78 STATE BOARD OP AGRICULTURE. 



refrain, however, from recognizing briefly what the relation of Dr. Ked- 

 zie to the experimental work of the college was and what it meant to the 

 great State of Michigan. 



Long before the Hatch act of 1887 gave to the, college sufficient funds 

 to well equip laboratories and provide specialists to carry forward ex- 

 perimental work, Dr. Kedzie was actively engaged in studying problems 

 of consequence and of pressing importance to the citizens of his state. 

 The results of his investigations were so apt and striking that they 

 brought about legislation for the protection of life and limb and worked 

 almost a revolution in the methods of farming in certain sections of the 

 State. He secured a law relating to the quality of kerosene to be sold for 

 illuminating purposes and suggested both the standards and the methods 

 of testing and again he analyzed fertilizers and boldly denounced the 

 fraudulent goods foisted upon the then unprotected public. He was one 

 of the first to take up sanitary matters with the State Board of Health 

 and at the same time, through the meetings of farmers and through the 

 j'ural press was urging upon farmers better care of their barnyard manure 

 and better methods of tilling. No phase of farm or urban life escaped 

 the helpful influence of his life. 



As a co-worker in the station he was resourceful, ready with helpful 

 suggestions, cogent and inspiring in personality, always ready to coop- 

 erate in any good work, wise, far seeing and alert in selecting lines of 

 investigation, thorough, yet quick in methods of work and courageous to 

 the last degree in announcing and standing by conclusions once care- 

 fully obtained. 



The value of his life to the State at large is beyond computation. Not 

 only did he prevent fraud while he lived and provide continuing means 

 for the detection of fraud and prevention of imposition after his death 

 but by his investigations, by his teachings to the young men coming to his 

 beloved college, by his piquant and cogent books and articles in maga- 

 zines, newspapers and pamphlets and by his strong, vigorous, upright pri- 

 vate life, led the people of the State into a clearer intellectual atmosphere, 

 better business methods, and a more generous and fruitful relation to each 

 other and to the State. 



Professor Frank S. Kedzie had for years performed much of the chem- 

 ical work of the experiment station but after the death of Dr. Kedzie he 

 found himself burdened with the teaching and laboratory work of the 

 large college classes. He was therefore made associate chemist of the 

 station, and devotes whatever time is possible to the study of definite 

 problems relating to rural life or practical field or stock management. 



Professor F. W. Robison had been the assistant chemist and was, 

 after the death of Dr. Kedzie, promoted to be chemist of the station and 

 member of the council. 



Professor C. F. Wheeler, the long time botanist of the station, was 

 called during the year, to Washington to serve the Department of Agri- 

 culture. His work with the station bore fruit, not so much through the 

 bulletins as through answers to questions and consultations with farmers 

 and fruit growers in their own homes. Whenever and wherever there 

 was an outbreak of plant diseases ruinous to crops, there Professor 

 Wheeler went to give advice and suggest means of combatting the disease. 

 His work was invaluable in this direction, and cannot be measured in 

 dollars and cents. Again, he spent much time in testing and examining 

 seed for purity and vitality. Beet seed, clover seed, grass seed of all 



