Omaha daily bee., 1912-02-17
SEED CORN TESTS VARIABLE
State Chemist Finds Some Patent
Incubators to Be Faulty.
RAG BABY" IS ONE SURE DEVICE
AdjutHnt General Phelps Gets Word
Vancouver Plans for Nebraska
Have Been Changed to Ft.
Riley from TT. Russell.

'hANhi a pe"AA NNAiNNPthNEHAFf
LINCOLN, Feb. i6-(special)-If ex-
periments in the pure food department,
are any guide the rag baby" is better
tester Of seed corn than the patent in
cubators constructed for that purpose.
il takes longer Of course TO make the
test with the baby" and tits little
more trouble Chemist Redfern has taken
seed from the same aars and put them
in both apparatuses. From lot Of twenty
three ears the patent ester showed
thirteen which failed to terminate at ali
and two more which were too weak to be
Of any value as seed. II the results OBJ
iained are to be relied on. Samplesc
from the same ears put into tho rag
baby" gave the following results: Only
four ears failed TO terminate at all and
two were too wax to be OF any value.
All the Others showed vigorous top and
root sprouts, These sample ears came
from Lancaster county.
Another sample OF white corn. which
came from Creighton was put into the
patent tester. Mr.. Redfern does not know
how many ears the kernels came from,
as II was sent TO him shelled and con-
tanned In sack. out OF 100 kernels
tested only twenty-five terminated strong
enoug to be OF value as seed. Mr., Red
fern has Just put lot more corn into
the tester, but II has not been In long
enough TO tell what its value II.
DanviiIe Man Has scheme.
John y. Gillette Of the soldiers home
at Danville. ILL.,, has written Labor Com
missioner Guye explaining his plan for
raising good crops in the semi-arid sec
ton. He proposes TO dig three bitches
on each side Of the land. the bitches TO
lie two feet deep and three feet across at
the top. In these he proposes TO plant
trees, and he believes that the trees will
catch enough snow in the winter. to-
Fether with the rains which fall to keep
the bitches filled and the trees and
bitches will check evaporation. He says
'he also has a plan for raising moisture
TO the surface by capillary attraction.
but he does not explain what II is. He
vents the State to finance his expert
ments.
The supreme court has approved the
bond OF Frank " Larson of Burt county.
who has appealed from a sentence of life
imprisonment for killing his brother. The
bond was in the slim Of s9o.OOo.
MRneuVer Plans Changed.
The War department has written Adju-
tant General Phelps that the plans for
the maneuvers, so far as the Nebraska
militia Is concerned. have been changed.
Instead Of going TO Wyoming they will
A al. - -.
state. The department also asks how
many men the guard would send to
maneuver camp at Fort Crook. II II was
desired TO. assemble them there. II the
latter plan IS adopted the maneuvers will
be on a much smaller scale. General
Phelps has written the members OF the
military board to ascertain their opinion
on which plan is the better before answer
Ing the department.
state Treasurer George has bought the
bonds Of the town Of Hay Springs 20
the amount OF s5o0Q These bonds draw 5
per cent interest. By the sale Of low rate
state bonds and the reinyestment of the
money the average rote Of tie school
fund investments is being increased and
the school fund in a short time will be
perceptlbly larger on this account.
Ross to Pat Up Fight.
All indications are thare will be a warm
fight over the water rights near FIRE.
mont between the company backed by the
Ilountze Bros. based on the Coad filing.
and the company working under the Ross
fling. While the Coad protest against
the latter has not Jet been perfected there
is no doubt Il will be. oRss lie said 10 be
preparing to put up a fight and is only
waiting TO have the protest perfected to
lille an answer.
stock Issue Approved.
The state Railway commission has
officially approved the issue Of slo.ooe
OF special preferred stock at 81 Of the
Lincoln Telephone and Telegraph com
pany to buy the Piattsmouth reIsphone
eompany's stock at 81 per share, the
Howard County Telephone company a.
slgo the Grand Island Telephone company
al 500 for the preferred and IS for the
common. the Nebraska City Telephone
company common for s. and the Golden
Rod Telephone company preferred al 800
and the common at So. It Is provided !
in the order that the Lincoln company
shall file with the commission a report
or the amount Of stock sold for the pur-
pose Of these purchases. the pries re-
eeiyed for the same and the amount