MEETING OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION. 833 



(Botany), D (Mechanics and Engineering), and H (Anthropology). 

 It would be impossible to mention all the papers bearing upon 

 such relations; a very few only can here be noted, even of those 

 that were important. In Section I no more suggestive title has 

 ever been presented to such a body than that of Miss Cora A. Ben- 

 neson, of Cambridge, Mass., on Federal Guarantees for Maintain- 

 ing Republican Government in the States. Miss Benneson is a 

 graduate in law, and has already achieved distinction in her pro- 

 fession in subjects relating to questions of government. In Sec- 

 tion G, Prof. H. A. Weber, the secretary, read a paper on Test- 

 ing Soils for the Application of Commercial Fertilizers the out- 

 come of twelve years' intercourse with farmers' institutes and 

 many more years of experimentation aiming to avoid unwise 

 and unprofitable use of fertilizers on soils to which they are not 

 adapted, and to provide ready and accurate methods of determina- 

 tion as to the needs and the capacities of soils. Sections D and I 

 united to hear a paper before the former, by Principal Morrison, 

 of the Manual Training High School, of Kansas City, Mo., on Ther- 

 mal Determinations in Heating and Ventilating Buildings, with 

 special reference to schools. These are merely given as in- 

 stances. Agriculture, electrical appliances, educational methods, 

 and social conditions, all received important attention. 



Another paper of great practical moment was read before Sec- 

 tion C by Prof. H. W. Wiley, chemist to the United States De- 

 partment of Agriculture, and Mr. H. W. Krug, on New Products 

 from Maize Stalks. Careful analyses of the pith and stalks of 

 corn, and important suggestions as to their great utility in various 

 ways, were presented. Some of these were very surprising, not 

 only pointing out the value of these substances as fodder, when 

 properly prepared and used, but in the realm of war as well as in 

 peace, for protecting the sides of naval vessels as a light and most 

 effective armor, and in the manufacture of smokeless powder of 

 a superior quality. Professor Wiley claimed that from these 

 hitherto almost waste products of American farms immense re- 

 sults may be obtained. 



Very naturally, the recent war and questions connected with 

 it called forth some striking contributions. Prof. William S. Al- 

 drich, of the University of Illinois, addressed Section D and a 

 large proportion of members from other sections on Engineering 

 Experiences with Spanish Wrecks, and the story of the Maria 

 Teresa. Professor Aldrich was connected with the United States 

 repair-ship Vulcan, and described the remarkable character of that 

 vessel an entire novelty in naval warfare with her complete out- 

 fit of engineering tools and machinery, even to brass and iron fur- 

 VOL. LV. 57 



