310 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Doctor Kedzie's experiniontal work for agriculture was not distin- 

 guished l»y profound and exhaustive investigation, ))ut was largely of 

 the practical pioneer sort which has been so useful in improving agri- 

 cultural conditions and practice, and so imixn-tant in preparing the way 

 for succeeding work. Upon going to the college he took up the stud}' 

 of the muck lands and the value of composts of muck with animal 

 manures and night soil for grass lands, corn, and potatoes. In 1S()6 

 some expei'iments were made on the relation of the volatile constituents 

 of animal manures to vegetable growth; and these were followed by 

 extended experiments to determine the value of such mineral fertilizers 

 as wood ashes, lime, land plaster, salt, etc. , for farm crops. Later the 

 soils of the State were analyzed and their agricultural values studied. 

 He early perceived the dangers of soil exhaustion under the profligate 

 system of farming which was being practiced, and sounded the note of 

 warning to conserve its fertility by rotation and by returning the 

 manure to the soil. As early as 1863 he began an elaborate- system of 

 meteorological observations at the college, which have been continued 

 without interruption to the present time. 



He won the confidence of the farmers b}' his earnest work in their 

 behalf, the practical character of it, and the zeal with which he cham- 

 pioned their cause. He considered his work outside the class room as 

 belonging to the public that supported the institution, and never felt 

 better than when exposing with caustic denunciation the impositions 

 and frauds foisted upon the public by unscrupulous dealers. He 

 scented the battle afar oil', and went into it with viui and vigor and an 

 incorruptible honesty that overwhelmed opposition. Two notable 

 instances of this were his crusade against unprincipled lightning-rod 

 agents, and against the producers of low-test and dangerous illuminat- 

 ing oils. The latter campaign resulted in the passage of a State law 

 establishing the flash-light test, and the emplojanent of " Michigan 

 test" as a trade-mark for high quality. 



The Michigan State law relative to the control of the sale of com- 

 mercial fertilizers was instigated by Doctor Kedzie, as were also laws 

 for the protection of the public from the dangers of arsenical poisons 

 in wall paper, dress goods, and the like. Through his investigation of 

 the chemical composition, baking quality, and vesiculating povver of 

 Clawson wheat, which the millers of the State persisted in grading 

 below its proper quality, he fought and won a battle for the farmers 

 of the State which resulted in adding thousands of dollars to Michigan 

 agriculture. 



The development of the sugar-beet industry in Michigan must be 

 credited largely to Doctor Kedzie, He imported the first seed, grew 

 and analyzed the first beets, was directly instrumental in the building 

 of the first Michigan factory, and was one of the strongest champions 

 of the industry. 



