The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-03-22
CHAPEL HILL
Mrs. Deems Gift-Prof. Holmes Ice
turc- Mr.. .Ashe en- Forest Fires.

Mrs. Deems Glit-irof. holmes Ice
ture- Mr.. Ashe en- Forest Fires.
Chapel Hill, y. C.. March l9.-Spe-
cial.D-MrS. Charles +. Deems magnih-
cent gift has been hung on In. walls OF
the University. Visitors t. Rome will
remember that in the Church OF the
C%apachins. in one Of the stalls on one
side near the altar, j. shown 4 painting
Of ST. Michael. casting ont Satin from
Heaven. by Guilds REM. II l. an excel
lent copy Of this splendid work that Mrs.
Deems. of New York. has given Ia the
University. Ii was placed in the central
panel, back IF the rostrum in Gerard
Hall. where il can be seen 10y visitors.
and where 1t will he seen by hundreds
of students daily ut their morning ser
vice, and at other exercises in this hall.
1t is in the best light at present availa-
BILE. and also shows especially well mt
night.
Wednesday night our popular State
ceologist gave the first of four lectures
on the resources OF the State, which was
a treat to those fortunate enough to
get seats III University Hall. He con-
fined himself TO the resources OF Eastern
Carolina. and was aided by s~tcrelptican
views thrown on the screen by his val
ucd assistant. Mr.. f.. w. Myers. 1t is a
matter Of surprise TO those not posted
that Eastern Carolina carries SO large
a proportion of the Industries of tho
State. Something unique and peculiar
to the inland waters were shown. For
instance. the catch and cultivation OF
terrapins and turtles for the market
amounts to $4,000 annually. The clam
catch to $4,000; oyster 100000: while
the fishing industry runs up to 81 ~ 10000
49,. .,x - oGAA
boats.
Trucking three to six millions and the
lumber industry to $1,000, 900. The
value of all farm productions OF the
State in 70 was 81 millions. while half
of this or 2o.ONo,OO was in Eastern
North Carolina. Value of live stock for
the State. S22,OOO,OOO in Eastern North
Carolina-east of a line from Raleigh to
Fayetteville-$S,OOO, 600. This is to be
the future industry of Eastern North
| Carolina.
The meeting of the Elisha Mitchell
Scientific Society. was OF special inter
est. 1t is little known that besides the
local value Of these meetings to student
and professor in bringing together pa-
perS on the scientific researches in the
laboratories here, keeps the University
in touch with the scientific institutions
VI Ii| "'lIN. III
for its ~semi-annual Journal, thousands
of valuable pamphlets have been added
to the library. At the last meeting pa
pers We're read and discussed by DIR. j.
II. Pratt, of the Geological Survey. and
Mr.. W. w. Ashe, authority on North
C&,nllna timbers.
Mr.. Pratt's paper was on the Origin
Of the Corundum Associated with the
Peridotitcs in North Carolina" and the
theory, advanced by the author OF the
origin of the corllndum, is that the cor
undum was held in solution by the
molten mass OF the dumite when it was
intruded into the country rock, and that
the corundum separated Out among the
first minerals as the mass began to cool.
This theory is in accord with the field
observations, the most important of
which are the occurrence of the corun-
dunn surrounded by granular dumite, ana
also by %serpentine; its occurrence with
and surrounded by spinel: the sharp con-
tact between the gneiss the country
rock and the alteration products Of the
contact-reln; the same sequence OF alter.
alton products which are found on both
sides of the corundum bearing zone OF IL
dumite-rein. and which are almost iden-
teal with the dumitc side OF Il contact
rein; the usual narrowing and pinching
ont of the dumite-reins, the trend OF
which is toward the center OF the mass
of du1nite; which the contact-rein seems
to extend downward indefinitely.
The recent laboratory experiments OF
Morozewicz and Lagorio, into the solu-
bility of alunina in a molten basic glass
with u composition similar to the basic
magnetism rocks fdumite) and the sep
arating out Of corundum and spinel, as
the first minerals, when the glass began
to cool. give strong support to the pro-
posed igneous theory Of the origin OF the
corundum.
Mr.. w. w. Ashc spoke upon forest
fires. Preventing fires, he said, was the
tiIst step necessary toward putting the
forest lands of the State upon Il rational
productive basis. After calling attention
TO the recent February fires, which Occa-
stoned so great a loss III North Carolina
and South Carolina, lover SIOO,OOO) he
showed that the periodic firing Of the
woodland in the Southeastern portion
of North Carolina had. for "a period of
over ona hundred years suppress oil
young growth Of pine so that there ID
now about 100000 acres OF waste
pine lands, which, but for the fires
would be in timber. The loss to these
| counties where this land lies is over
100000 Il year On the woodland in
the State is more or less damaged by
fire. The only remedy Is preventing
fires from starting, as when once start
ed it Is impossible to stop them. They
have been practically stopped in New
York. Pennsylvania and Maine, and
there is no reason why they should not
be prevented here.