The Coconino sun., 1923-01-26
MARS NOT SO COLD,
OUR SPUDS MUST BE
SOLD, LEARNS ROTARY

The heavenly bodies and spuds div
ided attention at Tuesdays meeting of
w. Cureton, secretary and manager of
the Rotary club.
E. C. Slipher of Lowell Observatory
staff spoke about the former and L.
w. Cureton, secretary and manager OF
the Coconino Farm Bureau Marketing
association about the latter.
Ed G. Miller, forest supervisor, was
chairman par excellence of the meet
ing.
Very listenable music was furnish
ed by Mrs. G. A. Pearson and Mrs. G.
C Schwarz, the latter at the piano.
Mrs. Pearson's first solo brought in
sistent applause and she graciously re-
sponded with another. Mrs. Schwarz
rendered pleasing piano solo.
Mr.. Slipher said the application of
the science of astronomy is somewhat
obscure to many people who do not
themselves apply it and do not realize
how it is applied to our everyday
life. Our government sets time by
the stars; our meridian lines, from
which all our property lines are laid,
were established from observations OF
the stars and astronomical science In
various other ways affects our every
day lives.
Lowell Observatory was established
in 1894 by the late DR.. Percival Low
ell, his especial purpose being to IN
vestigate the planets of our own solar
system. In size, the Lowell telescope
is about the sixth IN the world. At
mospheric conditions here are espec-
tally fine for observatory work.
DR.. Lowell directed his principal
efforts toward study of the surface,
climate and atmosphere of the various
planets, especially Of Mars. He be-
lieved life exists on Mars. Water and
oxygen, both necessary to life, were
found to exist. Whether there was
sufficient warmth was the remaining
problem. Other astronomers had de-
cided the mean temperature to
be minus 80 degrees Centigrade.
Lowell reached the conclusion that 1t
was 48 degrees Fahrenheit, or about
IL degrees colder than earth.
Careful observations made within
the last few months at Lowell Obser-
vatory by DR.. V. M. Slipher seemed to
show that the temperature of Mars is
about 70 degrees Fahrenheit. His OBJ
selyations and conclusions were put
before the American society for the
Advancement of Science in Boston
during the last few weeks and were
endorsed by that society.
Mr.. Cureton said the spud may be
lowly, but it once saved Ireland and
it put Germany on the map.
The reason for the organization OF
the Coconino Farm Bureau Marketing
association, he said, was because 1t.
had been found that people who had
sufficient means to pay their current
expenses without turning in their
spuds for that purpose could not sell
the spuds. He cited his own exper-
ience since he began farming, seven
years ago. The first year he couldn't
sell his crop and had to let it rot. The
second. third and fourth years he
couldn't sell and had to feed to the
hogs. The merchants wouldn't handle
his spuds at all. Last year the asso-
citation was organized and for the
first time he succeeded IN selling pc
tatoes.
Last year after organization he
went to Phoenix. He found "stone
wall" there. He sat there for a
month without selling potato out OF
the 171a cars he had there in charge.
The dealers wouldn't buy. Finally he
began peddling Coconino spuds. This
woke the Phoenix dealers up and one
of them bought two cars from Mr..
Cureton, a few days later buying
three more. In this manner victory
was won over most of the dealers.
CONTINUED on Page Nine.l