El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-01-14
OUR PLANT LIFE
SHOWN IN COLORED PLATES
BY PROFESSOR SKEATs
Popular Lectures Will Be Given Dur
ing the Carnival On the Minerals
and Plants of the Great Southwest.

One of the most interesting and i'm
portant exhibits to be displayed at tn
chamber of commerce during the Car
nival will be the collection of sixty
seven water color plates, each plat,
10x13 inches. made during the pas
three years by Prof E. NJ. Skeats q
this city. illustrating the plant life O
this part of the southwest. They show
practically the life history of each u
the plants. The list is not yet com.
plete. including probably not more
than three-fourths of the local flora
| but as far as it goes it is by far the
| best attempt that has yet been made
| in this direction.
In Prof. Skeats is found that rare
and invaluable combination of broad
and deep scientific knowledge that in
dictate talent and skill in the appli-
cation of scientific knowledge and
methods and produce practical results
In fact the underlying motive for I'M
dertaking this task of studying and il
Illustrating the plant life of the arid
southwest was not the love of science
but desire to work out system OF
farming better suited to the climate
conditions than had yet been evolved.
Prof. Skeats. when he undertook the
study. was living at Eddy. New Mexi-
co. He had observed that the farm
ers suffered many and disappointing
failures in attempting to grow farm
products. apparently due often times
to mistaken notion as to the proper
time for planting. So he set about
learning what the plants native to the
soil did for themselves and what ma
ture did for them. He studied the hab-
its of the native plants until he
reached the conclusion that there are
two tunes in the year for
sowing. one in December. which may
be extended to February. and the 9TH
er in June. Experiments with Guilt
waited plants then verified his conclu-
sions that when the seed was scwn at
one of these two seasons the plant as
a rule did better than when the see.i
was sown at any other time of the year.
One of the most important applica
tons of this discovery was in connec-
ton with the sugar beet industry. II
was found that sugar beets sown frOIn |
December to February or else in June
did better than those sown at any other |
time of the year. Moreover. the results |
at Eddy were verified by sugar beet |
growers in other parts of New Mexico |
and Arizona.
There is no form. no color. no habit.
40 property of any plant" says Prof.
5keats, that has not its meaning. that
ioes not subserve some purpose in that
plants life. or that has not subserved
some purpose in the life of that plants
ancestors"
Not only las Prof. Skeats consented
o display these water colOrs of plant
ife in the chamber of commerce during
he Carnival. but he has accepted an
invitation to deliver a popular lecture
IN plant life with special reference TO
he significance of the water color
'lates. during the Carnival. This lee
ure taken in connection with Prof
lecture on ,.Ie mineral wealth
# the southwest. and probably one
II more lectures by members of the
aculty of the Agricultural college at
desilla Park, will afford the people of
Il Paso an excellent opportunity to
earn something of the economic value
f the surrounding country.