The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1897-02-19
FARMERS AND MECHANICS,
Practical Education at the Ore
gon Agricultural College.

Inc college, has p1 p1ootAooAiy WV 4
chemical laboratories. The exper-
mental station. chemical depart
ment is distinct from that of the
college proper. Either is superior
in equipment to any other in Ore
gon and is only surpassed on the
coast by Stanford and Berkeley.
The latter's superiority is princi-.
pally a matter of duplication.
COLLEGE CHEMICAL DEPARTMENT.
The course offered is the mcst
extended of anyzin the northwest.
1t is possible to-. secure four full
years: of theoretical and applied
chemistry, leading to B. S.ades
gree. The department occupies
1--WE rooms, the laboratories being
fully equipped for all kinds OF or
edinary work.
While the entire course Is un-
der the direction of Prof. Shaw,
the Sophomore class is in the i'm
mediate charge Of Assistants Full
| ton and Edwards. The Junior
and Senior classes are in charge OF
Prof. Shaw.
Thesentire course is so planned
as to bring the student to a reali
cation of the practical appaca-
tion.of the>science to the arts.
The elective course is intended
tor +bosa' who desire to specialize
in the science. 1t. offers, such
| work as the following: Analyaa
of soils, waters, milk, butter,
| cheese, urine, sugar, etc, = A stu
dent desiring TO investigate along
any particular line, as mineral,
sanitary, agricultural analysis, is
offerel an opportunity in our own
state. '.-''''' ~ -.
/ FOOD ADULTERATroN:.:: =: -.
| The chemist of the college Is
the official chemist for the state
food commissioner, This formerly
lentailed a great deal Of extra
work. but last year. the demands
upon the department. for this work
were not heavy. Z
The analysis of food-stuffs has
discovered that this is ali age ol
adulteration. Baker, ex-food
commissioner, calls Oregon 'the
adulterator's dump pile" 1mpuri.
ties are principally found in but
ter, fresh and condensed milk
cheese, canned peas, spices. tea
coffee and flour.
The adulterants for ground cof
fee are chiefly chicory, bread rasp'
ings, burned peas, coffee pellets
ground red beets, licorice. Mus
tard is adulterated with sulphur
The wooden nutmeg story is not
mere fiction. Nutmegs contain
ing oak sawdust. are sold in Ore
gon today. Rose leaves, willow
leaves and Paraguay tea leaves are
found in tea. Baking powae1
Eaduiterants are alum aud am
monia. -. @ 49, ......>- :
-. THE STATION.
= Chemistry is the foundation. mp
. on which rests both horticulture
and agriculture. There are man,
/ points at which the science touch
II es the above subjects which d.
not appear on the surface.
At the station, investigation
, are constantly in progress con
cerning soils, cattle foods, fruits
milk products, sugar beets, etc
S Probably the most important. +
y, the farmers of the state have beef
: the experiments with sugar beet
and with prunes. ..-.
t SUGAR sBEETs. :,
d Much attention has been direct
d ed toward the sugar beets. In fact
the bulletin issued from the de
partment on this subject has re
suited in arousing- much .interes
;, in regard to the sugar beet indus
.Etry. Another bulletin treating o.
this same subjectsis now in pres
! and will be issued shortly.
/ Careful comparisons of the eli
: matte and soil conditions indie;
cate1that beets rich in sugar-an
n having high purity can be pre-
e duced in Oregon Experiment
e show this to be true. The resull
were as follows: In 1885, sugs
14.3, purity, 1872; 1892, .suga
1853; purity, sS1.4; since 1892, s,
gar, $50; purity, G4:s. = ~. =:
). =. OREGON SOILS. -. ~:
: The soils of the state have n
= ceived considerable attention.. !
= the Willamette valley they al
: found 70 be abundantly supple
with phosphoric acid, an exeeile,
supply of humus, fair in lime an
"a weakest:in potash, In both .eas
re- ern and southern Oregon the lin
K. supplysafar exceeds that of Il
- Willamette valley Fruit pr
- = duced en- these soils also earri
: less potash than the usu
amount.
CONCERNING PRUNES.
70 Extensive preparations are no
~ in progress relative to the cheml
try of Oregon prunes, covers
such points as the best condition
n, for evaporation, the composite
ed and food, value, and the draug