Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-12-01
EXPERIMENTSTATN
WHAT ITS USES ARE AND WHY It WAS
ESTABLISHED.
There are More Strange Things in Rugology Iian
are Dreamed Of-The Creamery Business
Presidents Table Supplisd-Ths
Wants Of the Institution.
spleial corr..ponf.ne. ofne Rlqi.,.r.

ligent knowledge of the work prose-
cuted and the methods pursued, the
writer was recently induced to pay
visit to the Agricultural Experiment
Station, located at Morgantown.
The visit was extremely interesting
and instructive, and believing that many
persons have formed erroneous ideas Of
the province OF this institution. ! will
give the people of the State the benefit
of my impressions on that occasion.
Through the kindness OF DR.. j. 4.
Myers, the efficient Director, was per
mit,ed to visit the various departments
and shown the nature of the scientific
investigations pursued in each.
The Station was organized In June.
ls>s, by means of the funds appropri.
atcd by Congress for that purpose. The
Station buildings are beautifully located
near those of the State University aud
are admirably adapted for the work
therein pursued.
was impressed with the systematic
methods OF scientific investigation and
the original character OF all research
relative to the subjects considered.
Your correspondent was first shown
through the department OF Entomology.
or more properly, Of injurious insects.
presided over by Mr.. A. ID. Hopkins.
who has gained for himself an cnviabie
reputation in his chosen field. Here
may be seen numerous cabinets of IN
sectS properly labeled and systematic
ally and beautifully arranged. \ notice
able and interesting feature and arrange
mcnt OF the life history Of the insect by
means Of which the transformations
through the various stages OF the egg,
Larvae. pupa, and image could be- easily
traced Ii was here that the festive
nca, known to the lovers of "bugology
As the "PuleX IrritanS," the beautiful
butterfly with its varigatcd hucs and
brilliant coloring, the proverbial moth
with its high-tOned tastes and expensive
habits, the representatives, OF the order
llcmiptcra. 50 annoying 10 bald-hradcd
men. and the beetle, yes.
The poor beetle that We tread upon.
In corporal >uiIerance hnd, plug 40 -r"af
A. when giant dies.
The hornet and the wasp. with their
kecnneSS and penetration, aud the great
warm. enthusiastic bumble-bee were an
artistically mpaled as If by way of re-
taliatiOn on shining rows OF pins, set in
cork, for the convenience OF the bug
ologist" and the admiration and dclec-
tation OF curious visitors. Al present
the work OF this department is confined
almost exclusively TO economic research
relative To insects injurious 10 agrIcul-
ture: also the cause and manner OF
their dcprcdatlOnS and the best means
OF preventing the same. Possessing as
they do the most remarkable means 0l
sclf-preSeryation and pcrpetuaiion OF
the species. only the specialists iu
this science can appreciate a discovery
that will lead % their control or
ultimate destruction. \ conservative
estimate declares that on an average
there are six species OF insects attack
ing each species Of plant, that over 80
species prey upon cereals and grasses,
80 rayagc our garden vegetables. from
- To - attack the grapevine, and near
)y as many the peach. plum. pear and
cherry.
Among shade trees the oak elm, wal
not, locust and spruce suffer most, n1m-
bcring as their enemies over 100 dcstruc-
tive insects. II is known 10 certainty
that nearly 800 species prey on the ape
pie tree.
When We consider that the number Of
insects in the world will approximate "a
million species. and added 10 this the
fact of their microscopic size and uu-
paralcllcd fccundity-whe w. reflect
that the annual aggregate losses in the
[ nitcd States due to injurious insects
amount 10 over two hundred millions
OF dollars. it is not strange that care
ful study of entomology should bee
thought not only advisable but ab,o-
lutcly necessary.
Mr. Hopkins has directed much haffrn-
tion recently 10 TWO general groupe of
iniuyous insects. viz. Farm and gar
den insects and forest and shade tree
insects. Under the first class he has
made special study of the striped
flea beetle or cabbage flea, the
the raspberry beetle, sheep tick,
the plumb curcuio. the codling moth,
or apple worm, the imported currant
worm aud the horse fly. Under the
second class, viz, the forest and shade
tree group. he has studied the yellow
locust beetle and the black spruce
beetle.
During a recent tour through the in
terror Of the State be made % close
study OF the habits aud Expectations of
of the raspberry. locust and spruc"
beetles. which are much more numcr-
ous than is usually supposed. lie has
Il discovered and identified the various
stages and metamorphose> Of these in-
ScctS and also the parasites except that
OF the locust that prey upon them. IL
is thought by transferring these para
sites into the affected regions where
they do not already exist, that the raw
ages may be abated.
Next | was ushcred into the depart
ment Of botany and microscopy over
which Chas. f. Millspaugh, NJ. D., pre-
sides. DR.. Milspaugh Is the author of
"Millspaugh's American Medicinal
Plants" comprehensive work. bcauti-
fully and deliberately illustrated and In
valuable to advanced students and
specialists. In the preparation of thi,
work the doctor has spent seven busy
year, Of his active life. He
has also written many excellent
articles for the magazines OF the
country and j. the Acknowledged
authority In this country on the order
Eophorbiaclae Here may be seen the
most complete botanical collection in
State. and, indeed, in the country. in
some special departments. Not only is
the study OF Systematic Botany carried
to great extent in relation 10 the
plants Of the State. but investigations
concerning the histology and micro
scOpical structure o. plants and their
diseases are pursued according 10 the
most approved methods known 20
science. Nor is the collection composed
Of Indigenous plants alone, FOR there may
be found among its numerous specimens
many rare exotics. Ferns, mOsses.
moulds. algal and fungi. without num-
bcr. are Systematically disposed on every
side. Special attention Is given 10 the
anatomy and physiology Of plants. and
the best means Of propagation aud pre-
seryatiOn. In connection with hi.
studies In forage plants and other ycgc-
tation Of the State, he has already dis
covered, during the short time OF his
residence here, several species knew 10
science. One Of these species, q very
ornamental shrub, be- has transplantcd
to the campus. Of which he intends To
form an arborctum, and in which will be
represented a type Of every shrub and
tree growing in the State.
One Of Karl Zeiss' best monoculaI
microscopes reveals the infnitesimal
wonders Of the vegetable world, while
the apparatus for cutiyating and pre-
serving bacteria, In the finely equipped
laboratory is perfect.
1t is here that the mysteries ol