The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-07-16
STUDENTS OF
NORMAL ARE
ENTERTAINED
THEY PAY A VISIT TO THE FLOR.
IDA EXPERIMENT STATION AND
cETA FAIR KNOWLEDGE AS TO
WHAT IS BEING DONE THERE.
Special to The Journal.

Gainesville, July 15.-The Universe |
ty Of Florida Normal has been in pro-
gress for the last three weeks with a
present enrolment of upwards Of
hundred students, and accepted the in |
vitation of the Experiment Station |
staff to look over the work that is go |
ing on in the new building. While |
these students have been on the |
ground for the last three weeks, their
visits to the Experiment Station have
only been casual and could only give
them a fair idea Of what the staff Is
trying to do. 1t seemed appropriate |
that these students should not leave |
the University without a fair knowl- |
edge of what is taking place by the
CORDS of workers In the Experiment
Station. The men in the different de-
partments mostly supported by Fed
eral funds have a variety Of projects
that are intended to improve agricul- |
tural and horticultural interests in the
state Of Florida When Director Rolls
undertook the work at the station, the
equipment and funds were small and
the work was comparatively small At
present about twenty two officials are
actively engaged and carry out the
many lines of projects that he con-
siders most important at this time. In
viewing the work a systematic ar
rangement was planned by the stan.
Building Inspected.
Saturday afternoon on account OF
the holiday in the Normal was thought
a good time to have the pupils go
through the building. So from 2 to s
p. m. was arranged for this gathering.
DR.. Thackston had arranged that this
would not conflict with anything else
that may have been planned.
On entering the building, the first
laboratory inspected was that Of Prof.
Blair. Prof. Blair is well-known
throughout the state as an Experiment
Station worker and has had the work
in hand long enough to know what
problems are important from his stand
point. He first explained that the use
of fertilizers in Florida was so gen.
eral that a study of the loss of fer
tilizers is very important to the agri-
cultural interests. His fertilizer tanks
arranged to collect the drainage wa
tiers and that a large amount of valua-
BILE fertilizer constituents were lost an
nually by perculation, his plan being
to devise something to prevent this
tremendous loss that is occurring daily.
He next took the trouble to explain
his Kjeldahl nitrogen discriminating
apparatus. This is used for the de-
termination Of nitrogen in soils, fer
tilizers, feeding materials etc. This Is
one Of the latest improved apparatus
used for this purpose. His electric au-
tomato drying oven, in which he can
hold the temperature as he wishes
from so to 40 degrees indefinitely,
his drying closet for forage crops, his
extensive exhibit Of soils and ma
terials for correcting acid soils, such
as mari, lime, limestone and wood
ashes, and also the polariscope for the
determination of sugar in cane and
fruit juices While much Of this ap-
paratus could not be explained it
gave the Normal students a fair idea
of what might be done to work out
some of the problems he has at hand.
Value Of Institute Work.
The Farmers Institute division ex-
planned the value Of the institute and
extension work to the teachers in the
state. This department Is the con-
Meeting link between the University
and the people and can be of great
benefit to those teachers who intend
to take up agricultural work in the
schools. Throughout their visit in the
state Farmers Institute staff takes
special pains to visit the schools
wherever possible. BY this means a
large number of pupils get a fair idea
of the institution in brief way from
time to time.
Perhaps the department Of greatest
interest to the students was the IL
brary. Here the system Of filing bull
letins, reports, periodicals and the ac-
emulation Of scientific Investigations
that have been going on in the last
twenty years are together accessible
to any of the station workers.
The assistant botanist, Mr.. Belling.
has just completed a very successful
year Of work with hybrids. He has
been able to secure about four nun
dred in all, some Of which are very
promising. This work while conducted
in a small laboratory, is one of the
most important things the Experiment
Station has on hand.
The animal industrialist Prof Scott
explained carefully some of the prob
lens of the farm. A great collection
of various forage crops, feeds, meth
DDS Of tillage, etc, were explained
with nice collection of photographs
to illustrate. The electric milk test
ing machine was set in operation to
illustrate it's efficiency and value to
those who intend to follow up dairy
work.
Plant Pathology.
Prof. Fawcett's work on plant pa
thology seemed to meet with the
hearty approval Of the teachers His
work with citrus diseases, their meth
DDS Of control and study was illus
trated by photographs, microscopic in
spections, as well as his methods of
working these out Prof. Fawcett also