The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1915-10-21

bleachers. In this case the bleaching
interests lost the suit by default. Later
he was the governments chief witness
in a similar suit brought in Kansas
City. This was bitterly fought for a
whole month and ended with a verdict
prohibiting bleaching in Interstate
commerce. The case was fought out
in the newspapers bringing Prof. Shep-
ard in for much abuse.
First to AnaIyze Whiskey
The first systematic analysis of
whiskey were made by Prof. Shepard
whose findings were published in 1906
in a pamphlet entitled THE Constants
of Whiskey," which has been translat-
ed into all modern languages. This re-
port brought an end to the whole con-
troversy owe fusil oil, etc, and laid a
foundation for judging whiskey. He
was an important witness in several
different suits between the govern
ment and whiskey trusts. In 1909,
with Prof. William Frear of Pennsyl-
vania, he was delegated by the State
Food and Dairy Commission of the
United States to represent the pure
food interests in the famous hearing
before President Taft, who attempted
to solve the question, What is Whis-
key?"
Valuable Station Work
Prof. Shepard was second director of
the Dakota Experiment station. His
first work was an investigation of
water supply of the Dakotas. 1t ap-
pears hat much misinformation had
been spread throughout other states
relative to the alkali in Dakota water,
a vital question in state building. In
investigating surface wells and deep
and shallow artesian wells, he dis
covered that little or no true alkali oc-
CURED in eastern Dakota, but that the
water carried the neutral salts of cal
cium, magnesium, iron and sodium.
Much trouble was sometimes exper-
fenced by the early settlers who report
ed that water turned coffee color,
foamed, and emmitted a strong odor of
sulphurated hydrogen. Prof. Shepard
determined that this was caused by
the action of organic matter on iron
pyrites or fools gold, which was pres
ent in the soil. The remedy was
s~imple-that wells should be cased
with brick or tile and wooden pumps
replaced by galvanized pumps and the
well closed against dirt and insects. In
every case the trouble disappeared.
He made chemical surveys of all ma
tive and statesecured, jfoam-i Ell. ..'1
tive grasses and forage plants in the
state and published the result of about
two hundred analyses in station bull
letin No. 40. He also determined the
digestive coeficients of South Dakota
grains and folders which he published
in bulletin No. ia. With his informa-
ton the feeder might compute and
feed a balanced ration.
Developed Sweetest Sugar Beet
After a quarter of a century of selec-
ton based on chemical analyses of
mother beets Prof. Shepard developed
a beet producing $3.50 of it's weight in
sugar, starting with beets of less than
1919 sugar content. He also demon
strated that sugar beets might be
grown at great profit in practically all
parts Of South Dakota.
CongratuIates University
while l was unable to attend the
dedication of the new chemistry build
ing at the State University last week."
says Prof. Shepard, Nevertheless
wish to congratulate that institution
on its new equipment. / should like
to say also that the department Of
chemistry at State College has also
outgrown it's facilities, the freshman
class alone this year (nearly 1907 be-
ing too large for us to handle at one
time. 1t is necessary that the state
supply us also with larger and more
quarters and increased