INDIAN RELICS ADDED TO MUSEUM
A COLLECTION OF 300 SPECI MENS IS SECURED.
The Gift of the Late Captain Kilian—Artifact to Anthropological Department.
A large number of Indian relies of great historic worth have just been added to the anthropological collection of the University museum. The greater part of the material was secured in the vicinity of the old settlement of Quivira, near Manhattan. It was the property of the late Captain Edward A. K. Kilian. Some time before his death Captain Kilian wrote to the University that he meant his collection to become the property of the school. His son, Dr. A. K. Kilian, of Manhattan, acted upon his father's wish and recently presented the specimens to the University.
The collection consists of about three hundred specimens of Indian artifact, of fine workmanship and design, including arrow points, spear heads, flint knives, flint tomahawks, flint hoes, stone mauls, meal grinders, fragments of pottery, and a great number of scrapers used in the tanning of hides.
Perhaps the most interesting thing in the collection is a human head carved in stone, quaintly decorated, and about life size. It probably was made to represent a war god. The head has a series of small holes drilled around the top of the skull in which to stick eagle feathers to form the war bonnet. The head resembles those found in Yucatan and resembles Egyptian sculpture
Captain Kilian added much value to his collection by keeping in a book, which accompanied the specimens, careful data about the time and place of finding each article, with drawings of each specimen from two views, for identification.
A TEACHERS' LIBRARY.
School of Education Is Gathering Comprehensive Exhibit.
The Pedagogical museum in the School of Education, consists of a collection of old text books and modern ones used in elementary and high school work.
Some of these texts have been presented by the, book companies while others have been purchased by funds, used for this purpose in the School of Education.
A new feature in the department will be the Professional Teachers' Library, which will consist of modern pedagogical or theoretical treatment of present educational problems, movements, tendencies and scientific discoveries or advancements. One of the main purposes of this permanent exhibit will be to suggest to young teachers the field of educational theory, and to acquaint them with those agencies whose business and function it is to serve them.
A stereoception and slides are used by every teacher in the School of Education, to illustrate various phases of the work. The slides are made in the dark room in the tower of Fraser hall, under the direction of several teachers.
"Hobbled" Girls Played Basket Ball.
Smith College women who stayed at Northampton, Mass., for the Thanksgiving holidays devised a unique method of celebrating. A basket ball tournament was arranged in which a team garbed in hobble skirts contended with another wearing long trained gowns, while another quintet dressed in the latest fashion met one representing the fashion degrees of former years. The game between the hobbies and the long trains proved the most interesting, but the scorekeeper became so absorbed in watching the strug gle the rival fives had with their skirts that she forgot to keep tally. All the players wore large picture hats.—Chicago Evening Post.
Dr. Van der Vries Elected Head of Alpha Taus.
CHOOSE K. U. PROFESSOR
Dr. J. N. Van der Vries of the department of mathematics in the University, was last week chosen Worthy Grand chief of the Alpha Tau Omega national fraternity. The election took place in Atlanta, Ga., at the twenty-second biennial congress of the fraternity. The choice of Dr. Van der Vries was by a unanimous vote.
For several years the University faculty member has taken an active interest in the national organization of his fraternity. Previous to this time he has held the office of head of the western province of the society.
Miss Winifred Everingham, '02, of Topeka, was married to Herbert S. Bailey, '02, on Friday evening, December 30, 1910, at the First Baptist church of Topeka. Mr. Bailey, who is the oldest son of Prof. E. H. S. Bailey, head of the department of chemistry in the University, is employed as head of one of the departments in the United States Bureau of Chemistry at Washington. Mr. and Mrs. Bailey will be at home after February 1, at 1705 Thirty-fifth street, Washington, D. C.
Dr. William H. Bailey, '05, of Kansas City was best man at his brother's wedding, and the ushers were Edgar L. Bailey, '07, of Chicago, Dr. Sumner Everingham '7 of New York, Walter Everingham of Kansas City, and Stansbury Thompson of Seattle, Wash. Mr. Thompson was a classmate of Mr. and Mrs. Bailey in the University.
Alder-Creager.
The marriage of Miss Helen Alder and Mr. Marvin Creager took place Tuesday evening, December 27 at the Plymouth Congregational church in Lawrence, Rev. Elderkin officiating. The couple left immediately for a two weeks' trip to New Orleans.
Miss Alder was graduated from Miss Alder was graduated from the University in 1903 and is a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. Mr. Creager was graduated in 1904 and is a member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. Mr. Creager is at present with the Kansas City Star.
Bowersock-Dlaton.
Miss Marjory Bowersock and Mr. William Dalton were married Saturday evening, December 17, at the Linwood Presbyterian church in Kansas City, Mo. the Rev. Waters officiating.
The marriage of Miss Helen Graham and Mr. Clay Shinn will take place at the home of the bride's parents at Holton, Kan. Saturday evening, January 14.
Miss Bowersock is a daughter of Ex-Congressman J. D. Bowersock of Lawrence. Mr. Dalton is a son of Professor Dalton of the School of Engineering and is a former student at this school.
Mr. Shinn also was graduated last spring and is a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity. They will make their home in Ottawa, Kan. where Mr. Shinn is engaged in the real estate business.
Miss Graham was graduated from the University last year and is a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority.
Graham-Shinn.
A Basket-Ball Coach
Edward Van der Vries of last year's championship basket-ball team, who is teaching at Perry, Kan., this year, is coaching the high school team there. They won their first game of the season on December 22 by defeating the Lecompton high school five 35 to 17.
CHINCH BUG FIGHT WAS ALL IN VAIN
LATE RESEARCH SET ASIDE PROF. SNOW'S THEORY.
Prof. F. H. Billings Had Charge of Experiments of 1910, Which Gave New Conclusions.
Experiments carried on during the season of 1910 by Prof. F. H. Billings of the department of botany have satisfied him that the effort which the University has been making for many years to lessen the ravages in Kansas crops by chinch bugs has not helped in any material degree to destroy the pests. Professor Billings has incorporated in the following abridged report an account of his experiments and their results. A complete bulletin will be issued later by the University for general distribution.
Summary and Conclusions of Investi-
gations of the Practicability of the
gations of the Practicability of the Use of the Chinch-Bug Funny.
Use of the Chinch-bug Fungus.
The University of Kansas has, during the season of 1910, sent out 1363 packages of diseased chinch bugs to farmers, with which to start infection boxes and artificially infect their fields. The plan followed was in accordance with the recommendations of Professor Snow, who in the '90's attempted to check the ravages of the chinch bugs by the distribution of Sportortrichum globuliferum, the well known white fungus disease. A series of investigations, however, was conducted during the season of 1910, the purpose being to ascertain the practicability of artificial infection. The plan of work embraced the solution of the following problems:
1. Determination of the extent of the presence of the chinch-bug fungus naturally in Kansas soil.
2. Practicability of artificial infection of fields after the fungus was shown to be present.
3. Practicability of artificial infection of fields containing apparently little or no soorotrichum, and, incidentally;
4. Ascertaining, so far as possible, the best methods of fighting chinch bugs in case it were proven that artificial infection with fungus is not effective.
The work of solving the first problem fell naturally into three divisions namely,
1. Examination of chinch bugs for the fungus disease while they were still in winter quarters.
2. Examination of chinch bugs for disease after migration to wheat fields.
3. Examination for fungus disease of chinch bugs sent to the University by farmers in packages, and if found, the consequent crediting of the locality from which they came with its presence naturally in the soil.
While gathering data for determining to what extent Sporotrichum disease was naturally present in Kansas soil, many localities in the infested area were visited. The work began in January, 1910, and extended well into the summer.
As a result fifty-one counties of the state were found, by direct personal observation to contain the fungus. From diseased bugs found among those sent to the University, eight additional counties were placed in the list, making fifty-nine in all. These counties are so well distributed over the infested area of Kansas as to leave but little doubt that those intervening are likewise supplied with fungus.
The widespread occurrence of Sportrichum over the state was recognized near the close of Dr. Snow's investigations in the '90s, since in one of his later reports (the 5th), we read the following: "We may conclude from these experiments that Sportrichum was pretty generally prevalent throughout the state, and that probably in many localities there was no necessity for its artificial distribution in 1895"
The prevalence of chinch-bug disease in Kansas soil once established, the next question pressing for solution was the practicability of sowing more fungus in fields known to contain it naturally already.
A solution was sought by actual field experiments in which relatively large quantities of fungus were used, sometimes on entire fields, other times on small plots where, in consequence, an intensive artificial infection resulted. While diseased chinch bugs were used to some extent in artificial infection, they proved inadequate because of the small amount of fungus available. Spore material for field work was generally obtained from cultures grown on a mixture of corn meal and potato juice. By the use of this medium, large quantities of fungus were propagated in the laboratory. Its spores were tested from time to time in order to be assured of their power to produce disease in living chinch bugs.
With the exception of the experimental fields in one county (Anderson), there was already an abundance of Sporotrichum naturally present in the soil, manifested by the whitened carcasses of its victims. These were generally in such large numbers and were so widely distributed, that it seemed utterly futile to add any more fungus, since it was such a trifle by comparison. Nevertheless, twenty experimental fields, distributed over five different sections of the state were treated with Sporotrichum spores. In some, the artificial infection was confined to small plots of wheat, fifty feet square, with the expectation that the intensive infection would start an epidemic of the disease that would spread and kill a large proportion of the bugs. Not only did the plots fail to become centers of contagion, but there was no appreciable difference between treated plots and the untreated, or check plots which were always used as a basis of comparison. General field infections were likewise failures. Considering the twenty localities as a whole, there were all sorts of conditions of humidity and rainfall, also character of soil. The results, however, were always the same, never any appreciable effect due to sowing spores, and never anything more than a small percentage of the bugs killed. The bugs victimized by the fungus were as numerous in an untreated plot or field as in a treated one, the numbers bearing no relation whatever to artificial infection but rather to climatic conditions, shade, moisture, etc. The evidence in every instance was overwhelming against the artificial use of fungus as being without effect and hence useless since the fungus naturally found in the soil really accomplished what destruction of chinchbugs there was.
The third problem to be solved was the practicability of artificially treating a field with Sportoritichum when the fungus was shown to be scarce or at least ineffective. Three fields, one at Garnett, the others at Colony, were of this sort, and the plots in all of them were liberally dosed with fungus. Small areas were treated, as well as entire fields, and diseased bugs were used as well as culturally grown fungus; but scarcely any effect could be produced as measured by mortality among the bugs. No epidemic could be started nor the death-rate appreciably increased, even in marked spots that were given specially large amounts of infection.
Conclusions from all the experiments may be summed up as follows:
1. The chinch-bug fungus is present naturally in fields everywhere throughout the infested area in Kansas.
2. It is present in such great abundance that any artificial distribution of infection in a field would be too insignificant by comparison to be of practical use.
3. Its distribution naturally through a field is much more uniform and general than any artificial distribution can be made.
4. The amount of fungus used experimentally in both wheat and corn fields was so far in excess of any that would be used by the farmer in infecting his own fields that he could not reasonably expect to succeed.
5. The fungus disease shows little tendency to spread from centers of artificial infection. The apparent rapid spread of the disease is due to favorable conditions bringing the spores of the disease naturally present into activity simultaneously over considerable stretches of territory.
7. In fields where the fungus disease is not in evidence, spores introduced artificially have no measureable effect
6. In fields where the natural presence of the fungus is plainly evident, its effect on the bugs can not be accelerated to any appreciable degree by the artificial introduction of spores.
10. Moisture conditions have much to do with the appearance of chinchbug disease in a field, artificial infection nothing.
8. Apparent absence of fungus disease among chinch bugs in a field is evidence of unfavorable conditions rather than lack of fungus sores.
9. All the benefits of the Sporotrichum disease of chinch bugs may be realized by merely letting the fungus naturally present in the soil, do the work of extermination as far as it will.
11. Spent adult chinch bugs succumb to attack more readily than younger ones, but as the old bugs have finished depositing their eggs their loss by fungus disease accomplishes little else than increasing the amount of infection material
12. Laboratory experiments can be made to prove that artificial infection accomplishes results upon bugs confined in cramped quarters; but in the field where fresh, and usually drier air prevails, and food is abundant, an entirely different situation is presented.
13. Advocating artificial infection or encouraging it by sending out diseased chinch bugs does not serve the best interests of the farmer, since his attention is thus diverted from other and truly efficient methods of combatting the pests.
14. The reported successes of former years on the part of farmers, are believed to be due to the following causes:
1. Failure to recognize spontaneous outbreaks of fungus disease following the artificial sowing of infection; and also failure to use check or untreated fields as a basis of comparison, thus claiming the outbreak as directly due to the artificial infection.
2. Failure to recognize the skins of molted bugs, thus mistaking them for dead bugs;
3. Mistaking the scattering of chinch bugs in corn fields for evidence of their death by fungus disease, when carcasses were not present as proof.
CHEMISTS MET AT K. C.
Prof. F. W. Bushong of the chemistry department, Prof. L. D. Havenhill of the School of Pharmacy, and Prof. E. H. S. Bailey attended the Kansas section of the American Chemical Society at Kansas City, just before the holidays.
Professor Bushong talked on "Petroleum Refining." He illustrated his talk with lantern slides.
Professor Bailey discussed the meeting of the National Dairy and Food association which he attended last week at New Orleans. The following officers were elected. Prof. Bushong is the retiring president.
President—Prof. F. B. Dains of Washburn College.
Vice President—Prof. L. D. Havenhill.
Secretary—Mr. E. A. White of the Kansas City High School. Assistant secretary—H. J. Broderson, of the department of chemistry.
Prof. E. H. S. Bailey is the representative to the national convention.
We are glad to see you back. We wish you a Happy New Year and thank you for the exceedingly good business you did with us last year. We trust that you will continue to trade with us this year of 1911.
Gustafson TheCollege Jeweler