The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-01
WHAT IS IT?
If You Want to Know What Ascle-
pias Cornuti Is Read This.

One of the mooted questions which
the twenty ninth annual convention OF
| the Kansas Academy of Science has
/ officially determined is the sclentlnc
standing of asclepias cornuti- rms
species is in no way connected with the
bovine family although it enjoys dis
| tinction as a producer of milk. The
product more nearly resembles what IS
sold in Missouri under that name,ln re
ality the apparent product OF a chalk
! factory. Yet it's value, according to
| the scientific gentlemen attending the
! convention, can hardly be overestima-
ted
To the eyes of Kansas the asclepias
cornuti is a familiar object-It is found
in large quantities on the prairies, hills,
valleys, timbered WildernesseS and in
the streets of Atchison- It is not an
! unpleasant sight but its frequent oc-
| currence tends to make it tiresome to
the view. Hanging in parlors as orna-
mentS, fluffy white balls the product of
asclepias cornuti. may be frequently
seen. The formation of this feature of
a. C is similar to that found in the de-
velOpment of cotton on the plant.Drug-
gists find that asclepias is valuable in
the compromising of medicines as a
tonic, diuretic, purgative and emetic.
The peculiarities of the asclepias
cOrnuti caused DR.. HenslOW of England
to assert that it selects the insects
which perform the necessary functions
of development with reference to it.
This eminent authority also claimed
that the development of the product
Kansas has been particularly sue
cessful in the development of eminent
authorities" and it is not strange that
one should arise that would be capable
of twisting the lions tail and proving
beyond a peradventure the absolute
friVOlity of such claims
In this instance Prof. w c. Stevens
Kansas man, the product of the edu-
cational advantages of Lawrence, step
ped into the breach and with lantern
slides as indisputable evidence upon an
otherwise dry subject Joined the sci
entists a Washburn college last night
and proclaimed the faults of the Eng
HSh scientists reasoning
Professor Stevens asserted that DR.
HensloW was wrong in saying that in
sectS use their external influence on
the development of structural forms of
the asclepias cornuti but argued that
the plant selects its own Influences,
Yates it's own development
The influence of insects and their
work towards development of structl1-
raj forms IN the plant, as permitted
and selected by itself, according to Pro-
lessor Stevens. is wholly Responsible
for the fertilization of the ascJeDias
cofnutl which is nothing more or less
that the ordinary milk weed which
grows in great abundance evervV.,bara
1ollow1ng slowly but surely the settle
ment and development of new coun-
I1es- 1t is also considerable of a stay
er when once established
One of the interesting features of the
meeting last night was a paper bv
Frof. l. E. Sayre of Manhattan. giving
llstIuction IN the methods of detecting
adulteration in powdered coffee He
stated that the cheap grades of coffee
are largely adulterated with chicorv
ana dandelion. to detect which a mi
croscopical examination is necaSsa+--
however, IN some cOffees adultera ti0n
IS practlced by the Introduction of
grams moulded from beans This irni-
tatlon is so perfect that il is necasca-,.
70 break the grain. when a glance viii
snow that the structure is far different
rom ON mat of the pure coffee grain.
tta ne academy is in session today at
the meetings will be held there.