Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-09-20

hdNpI EAQlle1i, anu lilGlt were db
dresses by President Alley of the Uni
versity of Maine and Congressman
Guernsey.
Higher Education and Progress.
Robert Judson Alley president of
University of Maine spoke. in part, as
follows:
Education has two very definite pur
poses. We educate the people of the
nation in order that the achievements
of the past may be conserved. EXpe-
rienee has shown that it is necessary
for each generation to be familiar with
what has heen achieved by former
generations, and to know intimately
that great body of knowledge which
has been found necessary and useful.
A few years ago the Agricultural
College in my native state of Indiana,
became interested in investigating the
growing of corn. Many bulletins We're
issued. many corn schools We're held
in different parts of the state and
the very best scientific instruction that
was possible was given TO the leading
farmers of the state. AS n result of
this work, within sixteen years the
average yield of corn has been increas-
ed more than ten bushels per acre.
This, when one considers that the
state is one of the great corn states.
means that manyS millions of dollars
are added annually to the wealth of
the state.
In Illinois, more than one hundred
thousand dollars n year is expended
at the state university for work in
Agriculture. Professor Hopkins some
years ago. began a series of expert
ments looking toward the development
of better grade of corn for growth in
that section. He was successful and
has increased the annual yield in that
state by fortyfive millions of bushels
Results equally as great have occurred
for similar reasons in the state of Me-
-braska.
In the state of Iowa, Professor Hol
den worked out in his laboratory.
methods of testing the fertility of seed
corn. He was so successful in doing
this and showed it to be such a sim
pie matter that he interested the farm
ers of the state in the process. AS a
result of his teaching, the yield in
Iowa was Increased the first year five
millions OF bushels The testing of
seed corn has become regular part
of the work in connection with corn
growing everywhere, and places many
extra millions in the pockets of the
nations curn growers.
In our own state. the Agricultural
Experiment Station has been success
full in greatly increasing the yield of
potatoes by teaching better methods
of cultivation and particularly by the
;,,tr Of Ga Endc M
spraying and successful means for
combating disease. In oreharding, the
University upon its experimental farm
at Monmouth promises to do for the
state work that will return annually
several millions of dollars.
Out in California a few years ago
the growing of oranges was threaten
ed by the white scale. Millions of dol
lars of loss occurred because of raw
ages of this pest For time it
seemed that the whole orange industry
would be destroyed. The scientists of
the state came to the relief of~the
growers and devised means by which
the pest could be met and destroyed.
AS result the orange crop of Cali
fornia increased by five millions of
dollars annually.
The cattle industry of Texas. and,
indeed, of the entire South, was
threatened with destruction by the
Texas fever which was produced by
a tick that infested the pastures of
that region. 1t was not only impos
sible to sell the cattle in the markets
of the North during several months
of the year because of quarantine
against them, but it was also impossi-
BILE to improve the quality of the cat
tie for good breeds imported from other
countries soon contracted the disease
and were either entirely destroyed or
greatly stunted by it. Investigations by
scientists connected the disease with
the tick, showed how to free pastures
from the pest, and demonstrated that
it was possible to inject the blood of
diseased animals into we'll ones ana
produce immunity. This has made it
possible to import cattle and render
them immune with the loss of only
about five percent. AS result the
way is open for Texas and the entire
south to increase tie value of their
herds by the production of higher
grade animals. 1t will mean ultimata-
ly the addition of five or ten dollars
to the value of every head of cattle
in the South.
A piece of scientific work that is
perhaps attracting more attention
than any single piece of work that
has been done in years has recently
been completed at the University OF
Maine Experiment Station by DIR.
Pearl His Investigations concerning
the fecundity of the common hen have
extended over long period and have
resulted in knowledge that enables
him, or any poultryman to increase the
egg production of the hen by at leasr
twenty-five percent. The value of this
piece Of scientific work is so great that
it almost staggers us. 1t means that
the annual value of the eggs produce
ed by flock of hens may be increas-
ed by proper breeding to the extent
of $1.50 per hen.
Young Perry whom ! have known
from boyhood, became interested while
a student at the School of Mines of
Columbia University, in applying me-
chanical principles to dredging for
gold in the drift along California
streams AS result of his study he