Omaha daily bee., 1911-02-13
WHAT SCIENCE DOES FOR MAN
Effects Of the Students Efforts in
Our Everyday Life.
ADVANCE DUE TO INVESTIGATORS
Or. Bessey % University Of NebrnsLs
Gives lnterestIng Talk AFTER
Dinner to the raIimpsest
Ciub.

was the subject Of an address delivered be
fore the Palimpset club by DIT. Charles r
Bessey Of the state university. at a dinner
Bessey Indicated In what measure science
has come 20 be the vital factor in the sue
cess of the industries Of the world. re
placed special emphasis on the work done
for the agricultural interests by his own
speciality, botany.
botany.
The dinner was held in the main dining
room. which was deliberately decorated for
the occasion. Those present we're: +. NJ
Andreesen, l.. F. Crofoot. M. L. Learned.
II. r. Peck. c. H. Pickens. Or. A. F. Jonas
T.. NJ Morsman, jr; A. wakeley, I. II. Cong
don, DIR. J. p. Lord. DR.. w. r. Bryant, w.
r. Gurley. w. d McHugh, Clement Chase
J. G. GOWN W. II. Bucholz N. RI. LOOMS
r. T. White. G. N. Peck. e. w. Dixon.
u. NJ Fairfield, c. w. Howell. Thomas
Creigh. ir.; w. T. Page, Alfred Kennedy,
W. NJ. Davidson DR.. Harold clifford. c.
NJ wilhelm. d. 4. Baum, NJ T. Barlow,
r. p. Kirkendall Judge W. A. Redick,
General Fred A. Smith. John l.. Webster,
T. c. Byrne and Prof. c. e. Bessey.
science and Life.
Prof. Bessey said:
Time was when there was little or no
life OF the people No longer ago than the
time when the land where we now live
became a part of our nation, science was
still a thing remote from the work-a-day
life OF men and women. Astronomy dwelt
among the stars then as now. Chemistry
had grudgingly given a very little to GER
tain manufactures. Physics had not passed
much beyond the several mechanical
powers which 1t exploited over much. and
with little profit. Zoology was still a wonder
book Of curious beasts some Of which
might supply furs to man. Botany led us TO
certain roots and herbs for our dosing and
doubtful healing and the beauties Of leaves
and flowers. Geology was another wonder
book, too often CHASED as apocryphaI or
even worse.
''No wonder our grandfathers had little
patience with science. Science in those
days seemed to be curious, but useless
prying into the secrets of nature. And
this prejudice against science still per-
slsts among many men who suppose II to
be yet what is once was
Take out Of our life four things. the
steam engine, the dynamo, the modern
power printing press, the telegraph with
it's improved phases, the telephone and
the wireless telegraph and what would
be left that is characteristic Of the pres
ent5
IL We could imagine the throbbing en-
erBy of every engine obliterated the hum
Of every dynamo stiiled; the roar and clat-
ter OF the power press silenced, and the
clicking and cracking of wire and wire
less electric currents quleted and dead, we
should have to roll human progress back
from the twentieth century to the latter
part Of the eighteenth. And yet these are
but four Of the many things that modern
science has given the life Of today.
what Botany CONTRIBUTES.
II am a student OF one part OF the domain
of science. have studied plants for
many years. / am a botanist Let me
narrow my theme to my speciality.
What is modern botany contributing to
modern life, to the life Of such com
munity as this in which we are living?
Is It showing itself a science related to
the life OF the average man IN a city like
this, and on the farm OF the state? Or
is 1t a oloister science taat is concerned
solely with those reconcile investigations
that may be made only in the quiet OF the
scientific labratory?
There is first OF all what It has told
us Of the origin and development of the
thousands Of plants we have brought under
cultivation in our fields. our orchards
our gardens, our vineyards and our con-
servatorities For while most OF these
we're originally brought into use by non
scientific labofers, Il Is still true that Il
has required the scientific botanist to keep
the record of the origin and rate Of de-
velopment OF each crop, and fruit, and
vine. and flower. And this is no mean
labor. as you may be sure, when ! tell
you that in Nebraska alone the number Of
kinds OF plants under cultivation reaches
several thousands, while for the whole
world Il probably reaches the enormous
number OF from $1,000 to 1000. And every
one Of this vast number Is accurately de-
scribed and ticketed so that it may be
identified with absolute certainty. while its
origin. native country and habits also are
fully recorded.
PurGuit OF Plant Pests.
But along with the plants we purposely
cultivate are many that crowd their way
unSsked into our fields and gardens. taking
the food and space we had designed for
the crops OF our own planting Here
again the systematic botanist is the one
who has made the record OF the wanderings
of the intruder from the time when il
emerged from some far corner Of the earth.
travelling across rivers and plains and seas
20 where It lives as a pest in field or
garden And when the troubled grower
seeks relief from these intruders Il is to
the systematic botanist that he must turn.
- Within the last few years a new sub
division of botany has arisen, 10 which
We have applied the name OF bacterlology.
II lies wholly within the modern science OF
botany. for the bacteria are extremely
minute plans, 30 minute as TO he visible
only by means OF powerful compound mi
crosqopes. The study OF these tiny organ
isms falls TO the botanist. lie must tell
Of their origin and development, their
structure and mode OF life. the details OF
their Reproduction, their relationship 10
othsr plants and the means by which they
are distributed widely throughout the
earth,
BOtRny and Forestry.
Il mlsht speak at length on the recently
much talked OF subject OF forestry, which
Is In. fact a special application OF botany
10 big trees. as bacteriology is an spplica-
ton 10 minute bacteria. SO the great deveI-
opment Of interest in forestry during the