Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-02-19

required to take out license. and
that label must be fixed 70 every
package. having the chemical analysis
Of the contents plainly printed there
on. In one instance "A fertilizer was
analysed which was selling for S25 pei
ton. IL was found to-contain just 25
cts. worth of valuable materials. Thus
a few minutes in the laboratory saved
the farmers years OF expensive trial
and final disappointment. About the
year 1877 Clawson Wheat had come
rapidly to the front in Michigan. The
peculiar conditions OF soil and climate
seemed to be eminently fitted for this
variety. At a meeting of the State
Millers' Association 1t was solemnly
resolved that of all the wheats raised
in Michigan, Clawscn was the least
valuable for making fine flour. This
was a serious blow to the farmers OF
Michigan. An Investigation was i'm
mediately instituted by Dr. Kedzie
and the results clearly indicated that
Clawson Wheat held front rank as a
flour producing variety. Though this
investigation confidence was restored
and Clawson remained the leading
wheat in Michigan.
1t was not until 1879 that arsenites
came to be generally used as insec-
ticides throughout the United States.
About this time LeConte and a few
others scientists claimed that the use
of these substances was filling our soils
with poisonous materials. which would
be taken up by our crops and would
ultimately seriously effect the health
of our people. These statements at
tracted attention in Europe, and our
foreign market was for time threat
ened. DR.. Kedzie by series of elab-
crate experiments showed that these
arsenites were rendered inert in the
soil by the hydrated oxide of iron.
This substance exists in sufficient
quantities, in all fertile soils. TO rem.
der all arsenites inactive, which could
ordinary be supplied as insecticides. 1
The Doctor is known most widely
perhaps as the founder of the present
system of farmers Institutes. AL
though institutes had been attempted
before, none were successfully estab-
lished until DIR. Kedzie, through reso-
buttons presented to the faculty of the
Michigan Agricultural College and by
this body TO the State Board of Agri-
culture, submitted scheme which
was adopted. This established the
institutes of Michigan on a solid
basis. The movement rapidly spread,
until to-day nearly every State in the
Union has its farmers institutes. No
one thing has done more to bring
farmers into sympathy with our agri-
cultural schools. The world will long
remnenber DR.. Kedzie's valuable SER
vece in founding these colleges for
farmers" No more fitting epitaph
could be inscribed on his monument
than: "He was the father of the
farmers Institutes.
Besides these achievements he has
written on various other subjects of
public interest, among which are Ven
rilation of School Buildings. Water
Supply of Michigan, Poisons of Agri-
culture, Green Manuring, The China
tology of Central Michigan. Healthy
Homes for Farmers, etc. These arti-
Giles have been published mostly in
the reports of the Michigan Board of
Agriculture and State Board CT
Health. He is considered an author
ty on the subjects treated, and his
writings are valuable additions to
scientific literature. As an instructor
he is true friend TO the honest and
diligent student, but terror to evil
doors" He believes that the teacher
is true friend to the student only as
he holds him strictly TO performance
of his duties. During his long con-
nection with the college he has made
many collections of chemicals curios-
tiles, which are made valuable ad-
juncts to his instructions. His lectures
are interesting, complete, and full of
truth. F. B. MUMFORD.
Hillsdale County, Mich.