Evening star., 1917-03-25
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT Is DOING

the library committee of the Toledo
| (ohio) Chamber Of Commerce desig-
| library publicity week during which
| time the uses Of the public library were
| brought to the notice of the citizens in
every practicable way. During the
full. articles and advertisements about
the library appeared each day in the
| local newspapers. Appropriate cards
ana other library material were dis
| played In show windows in various
parts OF the city, and the street cars
carried posters relating to the library.
Similar posters were placed in many
OF tho large factories. Other methods
! Of advertising employed were the dis
| tribution Of folders and the inclosure OF
| slips regarding the library in 10000
| laundry packages. After listening to
library talks at the schools. the pupils
were taken to the public library on visits
| and Its resources explained to them. A
result OF the campaign. 1t was found by
! the officials of the bureau. has been q
| marked increase in the number Of regis
tered borrowers and OF books lent from
the public library.
similar campaign, ii is said, has
been carried on with equal success in
a number of other cities. In one of the
centrally located in a store was opened
| to the public by the city library. and
| means have since been taken by those
| interested In the project to bring the
services of the library to the attention
OF those interested.
1t was found during the course Of the
| Investigation Of this library publicity.
among other interesting things, that in
Misc Wisconsin cor h during the past year public
dsed through window displays. This
| method of publicity, it is said. was first
tried out by the larger libraries of the
state, and is now being adopted by
those of the smaller communities. For
the most part. it is said. merchants
| windows on the main streets are bor-
| rowed for this purpose. since few Ii
braries have suitable windows in their
own buildings. 1t is reported that these
window displays bring good results
when made by libraries. Experts of the
bureau fully believe In this publicity
work. and they are trying to persuade
other public libraries to try out some Of
the methods that have already been
| used.
Can underground water be located by
the use Of a forked twig? Such is the
inquiry made, by hundreds
Finding of persons every year from
w.4 every part of this country,
'eA' of the geological survey
called divining rod. is useful in locat-
ing minerals finding hidden treasure or
detecting criminals is a curious super
stition that has been a subject of dis
cussion since the middle Of the six-
| teenth century, and apparently still has
| a strong hold on the popular mind, even
| in the United States
| Biologists of the survey say, in con-
| nection with this subject, that. 1t is
doubtful whether SO much Investigation
and discussion have been bestowed on any
other subject with such absolute lack
of positive results. 1t is difficult to
see, they say, how, for practical pur-
| poses. the entire matter could be more
thoroughly diScredited. 1t is by no
means true that all persons using
torked twig or some other device for
locating water or other minerals are
Intentional deceivers However, the ex-
perts say, as anything that can be
deeply Veiled in mystery affords a good
opportunity for swindlers. there can be
no reasonable doubt that many of the
large group of professional finders of
water. oil or other minerals who take
pay for their Services or for the sale
OF their instruments" are deliberately
de1raudlng the people. and that the
| total amount of money they obtain is
large. The survey. therefore, when it
ADVISES
the purchase of any of these services or
instruments.
In tracing the history of the subject
1t has been found that divining rods
nave been used to locate ore deposits:
to discover buried or hidden treasure.
to find lost landmarks and re-estahlisb
property boundaries: to detect crimtna Is
to analyze personal character: to cure
diseases; to trace lost or strayed do
mest1c animals: to insure immunity
1r-
to trace the courses of underground
streams; to determine the amonnt ~
water available by drilling at a given
spot. and such like
In the latter part of the eighteenth
century an attempt was made to e.
plain water witching as an electric
phenomenon. and later it was discussed
as physlc phenomenon. At almost
every step in the advance of science
some one has attempted to explain its
supposed operation by means of the
latest scientific theories
before the present European war
there were several societies In Ger
many. IT is said. whose sole object was
saia 70 pc the study of the divininr
ROD. In 1910 the department of ART
culture of France appointed a commit
zee 10 investigate the subject. and in
1919 this committee was still inyesti-
eating. es''-
Pouitry experts of the Departmant
OF Agriculture are telling the poultry
raisers of the country
Raising whether on the farm or in
Chicks. the city, that those who
wish to produce fall and
winter eggs, with by-product Of
spring friers. should begin to plan now
for the early setting Of eggs.
One difficulty that has been fo,,nd i,
setting eggs in spring at selected dates
If the natural system of incubation is
followed. is in finding broody hens at
the proper times. If natural incuba-
,lon is depended upon exclusively it
proba ply will be best, the experts say
| LOT the poultry raiser to disreeard
dates and make settings whenever
proouy mems are available
IN the interest of the poultry raisers
ol me country. the experts of the de-
partment have made out a schedule
as ; well as to those applying for if
ihe suggested schedule can be fol-
lowed exactly, they say. if an incubator
rh