THE SPECULUM. VoLume X.—No. 4. AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE, Micu., Nov. 10, 18go. WHOLE No. 50, [CONTEKIBUTED. ] Students’ Life in Ithaca. It may be a matter of interest to some of your readers to know how students live, and what is done outside of college hours, in Cornell. In the first place you must know that the city of Ithaca is located at the head of Cayuga Lake, a sheet of water averaging about two miles wide, that stretches to the north and east for over forty miles. The main part of the city ison the flat and low land near the lake, and is surrounded by hills except in the direction of the lake. These hills are from four hundred to eight hundred feet high, and are in the main com- posed of solid rock, covered with a scanty supply of soil. In many places the rock outcrops, forming precipitous and dangerous ledges. Through these rocks various streams have worn channels, and fall more or less rapidly into the waters of the lake. Some of the channels worn out by the waters are on a magnificent scale, and present most picturesque and beautiful panoramas, These channels thus cut are here termed gorges, although at the head of Seneca Lake they are termed glens. The walls of the gorges are usually precipitous rocks, fifty to one hun- dred and fifty feet in hight, with a stream in the center which is continually tumbling over falls or shooting rapids in its descent to the lake. Many of these streams fall more than three hundred feet in a distance of half a mile. Cornell University is situated on one of these hills, and is about four hundred feet higher than the main portion of the city of Ithaca. From the center of the city to the edge of the campus does not exceed one- half mile, but most of the college buildings are on the farther side of the campus, still another half mile. This half mile of walk, withits high hill, requires more mus- cular effort than a walk from Lansing to M. A. C., and consequently is not much sought for. Quite a good deal of building has been done the last three or four years on East Hill, near the University, and students much prefer rooms in that locality to walking up or down the hill, yet some exceptions are to be found. Rooms on. the hill rent for about $2.50 per student, while those lower down _ cost fifty cents to one dollar per week less, These rooms are kept in order by the pro- prietor of the house, but students furnish their own coal and light. Fully one-half of the students are members of some fraternity, and these fraternities, with few exceptions, own or lease houses and live together. Some of these fraternity houses are very fine, and in every case the expense of living in them is very great. Itis generally thought that while the expenses of an ordinary student at Cornell will average from four hundred to ' five hundred dollars. per year, those of the - fraternity members will average from six hundred to one thousand dollars per annum. In some of the fraternities the initiation fee alone is $150, while in most of them it is rarely below $50. The fraternities at the college are both represented by fraternities here. None of these fraternities maintain boarding establishments, but take their meals at adjacent restaurants, so that the fraternity buildings consist exclusively of suites of rooms, used as studies and dormitories, The number of students in attendance this year is about 1,400, distributed about as fol- lows: In Sibley College (mechanical and elec- trical), 4oo students; in civil engineering and architecture, about 200 students; in agricul- ture, about 100; so that about one-half of the 4° students are pursuing courses relating to industrial pursuits. ‘This has an influence on the spirit of the whole body of students, and no doubt accounts in a large measure for the earnestness and zeal which they exhibit in their work. This may also, in part, be due to the fact that instruction in nearly every department is given largely by laboratory methods, and the standard of admission has been raised to such an extent that all the elementary studies are obtained before entering the University. The athletic exercises of the University are provided for by a regular professor of gymnastics, who requires certain courses of training for each student. Military drill is also compulsory during certain times of the year, in charge of an officer detailed from the army. Shop work is required of all the Sibley students, but the most interest is cen- tered in the various athletic sports—the lead- ing ones are boating, foot-ball, and base-ball. During the fall and early winter foot-ball is the principal game, and no weather is too cold or stormy to interfere with this sport. The University team plays a very scientific game, and easily out-plays all other colleges except- ing Yale and Princeton. The team organ- ized for this year is a very good one, and promises to play Yale a strong game. The men selected are strong, active and heavy, and in a game played recently against Rochester University scored over 100 against nothing. To play this game well, a man must be fearless of danger, and must run a great risk of a permanent injury. About two men out of each team, per year, receive injuries that are lasting, One of the men in the team of last year had his spine injured and will never recover, and although but one game has been played so far this year, one collar bone has been broken. It is a game more like an actual battle than any yet devised, and one that is brutal in the extreme. Boating is the great sport here, and the University has the fastest boat crew of any of the colleges of the country. This is a i THE SPECULUM. 2 summer recreation, and we hear nothing of it now, although the crew for next season has already gone in training. Base ball is not so popular, and the last year’s team has not a good reputation, but it will be reorgan- ized on another basis and much is expected of it. field. The students have a good athletic Arkansas. a It was with a thrill of pleasure that I received a telegram on the 15th of August calling me for a two-months’ period to the southern cotton fields, The call meant a _ chance to visit former slaveholders in their homes, to see something of the southern portion of our grand domain and to enter upon a new field of conquest in my vocation. The journey was a pleasant one and full of interest, yet tedious and tiresome before the end was reached. Before getting to my final destination it was was my privilege to stop for a short time at the Arkansas University, where are represented: the agricultural. and mechanical interests of the State. There are about 500 young gentlemen and young ladies in attend- ance, They have not the library, museums, laboratory equipments and some other things equal to those of M. A. C., but theirs -is a much younger college. In many respects it has bright prospects of being one of the leading colleges of the South in a few years. The college is located at Fayetteville, on a hill above the beautiful little town nestled amongst the high sylvan bluffs of the Ozark Mountains. It is a delightful place; there is always a cool breeze and a bracing atmos- phere full of health-giving elements. All of Arkansas, however, has not such a delightful climate as the Ozark Mountains. When one gets into the bottom lands where the cotton is raised, there confront him the dreaded malaria andswamp fever. My pre- decessor, the entomologist of the Arkansas Experiment Station at Pine Bluff, had not been in the region two weeks when he was THE SPECULUM. | 51 —-- a = es stricken with the malady and my call was to temporarily take the place. The work consisted in experimenting upon the cotton worm to find some cheap ‘and efficient remedy that is not so dangerous to handle and apply as Paris green. The cotton worm is much dreaded wherever the staple is raised, and well it might be, for it .is a formidable foe and destroys millions of dollars’ worth of cotton in seasons. when numerous. It is the larva of a noctuid moth and is about an inch. and a half long when full. grown, resembling in general appear- ance and in locomotion the well known “measuring worms” or Geometers. There are four or five broods through the season, but they do not become numerous enough todo any serious damage to the plants till the third brood which appears the latter part of August or in September. Last year was one of the bad seasons for them and it was not three days after the third brood was seen by the planters till every vestige of leaf and bract. and even portions of the bark, had been eaten’ from the plant, injuring the maturing cotton and stopping further growth. Such attacks are sometimes local but usuall y extend through- out the cotton belt. This year the third brood did no injury and the fourth brood ‘but little. It was not till late in September that they were found numerous enough to commence experimenting upon. satisfaction and considerable success. The people of the South are very kind and hospitable and after being with them and conversing with them it gives one far more liberal views and a kindlier feeling toward them than was previously entertained. G. C. Davis. Partisanship in the Press. CHAS. P. LOCKE, UNION LITERARY SOCIETY, _ There seems to be among the writers of the present a tendency to criticise and, perhaps, to complain of the many institu- From that , time on, experiments were made with fair — a ae — tions of our nation. For the time being I must comply with this more popular way of thinking, and invite the attention of the reader toa few of the many evils resulting from the extreme dealings of questions ‘of politics: by our State and local papers. _ We know the constitution of the United States to be the compromise between two opposing parties. We know that since its adoption party contests for our nation’s high honors have been continued. It could not have been otherwise under our republican form of government. But these honest con- tests of the past established no precedent by which the press of to-day can be justified in its extreme and pessimistic statements, each involving some element of falsehood, and this for the purpose of influencing public opinion. The press of to-day is radical in the. extreme. Buoyed up by party conservatism rather than by the love of truth, the press spreads before the public that bountiful repast of party issues—a blending of both falschood and truth. The readers of Repub- lican papers only, are at the present rigidly convinced that prices of protected articles must go down as the result of the McKinley bill. In the opposing party we find men reading only Democratic papers, who, with- out the least hesitation, have conceded. that prices must go up from the effect of the bill aud therefore cry out against the “ iniquity ” of it, But upon these two classes of citizens the newspaper works only to establish or con- firm a man’s belief. It is the man who reads the papers of both parties that inev- itably becomes the victim of a confusion of ideas. He found in the last. campaign charges made by the press against a party’s candidate, The papers supporting the prin- ciples of one party published statements to prove these charges true, while papers sup- porting the opposing party, by means of sworn affidavits, proved them false. One reads the Democratic papers and 52 THE SPECULUM. ———————————— — a brands the Republican party as the party of corruption and monopolies. The same man, if he reads only the statements in the Repub- lican, papers is forced to the conclusion that the Democratic party is equally as corrupt in the other extreme. If he reads both the Republican and Democratic papers he becomes confused and stops to med- itate. Almost a mugwump in belief, and anxiously awaiting the appearance of a new and virgin party, he either witholds his ballot or perhaps casts it with the Prohibi- tion party. Newspapers are not courts of law. It is to be regretted that every political issue is taken up by the press, discussed, and then approved or condemned, according to the party origin of the measure. A still greater evil is the attack of the press upon the indi- vidual candidates of opposing parties for office. In fact, the brazen attacks of the press upon candidates, independent of their qualifications, makes the probability of being slandered and defeated too great for the honest and moral man to enter the field of political strife as a candidate for office. The political speakers of to-day are addressing their eloquent and silvered phrases to their many constituents. With a surprising exposition of the crimes of the opposing party, a dazzling array of statistical infor- mation in support of his own party, or an exhaustive effusion of convincing logic, the speaker preys upon the simplicity and confi- dence of the people. In the same way the press deludes its readers. Gorgeous head- lines and diverse factious editorials carry con- viction with them to the minds of many, even without proof. The press seems to conceive itself in duty bound to exhort the public to decide great questions, and to pro- nounce, according to its political belief, its verdict upon those questions. Extreme conclusions drawn from the same data are placed before the public by the press. The statistical records used by the Republican press may seem to prove with- out question the stability of the issue under discussion. The Democratic press, on the other hand, by using the same data, can prove the truth of the opposite extreme with equal satisfaction to its readers. The fallacy lies in the reader’s own mind as well as in the arguments adduced. The reader is too anxious to believe certain statements, while the press is too anxious to prove them. The reader calls party prejudice to h's aid; the press, party confidence. The newspaper has ambitiously surpassed the original intention of its advocates. It has become one of the many institutions of our country, which, through their unchecked prosperity, have failed to guard off pending evils. They have filled its columns with rash and meaningless editorials, editorials destitute of every element of the ideal, and which by their stout and impressive language serve only to delude the people. Thomas Jefferson’s ideas of the press ‘vere much the same as those entertained by the thinking men of to-day. He conceived that with freedom of the press this right of freedom would be abused; that the press would become an organ of slander and abuse, a medium for the publication and exchange of lies. What Jefferson foresaw and pre- dicted has been and is to-day extant in no weakened sway. Yes, more than this, the evils have now reached their maximum. . The organs for the origination of- slander and falsehood are capable of no greater efficiency of action than that which they now have attained. Granting that the maximum efficiency of the press in effecting delusion and abuse is attained, and that these evils can be magni- fied no more, we still feel that they must be eliminated from the truth which they serve to cover. The process of elimination to be pursued is that of addition and subtraction. Add much of truth, subtract all of falsehood. Yes, this is indeed a good process, but how can it be brought about? Let us see. Educated people now pay little or no THE SPECULUM. 5g ———— 1S er attention to the class of newspaper articles to which the above refers. The evil effects are most shown among the less intelligent classes. The remedy then is education. The public must be raised to that state of intelligence when they will ignore these articles in the newspapers, and, more than that, cease to support them. More stimulus must be given to independent papers. Then, when education is more general and the newspaper is edited independently of party feeling, we may say that the process of elimination has been completed. a The “Force Bill.” GEORGE W. DAVIS, OLYMPIC SOCIETY. Within the last few years, there has been much trouble in regard to elections, both national and local. Accounts of fraud and force are frequently reported from all parts of the country. Among the many means suggested to remedy this evil, the latest is the Lodge Election Bill. Nearly all of the information which the people can obtain in regard to this bill, comes through the col- umns of partisan newspapers. By one party itis regarded as an effectual solution of the election difficulties. By the other party, it is denounced as being a “force bill” and characterized as sectional, tyrannical and unjust. — The one great object, which the bill pro- poses, is to make public the result of all Federal elections—to make public the result of the election as shown by the actual count of the votes, and not after the tally sheet and return blanks have been so tam- pered with as to make an expression of the direct will of the people almost impossible. To secure this end, it provides that there shall be present, at each national election, two or more officers of the United States, whose duty it shall be to see that the voting is carried on in a proper manner. In case a whole district is to be taken: under the law, a board of canvassers is appointed, to take the vote of each precinct and, from these — returns, determine the result of the election. A certificate shall then be issued to the can- didate so elected. If this certificate agrees with the one issued by the-state, it is sup- posed to be correct. In case it does not - agree, the state certificate is set aside. To guard against any undue interference on the part of the officers, the election shall be conducted in such legal manner as the state shall decide. The local officials have the power to enter a complaint against the officers if they attempt to go beyond their prescribed duties, which are to see that no improper influences are brought to bear upon voters, and also to insure the counting and recording of the votes exactly as they — were deposited in the ballot-box. # If such a law as this could be enacted and enforced, much of the trouble and expense incurred by contested election cases would be avoided. That many of the contests are taken on sufficient. grounds no one will” deny. The case of John M. Clayton, of Arkansas, is still fresh in our minds. He was undoubtedly elected to a seat in Con- gress, but through fraudulent returns he was counted out. While securing evidence with which to contest the seat of his oppo- nent, he was murdered by his political ene- mies. Had there been United States officers present at the election, fraud would have been impossible, and instead of being in his_ grave, John M. Clayton would now be a member of Congress. | There have been many complaints as to the way in which elections are conducted in. many parts of the country. The race ques-_ tion, in the southern states, hangs mainly: - upon the one point: Shall the negro vote as he pleases, or shall he have the choice of voting as he is told, or not at all? There is but little doubt that the negro’s vote is con- trolled largely by force. He is not allowed tu deposit his ballot as he desires unless, as happens in rare cases, his wishes coincide with those of the controlling element of the 54 THE SPECULUM. whites. South deny that the negro vote is in any way influenced by interference on their part. Others are somewhat more candid, but even they excuse their acts by the old cry of “white supremacy.” If one even dares to object to these high- Many of the political leaders of the handed methods, he is accused of “waving ’ the bloody shirt,” or of attempting to stir up sectional feeling. Who is it that keeps alive the old war-like feeling? Do not the southern people, themselves, by continually teaching the rising generation that. the negro must be kept down, do more than anyone else to stir up sectional strife? These are the men who cry “Force bill.” These are the men who are trying to per- suade Congress that the government has positively no r-ght to interfere, in any way, with their elections. They do not seem to realize that no “force” will be used, as long as the elections are honestly conducted. The very fact of their objecting so strongly “to the bill, betrays the weakness of their position. Dothey not know that such a law would result in the complete solution of the race question? When /faf is solved they are deprived of the issue upon which their elections have turned for the past ten years. People say the bill is sectional, and not national in its character. It is not sectional except that it is to be applied only where the circumstances seem to make it necessary. If there is any section of the country, where fraud and force are resorted to to carry the elections, the government officers are to be present. Just so far is the bill sectional. In many of our large cities the elections are controlled by unprincipled “bosses,” who have not the least regard for the rights of American citizenship. The Lodge Bill aims to give all voters, no matter where they. are situated, or what their condition may be, the right to vote as they wish. It is well to consider by whom the objec- tions are made. In nearly every case, they come from those who depend upon unfair means to carry the elections, Such persons are the only ones who can reasonably object to sucha law. The “force bill” has no ter- rors for the honest, law-abiding citizen. By him it is looked upon, not as an unjust usurpation of power by the government, but as a measure which will enable him to do his share toward making the laws of our country. oa SCLlENTIFIC., Natural History Society. At the meeting of the Natural History Society, October 10, Mr. L. H. Baker pre- sented) an interesting paper, the subject of which was “ Tree Toads.” He said: Toward the close of nearly every pleasant day during spring and summer the A/yde versicolor and flyla pickeringti, or the tree toads, are the principal songsters of the swamps and meadows. is common in nearly every portion of the United States, while the latter inhabits the more eastern portion, and is much more gen- erally known by its voice than by appear- ance. - The first thing that a casual observer would notice about the //y/a versicolar, or common tree toad, is its remarkable ability to climb the trunks and branches of tiees, and Qn exam- ining the feet of this species it would be found that at the end of each toe there is a disk, by means of which the toad can travel up and down the trunks of trees with per- fect safety, on the same principle that the fly is enabled to navigate on the window patie. Another very remarkable thing about this species is that it can adapt its color to that of the object on which it rests, whence its name, versicolor. A few days ago, while walking through the woods north of the College, I captured one of these toads, and by putting him ina white insect net I succeeded in making him The former species even to jump from leaf to leaf, THE SPECULUM. 55 turn from the hright green of the leaf on which he had been to nearly white. — I then tried him with some red leaves, but he would not turn red. Itis stated, on the best known authority, that //yda readily changes to any color between deep brown to light gray, and from nearly white to a bright green, thus entirely barring out such colors as red, blue and yellow. The favorite color of this species is gray. versicolor The most striking example of this power to change color is found in the American Chameleon. This animal is able to assume, almostinstantly, any shade between a beauti- ful emerald and a dark iridescent bronze color, and it is even said that a passing cloud may cause its customary bright green color to fade. flyla versicolor is capable of domestication to a limited extent. Mr. Jacob Geismar once kept two of these toads in boxes, which _ were placed by an open window. Toward evening they would leave their boxes and hop to a neighboring apple tree, where they would make the air ring with their melodi- ous notes till late into the night. Before morning they would. return; and by daylight would be found in their accu$tomed places. The Hyda pickeringii, aspecies somewhat rare here, generally appears in the early spring, and their sharp notes may be heard from the colder swamps and meadows. Dif- | ferent individuals answer each other with differently toned voices of a single note. This is very shrill and loud, and may be compared to the rapid clicking together of pebbles. The muscular force employed in expelling the air from the lungs collapses the sides of the animal till they nearly meet, while the gular sac, or throat, is distended with each expulsion to one-half the size of the head and body together, fall this species goes up into the trees, where they call to each other as in the spring, but with a weaker note, much resembling that of the purple finch. On the discussion following the paper }.twenty days. Toward the | Prof. Cook stated that reasons could be given for tree frogs not turning red when upon a red substance. He said that the reason for this animal having the power of mimicry is for protection. Throughout the summer months, when the prevailing colors are green to gray, and the enemies of this animal are most numerous, its powers of mimicry are very remarkable. In the autumn its enemies are fewer, and the red colors only last for a few days, hence it does not need this power to such an extent. Mr. Hicks inquired the cause of this changing of color, but a satisfactory answer could not be given. In regard to’the fertilization of Afartynia Mr. Bristol said: This plant is a native of the West and is occasionally raised in our gardens. The green fruit is sometimes used for pickling. The flowers are white to yel- low in color, calyx five-cleft, corolla bell- shaped and somewhat two-tipped. The flowers are fertilized by bees. The bee will generally light upon the lower lip of the corolla. The weight of the bee tips the corolla down so that the stigmatic surface comes in contact with the bee’s back, which previously has been cov- ered with pollen from other flowers. The bee passing further into the flower comes in contact with the anthers and becomes dusted with pollen which in its turn will be carried to a neighboring flower. As the bee first comes in contact with the stigmatic surface the flower is very likely to be cross-fertil- ized, Mr. Cummings reported the fertilization of the ffelianthus. He said: The time from the beginning of flowering uutil the last flower sheds its pollen is from twelve to I made visits to these flowers a number of times and found honey bees and bumble bees working upon them. Toward night I also found a few moths and occasion- ally a butterfly about the flowers. . The bees light upon the showy-ray flowers, it appar- ently being the bright yellow of these 56 THE SPECULUM. corollas which attract them. The style is deeply two-cleft, the parts being well curled back, exposing the stigmatic surface above the syngenesious anthers. The insect, in getting the nectar, brushes its body against the exposed stigmas. Before the flowers opened I tied a piece of netting over several of them to observe the fertilization without the aid of insects. I found that the flowers would fertilize without the help of bees or other insects, but thought that the fertiliza- tion was not as perfect. Mr. Crosby described the fertilization of our common thistle, cvtcus Jarcealafus. The heads stand upright, and in each are many tubular flowers, the pistil in* each instance projecting above the anthers, so that fertiliza- tion without the aid of insects is very im- probable. The flowers to mature first are those on the outside of the head, and gradu- ally ripening toward the center. Bumble- bees were the oaly insects observed at work upon these flowers, the tubes of the corollas being so long that honey bees cannot reach the nectar. The bees invariably light on the outside flowers of the head, and syste- matically work toward the center. As the flowers are proferandrous, and those at out- side of the head ripen first, the bees in a measure do not fertilize the flowers of any one head by pollen from the same, but covered with pollen they fly to a-neighbor- ing head, aud sipping the nectar come in contact with the exposed stigmatic surfaces, hence cross-fertilizing the plant. In the description of the fertilization of the closed gertian by Mr. Campbell, he said: The study of the fertilization of the closed gentian has been a host of surprises tome. This plant grows in moist soil, be- ing found in a number of places in the vicin- ity of the college. Generally there are eight to ten terminal flowers, and frequently a number of axillary ones. The corolla is regular, with plated folds which bear teeth at the sinuses. Thus the corolla at all times completely shuts the essential organs of the Oe GOO Hower from the outside world. Yet as the stigmatic surface is above the anthers, this plant depends upon insects for fertilization. A bumbte-bee lighting upon the flower grad- ually works apart the folds of the corolla and soon disappears within. In doing so it necessarily comes in contact with the exposed stigmas. As far as observed these flowers are only fertilized by bumble-bees, Mr. Harvey described the fertilization of tow flax. He said: This is one of our most common weeds, growing generally on sandy soil. It isa native of Europe and for the past few years has been spreading rapidly in this State. The plant has a large dense raceme of yellow. flowers, with two-lipped corollas and four stamens. A small groove at base of stamens leads to the nectary or spur. The plant is aided in fertilization by bumble-bees, They light on lower lip of corolla, their weight pulling it down until about horizontal. In reaching the nectar the back of the bee comes in contact with the stigmas before reaching the anthers. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. Prof. Cook: In the American Naturalist for sept. 22, there is a cut of a wooden cat- erpillar, Thé article states that in the development of this caterpillar a plant grows out of it and after a time the caterpillar turns to wood. The article may be true to the extent that the caterpillar was attacked by some form of fungus, but it is not probable that it afterward turned to wood, although it might become hardened by the action of the fungus, Our common white grub is sometimes attacked by a fungoid growth which gives it the appearance of a plant growing from it. . Chas. Baker: There is no boy living upon the banks of the Mississippi river who is not acquainted with the “lucky-stones.” These are two peculiar shaped bones, taken from the head of a large fish found in several of our western rivers. These bones have a peculiar marking, looking very much, in out- THE SPECULUM. 57 line, like a polliwog, The marking is rather dark and finely dotted. Mr. Wheeler read the following extract | from a letter recently received from a gen- tleman in Montana: On my way down a ravine [ meta huge porcupine. He did not seem glad to see mime and tried to hide. I thought it a good opportunity to see whether he could throw quills. I got a long stick and poked him a little. He threw his tail about wickedly with the object of sticking quills into his supposed enemy. He did not seem at all inclined to run, but kept his head .curled under. He threw his tail about so hard that he actually threw quills out of it, but it 1s perhaps because they had been loos- ened by hitting my stick. The stick was stuck full of quills. Iam now inclined to think that after the tail quills are loosened at the joint, a porcupine can throw them out, Mr. Niswander: While in the garden to- day 1 found the common wasp feeding upon the larv# of the cabbage moth, Some time ago I observed the humming bird getting nectar from the cardinal flower, The opening into the flower is so small that it was with much difficulty that the humming bird reached the nectar. It would dart toward the flower and if its bill did not strike the opening it would back up and try again, sometimes trying several times before succeeding, Mr. Bert Cook reac a semi-scientific arti- cle, “A fox hunt,” which is not reported. Some Factors in the Study of the Dis- tribution of Plants in. the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. The geographical distribution of plants is coming to occupy the attention of students of biology. Some of the most famous men of science have been actively working in this fascinating and fruitful field for many years. Darwin, Wallace and our own Asa Gray have brought together a multitude of interesting facts. Upon these, generaliza- a tions have been made, and the foundations have been laid for all future workers, The labors of Prof. Chamberlain and. Dr. Geo. PF. Wright of Oberlin, during the past five years, have settled the limits of the southern extension of the ice during the glacial period. Very many facts in regard to the distribution of plants in Michigan, which were before inexplicable, now become quite plain.- No one is found at tue present time who denies the fact that there has been a great ice age inthe Northern Hemisphere; ‘that animals and plants were driven southward by its gradual march; that finally ‘these animals and plants followed the retreat of the glackrs northward as the climate grew milder. In the light of the facts which have been found out lately in regard to the details of the present distribution of land and water, ranges of hills and valleys, we can now begin to draw some conclusions as to why certain plants occupy certain particu- lar localities in our State. For instance, last May it was found that a little colony of primroses, Primula Mistassinica, were growing clustered in the mosses which cover the almost perpendicular face of the rocks at a point near Grand Ledge. Here was a suitable place, as the water of a spring high up the bank trickled down over the rocks, furnishing the proper conditions of growth. The question to be solved is, how this little colony of primroses came to be found so unexpectedly at Grand Ledge, when its nearest neighbors, so far as known, in our State, are at two very widely separated localities, one in Monroe county and the other near the pictured rocks of Lake Superior. According to the explanation given by the glacialists these little primroses, on their way back to their Northern home at the close of the glacial period, found in these few widely separated places the only spots where the requisite conditions of growth were combined, and here, with their rootlets always bathed in the cold spring water whieh is surcharged with carbon 55 dioxide, they have defied their enemies. This line of study will yield fruitful results to all who will patiently follow it out, C. F. WHEELER. Mechanical Club. The last meeting of the Mechanical Club for the present term was held in the chapel, Friday evening, Oct. 17, Although an entertainment by one of the societies pre- vented a large attendance, several interesting subjects were presented and discussed by those present. Mr. W. J. Meyers gave an informal talk describing the construction and mentioning the advantages of the trapezoidal weir, much used in the western states in apportioning water for irrigation. The weir is built wider at the top than at the bottom, in a proportion such that the tangent of the angle between the sloping side and a vertical line from the lower corner is 0.25. All compu- tations of the amount of water discharged are then made by using the measured depth on the weir and the length of its bottom as the required dimensions. If the velocity of the water be small, all contractions of the jet are compensated for; so that for example the volumes discharged over weirs at the same depth are to each other as the lengths of the weirs. In the old form of weir, with perpendicular sides this proportion does not hold, as the number of edges at which con- traction will be noticed is decreased. Mr. R. M. Kedzie read a paper‘on the manufacture of coal gas, giving a good description of the methods and some conjec- tures as to the sources of light and heat when the supply of coal shall have been exhausted. The manufacture of seamless tubing by the Mannesmann process was the subject of a reading by Mr, Bauerle. The process consists in drawing or kneading the tube from a block of red hot metal by means of ridged, conical rollers. ‘The tubes thus made are perfectly weldless and very strong. THE SPECULUM. Prof. Durand next gave a very interesting talk on the principles and some of the details of electric Currents of great volume but of low tension are used in this work and its main advantages are that power derived from a water-wheel is as applicable as that from any other source. No fire is necessary and the beauty of the process lies in the fact that resistance, and consequently heat, is developed at exactly the where heat needed, Unlike ordinary welding, no laps are necess- ary and but little distortion is produced, Besides this, the range of work is very greatly extended; dissimilar metals, copper and even cast iron being readily welded, THE SPECULUM, PUBLISHED MONTHLY DURING THE COLLEGE YEAR, BY THE STUDENTS Or THe MICHIGAN STATE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. welding. point is most ats —— ‘TeRMs, 7h Cenrs A VYeAn: SINGLE Numuers, 10 Cewrs, ADVERTISING KATES MADE KNOWS ON APPLICATION. er All subscriptions will be regarded as continued, unless We are notified to the contrary, Tf this item is marked, your subscription is in arrears, oe —— — THE MODERATOR. This superior educational journal and Tue pecttum will be sent to any address at $2 per year, = a Se ee BOARD OF DIRECTORS. ECLECTIC. SOCIETY, kK. L. Buorrecrrein, * . “ Exdlitor-in-Chie€, Literary Articles and Editorials. NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. J. W. Toumer, . . - - PHI DELTA THETA FRATERNITY. VW. W. Lowe, — - - - Colleze News. DELTA TAU DELTA FRATERNITY. J. L. Porrer, . . “ 2 OLYMPIC SOCIETY. H.W. Mumpomp, - - Colleges and Exchanges, UNION LITERARY SOCIETY, A. ER, Locke, = = - - Science, Athletics, Personals, W. A. Fox, = J. E. Winkson, : Ske, H, G- Revsorns, Husiness Manager, Business Manager, 7 Avsat. . ‘Treasurer, AGricuLTuRAL CoLLecr, Nov. 1o, 1890. Ir will be a great accommodation to the editor of the Personal Department if all readers of THe SrEcuLumM will send to him the names, and addresses if possible, of for- THE SPECULUM. 59 mer students who did not graduate. We wish to get the whereabouts of as many M. A, C. men as we can. a ac EVERY one in college knows of the annoyance that sas been caused to many students at different times by the taking of livery rigs during some entertainment here and returning them ? Considerable loss has been sustained aswell. Itis perhaps one way to get enjoyment out of life, but, fel- lows, don’t do it, Is it not possible to extend the electric lighting system so as to illumine some of the campus? The walk between Wells and Williams halls is a very unpleasant one to travel after dark. There are other such places, also, where students must pass. For a considerable part of the spring and fall terms students must go to supper, to the library or to the halls, after dark. have some light upon the subject? May we THE fire-drill, from a practical standpoint, is not a complete success, True, the boys get accustomed to the positions of the hydrants about the grounds, and they learn to handle the hose-cart and other appliances to a certain extent. But they take very lit- tle interest in the drill—indeed, it is a posi- tive bore to most of them; it takes time which they feel ought to be their own, and it does not ‘rain a fire company. We would respectfully ask the State Board to consider _ the pian of having a paid department, con- sisting of students from the various classes, with regular ranks, weekly drills, and defi- nite responsibilities for each person and for all members. It would cost but little money, and in our opinion might possibly be made very efficient. AT the last meeting of the State Board of Agriculture a resolution was voted to dimin- ish the stock of, the college farm. The -——+ : = . = ——— ee — principle of selection and breeding in the future will be an educational one. Com-. paratively small herds of the leading breeds of stock will be kept and specimens of other breeds. This was the original policy of the institution, but in course of time became per- verted, A return to this admirable feature of the agricultural department is fortunate. The study and comparison of breeds of stock has been a weak point in the system of instruction in thatdepartment. No doubt this plan will tend to remedy the deficiency ‘to a very marked degree. One of the orators in the recent contest voiced our sentiments exactly when he urged the students to become conversant with polli- tics and to be politicians, in a good sense, when they go out into the world. If we do our duty in our college work, it follows as- naturally as day follows sunrise that we will in the future occupy positions of con- siderable prominence. We will be able to influence men, to some extent at least. How important, then, that our political views be sound, We ought to go forth so thoroughly imbued with the great principles of our gov- ernment, the great principles of liberty and justice and integrity, that no partisanship can ever cause us to depart from them. The difference between the independent, think- ing, manly citizen, and the cringing party serf, ought to be so powerfully fixed in our imaginations that we will ever be found advocating, not simply the party issues, but the statesmanlike questions. Butto be able to judge intelligently, our education in poli- tics must not be neglected. Let every student, when he enters college, resolve to decide. for himself in these matters. . Let him read all sides of political discussions; let him read deeply enough to discern between partisan babble and wise doctrines. Then, when he takes up life’s work, he will, if he is conscientious, be one of the small but useful minority who vote with indepen- dence and true intelligence. 60 THE SPECULUM. COLLEGE NEWS. President Clute spent a day in Detroit recently. Prof, Nov. Dr. Beal will spend the winter at Cambridge, study- ing #rasses. Some of the old farm fences are being replaced by new ones. Eighty varieties of tomatoes were grown on the gar- den this year. Dr. Beal is studying structural botany with a number of post graduates. Prof. and Mrs. Davenport have left for a somewhat extended tour through the South. Mr. Wheeler, assistant in the botanical department, will graduate with the class of "91. Rev. C. H. Beale's instructive lecture on a “Trip through Europe” was well attended. The Shakespeare club has graduated in Shake- speare, and are now attacking Emerson. ~ Prof. Cook still receives calls for our graduates to fill important positions in other colleges. Prof. Taft goes tu Detroit Monday, Nov. 10, to act as one of the judges at the chrysanthemum show. - The reading room will be open and warmed during the winter, with an assistant librarian in attendance. Students who