Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-06

welfare of the state A plan IS now on
foot TO institute cooperation between the
soil survey and the department of forestry
of the United States government. so as to
get some assistance in the Hesorestrat!on
of that portion of the cut over pine lands
In the Ozark mountains that Is not fertile
enough to grow grass or agricultural crops
The largest and most important enterprise
that the College OF Agriculture has recent
~ undertaken is the soil survey of the
state. Ultimately it is expected that II can
be definitely stated what each particular
tract of land in the state Is good for and
how 1t may be best handled In order to pro-
duce the largest profit, at the same time
conserving Its productiveness to the full
est extent. AS an evidence OF the success
Of this department OF the university In
feeding experiments. Il may be mentioned
that at the International Stock Show held
In Pittsburg last month n carload of cat
tie fed at the university won third prize
In competition with the world.
Law, Medicine and Journalism.
The law school and-medical school, the
school OF engineering and other conyen-
tenal branches are kept up to grade, and
are turning out battalIons of well-equipped
young men every year 1t is a significant
fact that the demand for engineers is
greater than the number of students, and
1t is difficult to keep them in the university
until they have finished their courses. No
such difficulty Is found with the embryo
lawyers and doctors. Al every Institution
have visited for years I have heard the
same story. Agents from the big corpora
tfons visit all our high-c'ass technical
schools every summer TO pick up the best
men among the graduating classes, but l
have never yet heard of anybody looking
for doctor or lawyer. This phenome-
non is loaded with significance
There Is chair OF journalism here. re-
Gently started under the direction of Mr..
Walter Williams. member OF the board
80 nfNn Of tha AN Hes
and best-known editors in the west. 1t will
he watched with interest by the profession
because of the prevailing idea that good
newspaper men, like poets, are born and
not made. The principal feature OF this
department. is a course OF lectures delivered
py practical newspaper men from the lead
ing journals of the country
There are several other important de-
partments which deserve special attention
and are doing good work university
extension center has recently been estab-
llshed at Kansas City upon the request OF
large number of teachers, and 1t Is the
opinion of the committee having the mat
ter In charge that about one hundred stu
dents will avail themselves of this opportu-
nity to DO university work. DR.. Jones the
acting president, says that, in his opinion
TINS Is the most important move that las
neen made In recent years and he hopes
,hat IL may soon be extended TO all of the
large cities of the state.
When l asked him what the university
was planning to do for the future. he said:
In general terms the university is plan
ming to be as useful to the state as possible
In all lines OF work in education. in agr,-
culture, In administration OF its charitable
institutions in the development OF its min
ing IN agriculture, etc. 1t was university
professor who discovered the cause OF
Texas fever and also the remedy for it.
BY this discovery hundreds of thousands
of dollars have been saved to the cattle
raisers Of Missouri, and the cattle of the
state may with safety be shipped after
treatment into the fever belt. Many thou
sands Of dollars have been saved to tho
fruit growers of the state by the discovery
mace by our entomo!ogist of means of
combating various insects that injure the
1rult, such as the woody aphis leaf roller
etc. Experiments made in feeding at the,
University of Missouri have contributed
greatly TO the wealth of the state by show
ing farmers how they might obtain a maxi
mum of beef at a minimum of cost In
estimating the place Of the university
among other universities. three things may
be considered:
The Plan of the University.
First. The enrolment at Missouri is not
padded by any preparatory students, as In
Illinois, or by students from schools of
music and art. as in some of the universi-
ties OF the middle west. The enrolment
consists of bona fide university students. all
OF whom have met the entrance require
ments. If the students of the preparatory
departments and schools of music and art
are Subtracted from the enrolment of some
or the other state universities. Missouri
Will stand considerably higher on the list
and Will be surpassed only by Michigan.
wisconsin, California, Minnesota and Il
linois.
Second. The faculty of the University
of Missouri is second to none In the middle
west in efficiency 1t Is q body of ex-
ceptonally well-traned men, nearly all of
whom have studied in the best American
and foreign universities. 1t is also pro-
ductive faculty and every year the presi-
dents report to the curators contains new
list of publications made during the year.
Such list may be seen in the presidents
last report.
Third. Judged from the standpoint OF
It's influence in the state Missouri must be
placed In the front rank of state universe
ties. 1t is safe to say that university IN
the middle west is today exercising a
stronger influence upon the state. upon it's
education, its agriculture, its charitable in
situations, its mining, than the Unver-
sity of Missouri"
The material conditions of the university
may be judged from the following statisti-
cal summary. and its growth may be shown
by comparison with 1890:
Buildings ard equipment 1861 900 SiooS,oY
Annual Ares in ues1re iana slsa2Ss s49sss:
Professors and Instructors. 80 III
Students enrolled .......... $40 1907
DR.. r. H. Jesse, president OF the unver-
sity. is now in Europe, and DR.. J. C. Jones.
dean of the academic department, is acting
in his stead. His report presented TO the
curators at their recent meeting showed a
most encouraging condition of affairs
throughout the entire institution.
Ferns in the House.
From the Garden Magazine
The sort of receptacle I'm which to grow
our ferns is a matter of taste. There is a
long list to choose from between the ordi-