The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1897-12-24


ture in AIsska-Discussing the Civil
ssrvise Question with the President
Bill Concerning Interstate Commerce
Notes by the Washington Correspondents
of the .ChronieIe.''
w WASHINGTON. D. c., Dec 23.-Mr.
Wilson, the refined and scholarly farmer
who presides over the agricultural de-
velopment of the country, dropped his
hoe long enough to remark that there
had been many signs of progress in agri-
cultural education the past year. Much
of this advancement he attributes to the
experimental stations.
Most notable, perhaps, is the new and
important course of instruction in agri-
culture prescribed for colleges, by the
Commissioner of American Agricultural
Colleges and experiment stations. Plans
for university extension in behalf of
agricultural education have been set on
foot in many states. The rural schools
of New York have introduced plan of
nature teaching along agricultural lines
which is attracting wide attention and is
a success. The secretary say the people
are beginning to feel the need of tech
nical education in agriculture of lower
grade than that given by the colleges.
The Agricultural High School, connected
with the University of Minnesota, has
been a grand success and is being
emulated. 1T is definite sign of pro-
gress, says the secretary, "that the peo-
pie are recognizing the desirability of
agencies of different grades for educating
the masses of our agricultural popula-
tion."
Secretary Wilson has great confidence
in the educational value of the agricul-
tural experiment stations. Over five
hundred trained experts in agricultural
science are now employed in this work,
and the results of their labors are given
in the pamphlets that issue regularly
from the Department and are distributed
free. No other country, it is said, equals
the United States in this particular line
of work, but England has started
movement quite recently to secure a
system of experimental stations pattern
ed after that of the United States.
One of the greatest discoveries of the
past year abroad, if it proves what is
clslss f1e-4s. the secraAaz n
that Of H. G. Pruisen-G Gurlige. of Java,
who has fled with the French Academy
practical method of converting potato
starch into sugar equal in quality to
cane.
The Missouri station has discovered
method of protecting the peach crop
from the extremes of temperature which
characterize some climates that is eco
nomical and effective. Trees are spray
ed with whitewash until their trunks
and limbs are thoroughly whitened.
This prevents early development of the
buds and tests have proved that trees
thus whitewashed yield better than those
to which the application was not made.
The cost is ten cents per tree.
Easter lilies placed under the influence
of electric lights at the Cornell station
were forced into bloom week earlier.
French investigators have discovered
that pear trees grated or ounce stocks
yield sweeter fruit than those grated on
seeding pears.
IcSA SIdpCo WOAO hOPI CA6ht VI d4hO
months at the California station by
placing them in sealed boxes containing
carbon-dioxide. Those exposed to the air
moulded in two or three weeks.
A new method has been discovered Of
preserving eggs by dipping them in
soluble glass, which closes the pores in
the shell and prevents contact with air.
The Agricultural Department has con-
Quoted an inquiry into the agricultural
possibilities of Alaska. This has brought
out many interesting facts regarding the
products which may be raised in that
part of the United States and apparently
shown that, under proper conditions, a
considerable population might be self
sustaining in Alaska and that agricul-
ture will be an important adjunct to
mining, numbering and fishing, as the
population of Alaska increases. The
Secretary will ask Congress to provide
funds for continuing this investigation
and for making experiments to discover
what may be done in agricultural lines
there, with view to saving incoming
settlers from disappointment and loss,
and to promoting the development of the
territory.
~
The story that Senators Fairbanks,
Elkins, Hanna and other friends of the
President had called upon him and de-
manded of the Executive an order rescind-
ing that of President Cleveland extending
the civil service protection to $4,000
Office holders is absolutely without foun-
dation. Many of the Presidents best
friends are calling upon him and discuss
ing civil service, but in an entirely diff
erent spirit from that suggested by these
reports. They have discussed with him
IN cordial way the desirahility of max
ing certain notifications in the civil SER
vice law and sounded him as to whether
q bill embodying these changes would
meet with Executive approval. There
are three things that his attention has