VITA. ■ 



The writer was born on a farm near Fremont, 

 Nebraska, August 30, 1884, the son of Charles L. and 

 Fredericka Teiersausen Gericke. He attended the district 

 schools in his toyhood. In Novemher, 1909, he entered 

 Iowa State College by examinations, and was enrolled as a 

 regular student in January, 1910. During the sunma: of 

 1911 he attended the University'' of Chicago. He was 

 graduated, with the degree of Bachelor of Science in 

 Agronomy, from Iowa vState College in June, 1912. He 

 was then appointed instructor in Soil Chemistry and 

 Assistant Soil Chemist in the Experiment Station of the 

 University of Call fornia. In 1915 he received tl:B degree 

 of liaster of Science from the University of California, 

 and in 1916 he w^s appointed Assistant Professor In Soil 

 Chemistry in the same University. In 1918 he was granted 

 leave of absence to study at the Johns Hopkins Universily . 

 He was a Fellow by Courte sy in the Johns Hopki ns Uni- 

 versity for the academic j'^ear 1918-19. He devoted his 

 attention at the Johns Hopkins University to Plant Ihy- 

 slology, as major subject, and Physical Chemistry and 

 Physiological Chemistry as first and second subordinate 

 subjects, respectively. He remained at this Universily 



