Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-09-30
State College Makes Valuable
Collection for Education of
Farmers
WEEDS, SEEDS AND INSECTS
Exhibits Will Be Used at Short Course
State Desires Possession of Saw
ages Bird Paintinss-LesisIative
Reference Library Being Considered
by Them.


Des Moines. Sept 3O--Mueh that the
Iowa State Agricultural College is do
addition to educating the farmers sons
does not become known to the public
generally. Recently the college has at
considerable expense collected speci-
mems of all the weeds of Iowa, all of
the weed seeds and of the insects that
prey upon the crops and live stock Of
the state, and also specimens of the
economic plants of the state. I'll has
made up about 500 sets with one SAM
pie OF each of these which it has pre-
pared to sell to farmers Institutes,
farmers clubs, and schools and other
institutions where the specimens will
be readily accessible to the farmers of
the state. This will make possible an
average Of five such collections to each
county of the state.
The work has been done by the
farm crops division of the extension
department and 1t is proposed to sell
them for the actual cost which it is
expected will approximate about Sc
each, very low cost compared with
the value of the work. The plants are
pressed, sprayed to protect from in
sects, mounted on white card board
and labeled. The seeds are in one
ounce walls properly labeled. The in
sects, bugs, beetles, worms and the
like are preserved in formalin and the
moths and butterflies are mounted dry
in cotton. ALI are labeled with both
the common and the scientific name.
1t is expected to use some of these
sets at he various short courses thru
out the state and it is believed they
will be of especial benefit to farmers
Clubs and reading circles thruout the
state. With each set there will be a
pamphlet describing the specimens
and telling the methods to be used for
combating the weeds and insects.
The state historical department is in
negotiations with the estate of the late
Mr. Savage, of Van Buren county, with
view to purchasing the collection of
paintings of birds made by him. Mr..
Savage was more or less of a recluse
and spent his lifetime in painting pic
lures of the birds that are native OF
Iowa He tramped thru the woods for
days hunting for single specimens.
His collection was on exhibition at
the Iowa state fair last year and at
tracted considerable attention. The his
torical department is now in cores
pondence with the Smithsonian 1nsti-
tute to ascertain the approximate val
ue Of the collection. When this is done
it is expected that deal will be closed
for the purchase of the collection.
The trustees of the state library at
their last meeting took up the propo-
sition of establishing a legisltsive ref
erence department to the state library.
The house at the last session of the
legislature passed such bill but it
was killed in the senate. The two
houses then agreed upon bill pro-
viding for an assistant to be attached
to the state library to do such work.
The trustees will recommend to the
legislature that it provide forsthe de-
partlnent at the next session. The leg
islative reference department Is con-
sidered one of the most valuable assets
of the library. Most anyone can look
llp all the literature on any subject IN
the state library if he has time to take
several days to the task, after first
having acquainted himself with some
thing of the methods of doing such
work. But the great bulk of the state
officials and especially the members of
the legislature when it is in session
have not the time to devote to getting
the information they want. 1t is pro-
posed in the legislative reference de-
partnent to have assistants and clerks
look up the works on the subject and
the member of the Legislature or state
official can then readily ascertain the
information he wants.
The application of M. b. Foster, Of
Taylor county, now confined in the
penitentiary under a life sentence for
the murder of Emmett Reed has been
referred by Governor Cumnins to the
state board of parole for recommends
ton Fosters petition for pardon has
been submitted to the legislature and
disapproved. Under the opinion of the
attorney general the governor is free
to act and either grant or deny the
pardon without respect to the action
of the legislature. 1t will be submitted
to the state board Of parole for their
recommendation before the governor
takes any action.
Emmet Reed, who lived in the nor
,thern part of the state, had been work
ing with his team and wagon on some
railroad construction work in Taylor
county. This was in the early days of
1SS7 and he started to drive his team
home to the northern part of the state
when Foster met him and claims to
lhave bought the team and wagon for
s64O. Later Reeds dead body was
found in a woods near where Foster
met him, and Foster is accused of mur-
dering the man to get the team and
wagon. Foster claims that man