DEPAKTMENT REPORTS. 27 



When the potato beetle made its appearance fanners were frightened away 

 from the nsc of Paris green by warning connnunieatioiis to tlie New York 

 Evening Post and other papers. Dr. Kedzie at once grew crops dressed witli 

 Paris green ; and analyzing soils and frnits found that the fruits (grain) did 

 not imbibe tlie Paris green, and that the poisonous element was rendered insolu- 

 ble by cliemical action of common soil. Tlie investigations were reprinted in 

 English papers and translated for French and German periodicals. 



When the cabbage worms appeared and people began to use Paris green for 

 them as they had done for potato beetles, Dr. Kedzie at once gave warning- 

 through the press of the danger. 



When the State Convention of Millers set down Clawson wheat as of an 

 inferior grade, Dr. Kedzie, by experiments and analysis contributed much to 

 the settlement of the question of its true relative value. These are some of the 

 ways, gathered from memory without searching them out, in which the chemi- 

 cal department is of service to the State, aside from its main use, that of the 

 instruction of students. They are set forth, not to praise Dr. Kedzie, who does 

 not need praise, but to show that the College interests itself in what is of pres- 

 ent interest to farmers. Dr. Kedzie, and Kobert F. Kedzie, his assistant, are 

 helping the farm department by analyses of milk, and by other ways, in the 

 farm experiments. It is hoped the useful activity of the department will be 

 remembered when it asks an enlargement of its laboratory. 



BOTANY AND HORTICULTUKE. 



Botany and Horticulture have been from the first recognized as entitled to a 

 place in the instructions of the College. Professor John C. Holmes, of 

 Detroit, to whose efforts the establishment and early success of the College was 

 so largely due, was horticulturist from the opening of the College in May, 

 1857, to 1863, excepting the year 1859, when there was neither botanist nor 

 horticulturist. Prof. A. N. Prentiss, now of Cornell University, but then a 

 sophomore in the Agricultural College, took charge of the gardens during that 

 year. Dr. George Thurber, now editor of the American Agriculturist of New 

 York, was made Professor of Botany in 1860, and was both botanist and horticul- 

 turist in 1863. Professor Prentiss had charge of the department from 1863 ta 

 1869. Will. W. Tracy, a graduate, taught horticulture and landscape gardening- 

 from 18 TO to 1873 while Professors Prentiss and Beal gave the instruction in 

 botany. Prof. Beal lectured in 1870, and was appointed Professor of Botany 

 in 1871. He still holds the position, and has for the most part been also- 

 the Superintendent of the Horticultural Dei^artment. During Profesor Pren- 

 tiss' administration a complete separation of the horticultural from tlie agri- 

 cultural department was made. Each department from this time down has 

 been possessed of its own barns, teams, implements, and working force. 



BOTANY. 



The professor keeps virtually in mind the words of Lord Bacon when he says : 

 '' This therefore is the first distemper of learning, when men study words- 

 and not matter." To get the definitions of the parts of plants, and by analysis 

 and a comparison of the parts with an artificial key to determine the name of 

 a plant, and then to prepare a nicely pressed specimen of the ilowcr and leaves, 

 — this has been thought to be all there is of the study of Botany. 



With us the student is introduced at once to the jilants and made to study 

 them in their forms. He commits no lessons from a book for several weeks 

 until he has learned to trust his own habits of observation. A world of truths lie 



