Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-11-04
VINO work under its patronage

charted thousands of new worlds III
the skies, and the approaching com
pletion Of the most powerful telescope
ever built promises to bring the stars
closer to earth than they ever have
been before. The magnetic yacht
Carnegie is completing a great mag
netic survey of the earth, and every
one of the ten departments now in
operation some work is being carried |
forward which, however Impractical |
it may seem to the layman, will serve |
as the foundation upon which will be |
built up some useful invention or dis
covery that will ultimately affect the
lives of many millions of the inhabi-
tants of the earth.
Andrew Carnegie gave his first Sl0,-
00O, 900 for the founding of the insti-
tuition in 1902. The results achieved in
the succeeding five years were so sat
isfactory to his practical mind that he
added another 81 900 in 1907. Again
in 1911 ne substantially signified his
pleasure with the progress of the work
by adding another $4,000, 900. In max
ing this latter gift he asked that one
half of the income from it for ten
years be set aside for the creation of
|
losses. emergencies. reductions of in
come and the diminishing purchasing
power of money. He also declared
that this would give the sinstitution
more time to study suggestions sub
mitted to it and permit it to avoid
the danger of premature action, hold
ing that new ideas ought to be tested
on a small scale before going into
them deeply.
One of the departments of the in
stitutien is that of botanical research
Few laymen may understand what IS
meant when il is stated that definite
progress may be reported in the at
tainment of experimental results con-
corning cnyirenmental response and
physical relations of plants and. AMI
mails. in the determination and CALI
| bration Of photosynthetie and other
predetermined activities of green
plants, in the coordination of data
which establish some major eonelu-
sions rs to Chronological history dur
ing recent time. and in the accom-
plishment of systematic observations
which WELD conclusions of Importance
as to the origin and fate of the plant
population in the course of climatic
alterations" but when 1t is stated
that much has been learned about the
effect of surroundings ON plants, and
the relations that exist between them
and animals. about how they bring
forth each after its own kind. what
climatic conditions have obtained for
the past two or three thousand years
as is revealed by the records written
in the monarchs of the forest. ana
abort how plant species have origiT
mated and died. it Will be seen that
the studies of the department OF DO
tanical research have revealed many
secrets hitherto safely locked away
from science.
The SaIton sea has afforded an at
tractive field for the seeker after boz
tanical truth For six years the effect
of it's gradual subsistence upon plant
life has been watched. The original
maximum depth of eighty-four feet
has been reduced by an evaporation of
about seventy-two inches year,
about one third Of which has been re-
placed by inhowing water. Here con-
ditions which existed in some places
geologic ages ago are being observed
today, and the resulting changes in
1
a miniature reproduction of certain
phases Of geologic history. In the San
Francisco hay salt works the micro
organisms in the brine are being stud
Jed. They have TO live in brine that
varies in strength from that of rain
diluted sea water to that of an almost
complo tely saturated salt solution. 1t
has been found that they not only
L. -
these changed conditions, but their
modes Of reproduction as well.
The botanists are taking cross Sec
lions of some of the Oldest trees in the
world, and by studying their rings are
able to tell what sort of climate exist
ed through some 5000 years of Ameri-
can history. Forty thousand measure
ments have been taken, and from these
| it is hoped that the story of the elm
late OF ancient America will be told ac-
curately. These are only a few of the
many activities of this important de-
partment The study of plant heredi-
| ty is being carried forward, and new
species are being established.
The institution has a department of
economics and sociology which is la
boring to gather together all of the
sociological and economic literature of
| the country.
In the department of experimental
evolution one finds in many ways the
most remarkable work of the institu-
ton. 1t has been able to produce two
strains of tailless chickens, in which
the results are strikingly like those in
the case of the Florida manatee.
except in rudimentary form. In con-
nection with the eugencs record Of
flee Il study has been made of epilep-
sy in man, using as a basis over 29s
families with one or more epleptics in
them. TWAS found that il both par
ents are without the character that
makes for neutral strength, all the
children lack it: but if both parents
nossess il and vet belong to weak