, while understanding them, ignore t h e m ." T he editor of t he Tribune claims to thoroughly understand In his view it should be t he purpose or t he College. farm simply a farm school, should teach nothing b ut work, and should have nothing to do with t he mechanic arts. t h at It lays especial emphasis on t he assertion teaching mechanical engineering is a perversion of t he t he sustenance of t he school. funds appropriated for t he L et us see how this view compares with legislature in organizing t he College, with t h at of con gress in appropriating lands for t he maintenance of such an institution; with t h at of the legislature subsequent ly in accepting t he g r a nt of lands, and also in accepting a further g r a nt from congress for t he same purpose. T he legislature of 1861 reorganized t he College, placing it under t he control of t he S t a te Board of Agriculture. In t h at act the legislature plainly indicated the design of t he institution in these words: " In fulfillment of t he injunction of t he constitution to afford thorough instruc tion in agriculture and t he natural sciences connected therewith, and to effect t h at object most completely, t he institution shall combine physical with intellectual edu cation, and shall be a high seminary of learning in which t he graduates of the common school can com mence, pursue and finish a course of study terminating in in theoretical and practical those sciences and arts which bear directly upon agri culture and kindred " The course of instruction shall embrace t he English language and literature, mathematics, civil engineering, agricultural chemistry, animal and vegetable anatomy and physi ology, t he veterinary art, entomology, geology, and such other natural sciences as may be prescribed, technology, political, rural and household economy, horticulture, moral philosophy, history, bookkeeping, and especially t he application of science and t he practical arts to prac tical agriculture in the field." instruction thorough industrial pursuits. as in such manner classes in the several pursuits to teach such branches as are related to agri In 1862 congress made the grant of lands to each state for t he " maintenance of at least one college where t he leading object shall be, without excluding other scientific and classical studies, and including military tactics, culture and t he mechanic the arts legislature of t he states may respectively prescribe in order to promote t he liberal and practical education of and pro t he industrial fessions of life." The several states were directed to apply t he interest on the funds received from sale of these lands to the maintenance of such a college. The legislature of Michigan accepted this grant in 1863 in accordance with all t he conditions and provisions in said act, and reiterated in section 8 of said act of accept ance t he conditions which had been prescribed by con gress; namely, t h at t he interest on t he fund created from the sale of these lands should be " regularly ap plied under t he direction of the State Board of Agricul t u re to t he support and maintenance of t he State Agri cultural College where t he leading object shall be, studies, without excluding and including military to teach such branches tactics, of learning as are related to agriculture and mechanic liberal and practical arts, in order education of industrial pursuits and professions other scientific and classical classes in t he several to promote life. the of In 1863 t he legislature passed an act establishing a military department at t he College, section 1 of which reads as follows: " T he people of t he S t a te of Michigan enact that, in addition to t he course of instruction al ready provided by t he law for the Agricultural College of this State, there shall be added military and military engineering." tactics In 1890 congress -passed t he following, entitled "An act .to apply a portion of t he proceeds of the public lands to t he more complete endowment and support of t he colleges, for t he benefit of agriculture and mechanic THE M. A. C. R E C O R D. M A R CH 3, 1896. This act prescribed t h at t he sum appropriated arts." should be applied only th instruction in agriculture, t he mechanic arts, the English language, and t he various branches of physical, natural and economic science with special reference to their application to the industries of life, and t he facilities for such instruction. The legislature of 1891 accepted this second act from congress in t he following terms found in section 1 of said act: "An act to apply a portion of the proceeds of t he public lands to the more complete endowment a nd support of the College for the benefit of agriculture and t he mechanic arts established under the provisions of an act of congress approved J u ly 2.1862." "The assent is hereby given and t he moneys thereby given are ac cepted under the conditions and terms in said act named." In each of these acts of congress making appropria tions, it is expressly stated t h at no portion of said moneys shall be applied directly or indirectly under any pretence whatever to the purchase, erection, preserva tion or repair of any building or buildings. department $3,200; and The legislature of 1885, in making appropriations for the Agricultural College, included "$17,000 for work and other expenses for a mechanical shop equipments The legislature of 1887 made a further department." appropriation for t he same purpose, of t he sum of $4,- to t he 000. T he legislature of 1889 also appropriated mechanical legislature of 1891 appropriated $1,500 for t he erection of a build ing for a foundry in connection with t he mechanical Since 1891 t he interest received from t he department. land grant fund, together with t he second appropriation and t he annual receipts of the College from various re to pay nearly all t he cur sources, have been sufficient rent expenses of t he College, so t h at the State has fur nished b ut a very small sum for college support during the last five years except for buildings, and repairs of buildings. t he On looking over these requirements of both t he U. S. law and t he State law in regard to the objects and pur poses contemplated in t he organization of t he Michigan State Agricultural College it will be evident to every candid observer t h at t he Board of Agriculture h as en deavored to carry out t he plans of both the general and S t a te government. OUR BORDER S T A T E. LIEUT. E. A. LEWIS. invasion of our country. Our recent mild war scare has drawn attention to t he rather unprotected condition of our border states. Almost beyond a doubt we would be compelled to meet as a result of war, the To invade with any hope of success, an enemy would need control of a considerable territory to be used as a base of operations. Indeed it may be doubted if any a t t e m pt would be made by t he enemy, unless he were in posses sion of several points from which separate columns might simultaneously be pushed out. these bases t he armies would be reenforced, supplied with food and munitions of war and upon them, t he armies would retreat in case of disaster. Footholds for invasion are found in Canada, Mexico and t he British islands near our coasts. Captured harbors would also be made to serve like purposes. F r om It seems hardly probable t h at any European nation, save England, would attempt the invasion of the United States. We hope to have no trouble with t he British nation, b ut nevertheless trouble is a possibility, and it may be of benefit to us to consider t he part Michigan would have to play in a contest between t he two English speaking peoples. From one side Ontario would be entered; the control of both sides of the Detroit and St. Clair rivers would give command of Lakes Superior, Huron and Michigan, and t h us protect our lake cities from attacks by water. The Canadian Pacific Railroad would be reached from the upper peninsula and the military line between the British depots on t he east and west sides of t he conti nent broken. Minor operations would reduce t he Cana dian lake cities. T he control of t he entrances to t he lakes surrounding"!our state, would be of immense value to either nation. To us it would mean freedom of our state from land and water attacks. To t he British it would give all our lake cities and open t he way for an invading force. F r om the British side, Michigan, by way of Detroit, would be t he n a t u r al route to Chicago and our rich inland cities; to our main east and west railway lines, and to our rivers and richest farming districts. A dream of conquest of our land by a foreign power, would include a line from Detroit to t he Ohio, thence down t he Mississippi to Ml-sea; t h us cutting our coun try in two parts, to b^ssjpjjrately dealt with. War, if it comes at glV^l-Lcome suddenly. The good sense of t he peoples o$ btik nations, if allowed to act, is liable in a will preserve peace; b ut either nation moment of fevered excitement to precipitate hostilities. It seems almost a certainty t h at wa must as a result of war with England, gain in time, at least military posses sion of Canada. B ut t he first battles would be fought on American soil, and southern Michigan would furnish t he fields for t he struggle of two great armies. troops, We have no defensive works to protect our borders; British regulars a nd Canadian militia, are stationed at our doors in numbers far exceeding ours. British gunboats, one hundred or more, could be rushed into t he lakes; and a naval force sufficient to give abso lute control of our inland seas is kept constantly on t h is In view of t he possibilities of war, side of t he Atlantic. England has made some preparation.for it. Ara we prepared for war with her? Could we soon enough raise, arm, organize, officer, supply and mass troops to successfully meet an invasion? Do we need any defen ses along t he Detroit or St. Clair rivers? Department. Military NEWS FROM GRADUATES AND S T U D E N T S. Students in Mechanical Course designated by " m." and specials by " s p ." after name. D. A. Garfield, Mich., S t a te bank. '89, is now cashier of t he Albion, N. C. Thomas, with '97, is manager of a creamery at Dorr, Allegan county. A girl baby, 8% lbs , born F e b. 16, causes rejoicing in t he home of Perry G. To war, '85, at St. Louis, Mo. Prof. Chas. L. Bemis, '74, of Ionia, is being mentioned favorably as a proper man to be placed on t he S t a te Board of Education. L J. Briggs,'93, is assisting Prof. Rowland at J o h ns Hopkins University in an investigation to determine t he n a t u re of t he X rays. Geo. C. Humphrey, '97, assists his father upon t he farm at Lenawee J u n c t i on during the present year b ut will r e t u rn to college in 1897. L. A. Wilson, '94, in company with C. H. Gibbs, with '92, is occupying t he winter promoting t he interests of an investment association at Jackson. Geo. F. Stow, '88, while paying a business visit to Ypsilanti, visited t he farmers' institute at t h at place to renew acquaintanceship with t he college teachers. Royal Hardy, with '91, is doing yeoman service for his at Osceola Centre, Livingston likewise father on t he farm county. W. G. Smith, '93, occupies himself near t he same place. F. H. Elliott, '94, was married Feb. 6, to Miss Bertha Aldrich at t he residence of t he bride's parents, Hickory Corners, Mich. Mr. and Mrs. Elliot reside on t he farm near Hickory Corners. Geo. Starr, '97, finds an outlet for agricultural enthu siasm in assisting his father manage t he farm. He was a visitor at the Oakland county institute, and will re t u rn to t he college next year. C. A. Graves, '97, m., after recovering from a severe attack of typhoid fever during t he past autumn, has occupied t he position of teacher in sciences and history in the Raisin Valley Seminary. At a meeting of t he F a r m e r s' Progress Club held near CMo, F e b. 12, Vice Pres. H. A. Danielle read J a s. Y. t he Young Farmer,' Clark's paper on "Prospects of t he RECORD. p r i n t ed in No. 4 of Prof. A. T. Stevens, '93, writes from his college work at Greenboro, N. C: " W i th landscape gardening, bot any, hands, I do not have time to write long letters." horticulture and agriculture on my floriculture, E. A. Murphy, '82, M. A. C, formerly county school commissioner, is meeting with flattering success in t he legal profession. He has been associated with Locke Bros, at Ionia b ut a few m o n t hs and t he firm is already enjoying a lucrative practice.—Portland Review. Theo. A. Stanley, '86, New Britain, Conn., has been in t he dairy business steadily since graduation. "I have built a new barn, a boarding house, and purchased a large herd of Jerseys all since Sept. 1. Am making 75 to 100 lbs. of b u t t er per week besides retailing over 400 quarts of milk daily." A. L a t c ha Waters,'90, writes from Globe, Arizona: "After leaving old M. A. C. I took t he mining school course graduating in 1893, soon after taking t he posi tion of superintendent of a lead and zinc mining com pany near Chattanooga, b ut financial conditions com I then managed my father's fruit pelled a s h ut down, farm at Spring Lake, Mich. In Jan., '95, I went to New Mexico as assayer for a big silver and gold mining In three months I was night foreman in t he company. M A R CH 3, 1896. THE M. A. C. RECORD. 3 s t a mp mill and a m o n th later assistant mine superin t e n d e nt and mining engineer. In December I came to t h is place as supply clerk for t he Old Dominion Copper Co. J. D. Towar, '85, Kingston, R. I., College of Agricul t u re and Mechanic Arts, says: "There is a prospect t h at I may visit Michigan t h is summer b ut it is h a rd to decide whether to do this or to spend t he vacation on t he Atlantic coast with my wife and baby, catching fish a nd crabs, digging clams, bathing a nd being lazy." E d. "Weeks, with '91, is prosecuting attorney of h is na tive county, Macomb. Since leaving t he M. A. C. he has a t t e n d ed t he Wisconsin University and studied law in h is father's office. He was elected to t he position which he now holds at t he last election. Mr. Weeks h as high hopes of great prosperity in t he future at t he M. A. C. We desire to m a ke some corrections a nd additions to t he biographical sketch of t he late Dr. C. H. Eldridge, given in t he RECORD J a n. 21. Dr. Eldridge practiced for over a year in Snohomish, not Hartford, b u t, owing to a severe internal injury received on horseback while on his way to visit a country patient, he gave up his practice in 1893 a nd moved to his ranch near Hartford, where he remained till t he spring of 1895, then moved to San Francisco. He was married in March 1893, to Miss Margaret Illman of Hartford, who survives him, a nd to whom a son was born J a n u a ry 26,1896. " Since I left College my business has grown rapidly so t h at my magazine h as now a m u ch larger circulation t h an any other journal of its class, while my t r a de in seeds, b u l bs and plants has greatly increased. Every year I get car loads of b u l bs from Holland and Belgium, a nd seeds from Germany and P r a n ce besides what I grow. I have b ut little leisure b ut I still find a moment now and t h en to recall the happy experiences of college life and t he pleasant associations with professors and classmates during those four years of study." Geo. W. P a r k s, '86, Editor and Proprietor P a r k s' Floral Maga zine, Libonia, P e n n. AT T HE COLLEGE. Miss Essie Singleton of Caseville, is t he guest of Prof, a nd Mrs. Woodworth. Prof. Wheeler and family r e t u r n ed from their visit in Ionia county last week. Twenty-seven new students have enrolled this term; t wo of these are lady students. K a t h a r i ne is t he name of a d a u g h t er born to Prof, a nd Mrs. Vedder, F e b. 25,1896. We were favored with calls from a large number of t he visiting Foresters last week. Dr. Edwards is performing d u r i ng t he absence of Dr. Snyder. t he duties of president Mrs. C. S. Brooks, who h as been visiting in Saginaw r e t u r n ed to M. A. C. last Thursday. L. C. Brooks, '92, m., returned to Stronach, F e b. 28. He will reopen his school in t he "city hall." T he M. A. C. Grange will meet in t he Columbian society rooms this evening at seven o'clock. G. J. H u m e, '87, B. P d. Mich. State Normal, '96, is t a k i ng special work in zoology and geology at M. A. C. Dr. Snyder took charge of t he chapel exercises on Monday evening of t he opening of t he term, and left early t he next morning for P i t t s b u r g, P a. We are glad to learn t h at Mrs. Babcock, who has been very ill in Detroit, is now convalescing. It is hoped t h at she will be able to r e t u rn to M. A. C. this week. G. N. E a s t m a n, W. J. McGee and C. H. Briggs, seniors, are working with Roentgen rays. T he equip ment of t he D e p a r t m e nt of Physics offers an excellent opportunity. F r a nk Yebina, '95, L. R. Love, '96, and L. D. Sees, '96, attended t he state convention of t he Y. M. C. A. at Kal amazoo, t he latter part of last week, as delegates from t he College organization. In honor of Prof. Chamberlain's b i r t h d ay t he follow ing guests were entertained at tea by Mrs. Chamber lain on F e b. 28: Dr. and Mrs. Edwards, Lieut, a nd Mrs. Lewis, Prof, and Mrs. Woodworth and Prof. Ved der. Edson S. Palmiter, with '77, of H a r t, spent Tuesday night at t he College, calling on Drs. Kedzie and Beal, Prof. Taft and his former neighbor D. J. Crosby. Since leaving M. A. C. Mr. Palmiter has been identified with t he newspaper business most of t he time. He is now engaged in preparing a set of abstracts for Oceana County. He was delegate from H a rt to t he meeting of t he Foresters in Lansing. We notice among those enrolled this spring quite a n u m b er of s t u d e n ts who h ad dropped o ut of t he course for a few terms—some for several years. Among these are H. H. Rhodes, E. A. Calkins, F. M. Nichols, D. Mc- Elroy, G. C. Henderson, E. B. Wallace, H. N. Brown, and C. P. Wykes. Dr. Beal goes to G r a nd Haven next Friday to address t he Ottawa County Forestry Association. He will speak on "Forestry and Tree Culture," trees along t he roadside and in villages, and Arbor Day for schools, in t he afternoon; and on "Good Roads" in t he evening. This t h is state. Walter Phillips of Grand Haven is president. t he pioneer association forestry in is Early last fall t he Board of Control for t he Michigan Home for Feeble Minded at Lapeer, purchased a h e rd of eleven Holstein-Friesian cattle in t he s t a te of New York. About t he beginning of t he new year it was noticed t h at some of t he animals were not thrifty, one of t h em coughing a good deal, others occasionally. These symptoms lead to t he application of t he tuberculine test by t he State Veterinarian, Dr. E. A. A. Grange of t he Agricultural College. This test showed t h at nine of t he animals were affected, all of which showed evidence of tuberculosis upon a post mortem examina tion. T he post mortems were held in t he presence of t he S t a te Veterinarian of New York, and of t he Live Stock Sanitary Commission of Mich. T he reason why t he New York S t a te Veterinarian was present was to show t he people of New York t h at t he animals were af fected with t he disease, and to enable him to form an imported opinion whether it was contracted here or with t he cattle. It is worthy of note t h at he stated t h at t he disease was not contracted in this state, which opinion was based on t he history of t he handling of t he animals, and their surroundings since their arrival in this state. T HE P H O N O G R A P H. RAY S. BAKEB, '89. In t he office of t he Chicago Record t he phonograph has become almost indispensable in carrying on t he cor respondence. T he various heads of departments who have many letters to write have phonographs in t he drawers of their desks. W h en t he opened mail is placed on t he desk in t he morning t he manager opens his drawer, takes out t he phonograph t u be and places it to his lips. Then he talks off t he replies to t he letters one by one. W h en he fills a cylinder t he typewriter comes and t a k es it o ut and replaces a new one so t h at t he let ters may be answered without interruption. T he day's mail being attended to t he typewriter places t he cylin ders one by one in t he phonograph on h er desk, inserts the tubes in her ears and taps off t he letters. S he can make t he machine talk as rapidly as she desires and while she is being t h us entertained she is insensible to t he world outside. By this arrangement t he services of a stenographer are dispensed with and both letterwriter and typewriter are enabled to get t h r o u gh m u ch more work in t he course of a day. This use of t he phono graph is being rapidly extended in Chicago. SMOKE HOUSE A S H E S. Prof. Kedzie, Agricultural College: GANGES, Mich., F e b. 17,1896. D E AR SIR—While at t he "Round U p" at Grand Rap ids last week, I spoke to Prof. Taft a b o ut some Smoke House Ashes t h at I got from Chicago. Thinking t h at per haps there was a large amount of salt in them I asked his opinion about using them and he t h o u g ht it would be a good idea to have them analyzed. And I under stand t h at he spoke to you about t he same, hence t he sample of today. G E O. E. W E E D. Yours truly, T he Ashes were analyzed and found to contain 5.97 per cent of potash, and 2.36 per cent of common salt. They are rich in potash, and valuable as a fertilizer for fruit trees. A ton of them contains less t h an a bushel of salt. This will enable a person to estimate t he amount t h at may be safely used to an acre of orchard. R. C. K. W I LL W H E AT TURN TO C H E S S? DR. W. J. BEAL, T he following notes are furnished by request and are suostantially t he same as repeatedly given at numerous farmers' institutes in t he State, where t he question often comes up for answer. No doubt t he readers of t he RECORD, some of t h em at least, may have h e a rd of It does not die readily—I mean this question before. t he question now under consideration. I never knew of any good botanist who believed t h at wheat would t u rn to chess, b ut m a ny farmers "know" it will by ex perience, and who is more to be relied on in m a t t e rs of t he practical close observation in p l a nt growth t h an 0T farmer? He has lived among these things all his life. In t he m a t t er of fish a nd lobsters, who is t he b e t t er judge, t he s t u d e nt who h as studied t he development and life h a b i ts of t he animals in question, or t he m an who h as caught or sold .fish and lobsters all his life ? In anwer to t he latter question, t he writer once called at a fish m a r k et to b uy a lobster for dissection. After learning t h at I was interested in such matters, he said, t he r i g ht claw of a lobster is always "How is it t h at t he largest?" I replied t h at it was not always t he largest; sometimes they are nearly of equal size; some times t he r i g ht one is t he largest; sometimes t he left one. "Why, yes, t he r i g ht one is always t he largest I know. I have sold fish and lobsters nearly all my life and I am now an old naan." I explained a b o ut a lobster losing a claw now and t h en and a new one coming out to t a ke its place; and t he young claw is often smaller t h an t he other. T u r n i ng to t he stock of lobsters in his market, t he proprietor expressed great surprise, when shown t h at sometimes t he left claw was t he larger and some times t he right. We are never too old to learn. A school teacher in t he southwestern portion of t he State, once sent me t he evidence, as he claimed, t h at wheat a nd chess could grow o ut of t he same stalk. W h e t h er he prepared t he specimen himself or someone else h ad deceived him, I never knew, b ut some one h ad clipped off slanting with a s h a rp knife or shears t he t op t he straw down t he upper of a chess plant, and t h r u st sheath of wheat nearly to t he joint. It took me b ut a little time to unravel t he mystery. A farmer sent a small p l a nt to an editor of an agricul tural paper in Chicago. T he plant was forwarded to me. It bore a small panicle of chess at t he top a nd there were other evidences t h at it was a genuine p l a nt of chess, b ut attached to t he end of one of t he roots was what appeared to be an old kernel of wheat. H e re was "proof positive" in t he mind of t he farmer t h at a kernel of wheat h ad produced a stool of chess. I placed t he roots carefully in a saucer of water, a nd in t he morning t he old empty shell of wheat had floated away and left t he root tip, showing t h at t he connection was not very close. T he farmer probably did not know or stop to t h i nk t h at corn, wheat, oats, chess,—all t r ue grasses hold t he kernel in close contact with t he lower end of t he t r ue stem j u st below t he surf ace of t he ground or wherever t he kernel happens to be. In collecting wild plants I have often found snail shells attached to t he tips of t he roots where t he l a t t er h ad probably found a small a m o u nt of nourishment, b ut I never supposed t h at t he snail produced a root which grew larger and larger as it went up to other roots a nd all there united to bear a small tree. S u ch would need to be t he case if t he plant behaved as t he farmer supposed t he chess plant behaved in coming from a kernel of wheat. W h e re chickens h ad formerly been fed, I have often pulled up plants of chess, several roots of which h ad sent their tips into t he old hulls of oats by accident or for nourishment, b ut never for a moment, did I suppose all of these oats sprouted simultaneously, each Eending its sprout to a common center where all united to pro duce a chess plant. Some persons say t h a t, when, by freezing and thaw t he t ap root of a young wheat plant is broken in ing, two, t h en t he wheat plant forthwith becomes one of chess. W h en I tell t h em t h at no cereal or other grass ever produces a t ap root, t h at probably w h at t h ey mean is t he slender stem which below ground s t a r ts at t he kernel, they say " t he stem, then, breaks in two." They place more confidence often in w h at some one else h ad told them t h an they are willing to place in any t h i ng t h at I can say. I have half a dozen times or more received spikes of I wheat from which protruded a few kernels of chess. have often found such specimens myself. In t he minds of m a ny persons, perhaps most persons, this is proof enough at first sight to convince t h em t h at chess a nd wheat may come from t he same plant. I n s t e ad of tell ing t he sender how it was, I r e t u r n ed t he specimen, telling him to place it in water until softened; t h en by pulling t he chaff of t he wheat carefully back, he will see t he chess kernels still attached to a small branch, which in some way c a u g ht in by a downward pull against t he spike of wheat and t h en broke off. T he free end of t he broken stem of chess has always been I have easy to find in all specimens which I have seen. fixed specimens of this sort which would be more de ceptive to t he unwary t h an any ever sent me, or any t h at I ever found. A m an and wife, perhaps seven years ago, drove over one summer some t en miles from Clinton county to t he College. He said, "I heard t h at you offered t h r ee h u n dred dollars for evidence t h at wheat would t u rn to chess, and I believe I have t he documents here to prove I told him I h ad said something of t he sort, ex it." looked t he reward r a t h er high. cepting he h ad his specimens over, b ut did not try to bluff him in any I 4 THE M. A. C. RECORD. MAKCH 3.1896 way, telling him to watch every move I made and see that T did not deceive him. They brought two large bunches pulled from the ground, some of the stems of each bunch bearing spikes of wheat at the top, others panicles of chess. I placed the roots of each bunch in turn Under the cistern pump. After washing off much of the dirt, they consented to permit me to cut off with the shears a lot of protruding naked roots; then more washing and more shearing of roots, till finally the plants came apart, showing no organic connection— only a tangled mass of roots of two plants. They returned in good humor, apparently satisfied, not claiming any reward. Two of my special students, resident graduates, now professors in an Agricultural college, unbeknown to me one autumn, filled two shallow boxes about twelve by twenty inches in s:ze with earth from the garden. In one box they Bowed wheat, in the other chess, and both were sunk nearly to the top in the soil of a low place in a field of wheat. About harvest time the next year, Latta and Troop brought the boxes with the con tents into the botanical laboratory to show the results. The box in which chess had been sown bore several vig orous plants of chess; the other bore a few very small plants, two of which showed a trace of small spikes of wheat. As one of the students said, "These plants were bound to be wheat or nothing." In moderate sized plants of chess I have never failed to find in five times out of six the old kernel of chess still adhering among the roots of the lower end of the stem in just the right place to have produced the stool of chess. I have never found a kernel of wheat in such position on the lower part of a plant of chess. How the kernel of chess got into the soil I leave for others to explain. The fact that it was still attached to the base of young plants of chess is to me one of the strongest evidences that the chess plant came from a kernel of chess. The growing wheat appeared quite clean and would yield twenty five bushels of grain to the acre. The small plants of chess were doing what they could toward producing a crop of grain. Had the winter killed the wheat which is less hardy, the plants of chess doubtless might have developed at full height. I will not continue this article longer by trying to ex plain more fully all the questions asked by the advo cates of the rapid transformation of wheat to chess. I have often seen plants of chess not over four inches high in a wheat stubble, bearing three to ten kernels of mature grain. Botanical Department. REPORT OF THE INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE- The following is a somewhat condensed copy of the report made to the Board of Agriculture at its recent meeting. The full report, with tables, charts, etc., is to be published in pamphlet form, and on application will be sent to those interested. To the Honorable Board of Agriculture: GENTLEMEN—Your committee of three members of the faculty of the Michigan Agricultural College, ap pointed Sept. 10,1895, to "inquire into the causes which have contributed to the seeming lack of popularity of our college with the class of people in whose special in terest it was organized by the State," and "to report its findings to this board together with its recommenda tions as to any change of policy or method by means of which the College may be enabled to get in closer touch with the farmers of the State and secure the attendance of their eons and daughters at our institution, and con summate the object sought by the State and general government in founding and endowing the institution," beg leave to make the following report: The inquiry has been prosecuted under many difficul ties; foremost of which were the lack of leisure on the part of the committee until the close of the term, and thereafter an abnormal condition of the public mind, rendering impossible any approach to more settled opinions and their bases. Notwithstanding, the com mittee believes that it has in some degree performed its task and has arrived at weighty and important conclu sions. The investigation has been conducted along the following lines and the original data are accessible to you under the various references in the body of the report: 1. Letters to prominent persons. 2. Newspaper articles since the origination of the College. 3. Interviews with prominent men. 4. Opinions from recent students. 5. Reports from various bodies, notably the State Grange and a section of the Alumni. 6. Opinions of members of the faculty. 7. Statistics relating to this College. 8. Pacts concerning other similar colleges. 9. Facts concerning different colleges. 10. Some study of conditions in other countries. Statistics of attendance at the College show an ap parent increase in total attendance since 1887. But an analysis of the figures shows that this increase is due to three causes that prohibit us from reckoning it as coming from the farm or as proceeding from an in creased interest in thorough agricultural education. In order to make a comparison that shall be indicative of increase or decrease of interest in agricultural education it is necessary to make the comparison under similar conditions and to exclude increment arising from the introduction of new sources of attraction. Previous to 1886 there were only three classes of students at the college, namely, agricultural students, special students, and a few ladies resident at the college. At that time appears the first class of mechanical students. This class has grown from 36 in 1886 to 127 in 1894, and a slightly smaller number (117) in 1895. The attendance of ladies has materially grown though not steadily. In 1889-90 the summer school idea for teachers of science in the public schools was originated, and this has caused a growth in the special student class (not including reg ular graduate students or students merely irregular in classification) from 28 in 1887 to 55 in 1895. In 1894 the special winter dairy course was organized, and number ed in 1894,17, and in 1895, 30. If we deduct from each year's total attendance the dairy students, the ladies, the mechanical students, and the special (teacher) stu dents, we get the agricultural students of each year. The figures show increase from '75 to '81; decrease from that time to '85; a large and sudden increase '91; and a from '85 to '88; then a falling off practically stationary condition from '91 to '95. The highest number oE agricultural students was reached in 1888, namely, 232. As, however, no specials are given that year, there is probably some mistake in the figures and it is safer to take, as the highest, the figures of the previous year, 221. The lowest subsequent number is in 1891,161; and from 1891 to 1895 the range of differ ence is only 15, with a final number of 167. From these data, we gather that, with temporary gain from '79 to '82 and from '86 to '90, the interest in thorough agricul tural education at the college has practically remained stationary since 1876, to A table is herewith submitted showing the per centage of students from the farms from 1883 to 1891. This table shows large variations from year to year; but if we average the percentages for periods of three years, we get a falling off from 55.6$ in the first period to 39.8$ in the third, with a sta tionary percentage for the last six years. This decrease of percentage corresponds very closely with the rise in importance of the mechanical course; and as it is to be supposed that this attraction would draw largely from the cities, the decrease in ratio is probably due to in crease of attendance from the cities, rather than decrease of attendance from the country. Morever the actual de cline of ratio between rural and urban population from 61$ in 1884 to 55$ in 1894 would offset any further rela tive decrease in ratio of attendance. So far then as ab solute attendance from the farms is an indication of interest in the present work of the college, after a con sideration of all the data, we may safely assume that it has remained stationary during the last twenty years. So far as this goes we may congratulate ourselves; but even with the stationary rural state population it would seem that if agricultural education, only ten or twelve years old in this state in 1875—for the war period is practically a blank—is a pressing need in farming, it should, with so large a mass to leaven, have multiplied the attendance at the college many times over. In comparison, too, with the average growth, our agricul tural course makes a bad showing. Statistics of attendance for the same period at the U. of M., the Normal, Albion, Olivet and the M. A. C, show that the growth of the first four schools has been phenomenal, ranging from 80$ to 190$. One other comparative table is given to show the range of the facts we are handling. This table shows the actual attendance on the agricultural courses of a number of the best agricultural colleges in other states. They are those from which your committee could get reliable data. Many of these colleges give a variety of courses more or less general in nature, and summaries of attendance on these courses are the only statistics accessible. By study of this table and the accompanying correspondence it will be found that in only one college does the attendance of male students on a distinctly agricultural course exceed our own; and in most cases it is much below ours. The important conclusion from these facts is that no causes purely local in their range of effect will account for the facts existing elsewhere as well as here, and we may also comfort ourselves some what with the other apparent truth that nowhere have these antagonistic forces, whatever they may be, been more successfully met than in our school. (Continued next week.) WHY Of course you are going to College But you h a v e n 't quite decided WHERE Every progressive young man w a n ts a good Education and WHEN He can get it without expending a fortune he should not hesitate. 7IZ r>{*r C^f^ni- Of those who Have decided tO rcr KsCni to gQ somewhere DO N OT K N OW W H E RE TO GO T H EN W hy not see what we have to offer at t he MICHIGAN H U li U lI A. M. C. Not one Laboratory, hut eight l a r g e, magnif icently equipped buildings for t he proper instruction in sciences relating to AGRICULTURE AND MECHANICS A Library containing 18,000 Volumes T h r ee Large Dormitories All Surrounded by t he Most Beautiful Park In tlie State you w a nt a practical education and you w a nt M. A. C. to know w h at is going on around you^ H as t he best facilities for teaching t he practical application of t he sciences. You can work your way t h r o u g h. Others have done it, you can. WE ALL WORK HERE And if you have to work extra to pay your way, no one will remark it to your disadvantage, but will respect you for doing so. S O ME Of our most noted graduates paid their - College expenses by hard labor. . * ~~ The work of the class room is supplemented with practical work in field, garden and shop; and this together with military drill, gymnasium practice and athletics promotes vigorous health. A street car line connects us with the city, thus giving us exceptional social and religious privileges. Expenses are Reasonable T u i t i on F r ee to residents of the State; $5.00 per term to non-residents. Board in clubs costs about $2.50 per week. You can get board and rooms in the city if you desire. The students maintain Six O p en L i t e r a ry Soci e t i es and T h r ee F r a t e r n i t i e s. Our next term begins Monday, February 24, '96. The next College Year begins Monday, August 24, '96. And now, if you are interested in getting an educa tion, an education that is broad and practical, one that does not develop the intellectual at the expense of the physical, one that does develop the skilled farmer and mechanic, send us your name and let us furnish you with catalog and further particulars. ADDEESS " T HE SECRETARY," Agricultural College, Michigan.