The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1896-09-12
IMPORTANT DISCOVERIES
Made by Members Of the Station
Staff.
DR.. Hopkins Reads Some Paper.
Before


The American Association for the Ad.
| yancemenf Of Science that Attract
Wide Attention Great Benefit Must
Result from His Experiments and
Discoveries.
AT the recent scientific meetings
held in Buffalo, n. Y, Dr. Hopkins.
of the w. Va. Expt Station staff
read a number of papers in which he
announced some important results of
experiments and original inyesti-
cations which are of general interest
to the public, especially in showing
how the work of the State Expert
Inent Station may contribute to the
advancement of the agricultural and
other interests, as well as to the ad-
vaneement of science.
In paper on Insect Enemies of
Trees, read at meeting of the AS
sociation of Economic Entomolo-
gists, he gave an account of some
deliberately planned experiments
that are being conducted by him to
determine the proper time to cut
timber to prevent damage to the
wood by wood boring insects. DIFF
ferent kinds of trees have been cut
twice month, during the past two
years, and he has found that the
wood Of those cut in the late fall,
winter and early spring months are
seriously damaged by insects during
the following summer, and that even
the seasoned wood from such trees
is attacked, while the wood of those
cut in the summer months is far less
liable to injury by either insects or
decay.
He also announced the recent dis
covery of the causes of one of the
most serious losses Of valuable tim
Der, namely, the destruction of the
heartwood of living trees by insects
and decay.
In another paper presented to the |
same society, entitled 'Some Notes
on Farm, Garden and Orchard In
sects,' he gave an account of the re
suits of his Investigations on the |
San Jose Scale and other new pests
in West Virginia, and announced |
the discovery that common insect |
which had previously been referred |
to as parasite of the clover seed
nudge is not parasite of the nudge,
but is, in fact, an enemy of the seed
and far more destructive to the clio
yer seed crop than the nudge.
In paper ON the "Flowering Hab-
its of Timothy and Red Clover and
the Polarization of the Flowers by
Insects read at Joint Session of
the Association of Economic Ento-
mologists and the Society for the
Promotion of Agricultural Science
he announced some interesting and
results Of his investiga-
lions of these subjects, and * ], pa
per on Varieties of Timothy and
Red Clover" presented to the Socie-
ty for the Promotion of Agricultural
Science he announced some results
of his studies of these standard for
age plants, among which the discov-
cry of an early variety of timothy
that rlpens at the same time as the
common or medium red clover, is of
especial Importance He has also
found and is experimenting with
large number of varieties of both
and clover, and has deter
mined that an equal improvement of
these plants may be made, as has
been accomplished with wheat, oats,
corn and other standard farm and
garden plants, and he expects to
soon be able to present to the farm
ers of his State, some new and inn
proved varieties of clover and timo-
thy that will yield far greater re-
turns of both hay and seed than is
possible to obtain from the common
seed which produces large proper
ton of inferior and even WORTHLESS
In another paper ON Life Zones
IN West Virginia read at meeting
Of the Geological Section of the
association for the AID
of Science, he presented
and explained maps of the State
showing different well marked areas
N which some kinds of forest trees
as well as cultivated plants will
thrive, while in other nearby areas
hey will not grow Also that GER
Jain insects which are serious pests
n one section cannot exist in other
sections often of the same county,
)wing to certain unfavorable climat-
c, geographic and geological condi
ions.
The papers mentioned will be pub
ished in the proceedings of the So
.ieties and the results of the investf-
cations referred to will be mentioned
n future reports and bulletins of the
Station.