APBit 20, 1906.] 



SCIENCE. 



625 



were located at the same stations to obtain 

 complete records of humidity. Light read- 

 ings were again made as for the year pre- 

 ceding with the same results. It was found 

 that the humidity was much less upon the 

 alpine summits than upon the plains. This 

 leads necessarily to the conclusion that al- 

 pine plants, compared with those of the 

 plains, are dwarfed because of excessive 

 transpiration, while, among alpine forms, 

 those that grow in dry habitats are dwarfed 

 by virtue of a low water supply. 



University Extension and the Prevention 



of Disease: H. H. Waite. 



Attention was called to the growth of 

 the university-extension movement in the 

 United States during the last decade. The 

 general government and many states ap- 

 propriate annually large sums of money to 

 defray the expenses of investigating dis- 

 eases of animals and plants. At the pres- 

 ent time only a limited number of indi- 

 vidual states have appropriated money and 

 established laboratories for the investiga- 

 tion of disease in man. The importance of 

 educating the people in regard to the 

 origin, means of dissemination and meas- 

 ures to be taken to prevent the spread of 

 infectious diseases, were briefly discussed. 

 The infectious diseases especially consid- 

 ered were tuberculosis, typhoid fever and 

 diphtheria. The excellent chances of re- 

 covery from or arrest of tuberculosis in 

 its early stages, provided the patient is 

 given accurate instruction as to the regula- 

 tion of his daily life, was strongly empha- 

 sized. Statistics from all parts of the 

 world prove that diphtheria antitoxin since 

 its introduction has reduced the death rate 

 by more than fifty per cent. Since its ad- 

 ministration is attended with little or no 

 danger to the individual, the public should 

 so clearly understand this as to demand its 

 introduction as both a curative and a 

 prophylactic measure. 



Tillering in the Corn Plant: E. G. Mont- 

 gomery. 



The 'tiller' in a corn plant is a lateral 

 branch, usually arising at or below the sur- 

 face of the soil. In dent corn the number 

 of tillers varies from none to three or four, 

 depending largely on conditions. The num- 

 ber developing is directly aiSected by rate 

 of planting, fertility of the soil, rainfall, or 

 their development seems to be correlated 

 directly with the favorableness of the en- 

 vironment. The following data show the 

 effect of rate of planting when the hills 

 were 44 inches apart each way: 



For every 100 plants, 



For every 100 plants, 



For every 100 plants, 



For every 100 plants, 



No. of Plan I a No. Tillers 



in a Hill. Developed. 



4 8 



3 25 



2 76 



1 198 



In the same way the number of tillers in- 

 creased on fertile land and in seasons of 

 good rainfall. The tendency to tiller was 

 found to be more or less hereditary, but 

 this tendency was more than overcome in 

 most cases by the environment. Tillers 

 also have an important economic vahie. 

 On good soil where the stand happens to 

 be below maximum, they are capable of 

 producing good ears. "When suckers were 

 removed from a portion of a field for two 

 seasons, the yield was decreased an average 

 of 17 bushels per acre, but the yield where 

 suckers were left on was 81 bushels per 

 acre while it only averaged 64 bushels 

 where they were removed. 



Aboriginal Pottery of Nebraska: E. E. 



Blackman. 



The Nebraska aborigine made pottery 

 very much as his European brother did. 

 He used it for burial vessels as the ancients 

 of the old world used the first pottery made 

 by them. He also used it as household 

 utensils. He ornamented it as much as 

 they did, and all the pottery of northern 



