The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-08-31

utAiui "a riA ~ -e.s,
appliances used IN the many tests. exs
periments and inyesti enti IONS
tiipuhg Professor lite xp1alned them
to nus carefully. yet they were mostly
too Intricate and technical for our OBJ
fuse mind ito grasp. but we were never
theless deeply interested in them all.
Few people have any; idea OF the ex-
tent of the many vestigattons and
experiments being carried on here. T
One room In the basement is used In
experiments being carried on to devise
a practical way to preserve canned
fruits and vegetables without heating
by means of high pressure. The Won
derful machine used In these tests
utilizes the pressure of the city water
supply and multiplies this force many
times until pressure of $4,000 pounds
Is obtained. ~
For long time scientists have work
Ing on the mighty problem OF steriliz-
ing the bnundlcss stores of nitrogen in
the air for agricultural purposes. but
we wore SURPRISED to find two rooms on
the first floor fitted up witil an Inn
nlcnse amount OF costly and intricate
apparatus and high power electric APP
piiances all used in these ,endeavors to
manufacture nitric acid from the at
,mosphere. i: $50 -,
In the basement large amount Of
space Is given up to the soil investi-
cations. Great piles OF soil samples
for testing are piled up and the work
Is going On all the time. Much Eood
has been done already and much more.
can be done II those having soil that Is
behaving unsatisfactory will send In
samples for analysis: but. as Prof
sHite says. while they are ready. Will
ling and anxious to help. the farmers.
If the thousands OF them needing help
will not send in samples for analysis
they cannot help them.s
We were deeply Interested in the
apparatus for testing coal and many
others which could not be described
here even II we had the ability to do
so. H..
Prof. Hite is a rather heavy set man.
with very kindly way about him. and
n mo.lcsty in describing the great
work he is engaged in that Is truly re-
1lrarkable.
Before taking leave OF lis Professor
Hite took us 10 the Offices OF Director
Stewart and introduced lis to the lirec-
tor. We cannot describe Prof. Stew.
art properly. He Is Il very large man.
large in every way, and although get
ting ND in years. Is full of life. fire and
energy. He has frank. open connte-
nance and genial. kindly way that
puts one instantly ut ones ease. In n
long conversation We had time to form
fully our Impressions and opinions OF
the Director OF the West Virginia Agri-
cultural Experiment, Station. The
strongest impression we had Of MIN Is
THAT he is man with an ideal. and
that ideal Is to help the former Of West
Virginia. to lift him up. to broaden his
mind. to make him and his home life
better. to enable him to get the best
results from his farm. to enable him
to find markets for what he reniscs. to
bring nearer to each other the corsun-
err and the producer.
Prof. Stewart Is not mere dreamer
He is practical and he imprcsses one
as being intensely In earnest. Hc loves
the work. Is heart and soul In 1t. He
is no nero time server, or to use his
own expressive similc regarding some
persons, merely Il good absorbent"
As j looked at Mr.. Stewart the thought
came to my mind And this is the man
that some persons were clamoring to
have investigated
4 7 cannot go on indefinitely lcscrib
ing my trip to the station. the CONVEX
sntion. my Impressions. ct cctera.
shall reserve Off another letter some
results. impressions and facts brought
out regarding a subject VIC have struck
on before and which lies near our
heart (and pockcthookl. the bringing
closer together those who produce and
thoc who must buy. @.t.
: will now close by making an an.
peal for n greater recognition of the
work of the Experiment Station. Only