750 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXIV. No. 883 



place of lard; liow the once despised coal tar 

 may be made the basis for the manufacture of 

 dyes and scores of organic chemicals, and how 

 the waste lye of the soap-boiler may be used 

 for the manufacture of glycerine. 



In the preservation of the life and health 

 of the children, who is more concerned and 

 active than the expert who studies the com- 

 position of the air they breathe in the school 

 room, and of the water they drink, at home? 

 What more efficient help can be afforded to the 

 people at large than that given by the various 

 pure-food laboratories, both state and national ? 

 The foremost object of these laboratories is to 

 safeguard the public against impure and in- 

 jurious foods, and to protect them from the 

 frauds of mislabeling and misbranding. 



In the department of domestic science in the 

 schools and colleges, much of the instruction 

 is in these same lines, i. e., to teach what is 

 good food, wholesome surroundings, pure air, 

 a sanitary dwelling; in all of this and similar 

 work the chemist is continually giving his 

 help, and by his investigations advancing the 

 well-being of the community, so as to make 

 life more worth the living. 



E. H. S. Bailey 



CTSUS G. PSINGLE 



Cyrus G. Pringle was born in Charlotte, 

 Vermont, May 6, 1838, and died in Burlington, 

 Vermont, May 25, 1911. At an early stage his 

 studies at the University of Vermont were 

 interrupted by the death of his father and he 

 was compelled to return to the home farm to 

 assist his mother in the support of the family. 



Always interested in botany and horticul- 

 ture, he declared in 1869, " My chief study 

 shall be the adaptation of our beautiful Valley 

 of Lake Champlain to horticultural pursuits " 

 — ^the development of his native valley was the 

 ambition of his life. 



He began with a comparative study of the 

 climatic conditions of the Champlain valley 

 and of the adjoining horticultural areas. He 

 followed this study by introducing plants from 

 more southern areas and testing them under 

 Vermont conditions. Finally, he attempted to 

 improve plants which could be grown under 



these conditions, by breeding and selection. 

 It was in this field that he attained his greatest 

 success. 



Dr. Pringle laid a broad foundation for his 

 work. He visited nearly aU persons in this 

 country who were engaged in the improvement 

 of plants by breeding and selection, studying 

 their methods and results. February 24, 1869, 

 he imported a copy of Lecog's work on hybrid- 

 ization. While waiting at the miU for his 

 turn to have his wheat ground, he learned to 

 read French and pursued the study of Lecog's 

 work. 



As might be expected from such a man, he 

 soon gained a wonderful insight into the na- 

 ture of plants and success crowned his efforts. 

 In a short time his farm became well known 

 both to scientists interested in the laws of 

 plant breeding and to horticulturists and seed- 

 men seeking new varieties. Among his early 

 friends and visitors was Luther Burbank. 



Dr. Pringle did not limit his work to any 

 one line of plants, but included all kinds, both 

 useful and ornamental, which might help to 

 develop his native state. Some idea of the 

 scale on which he worked may be gained by a 

 study of his early records. These show that 

 he set out 1,500 apple and 600 pear stocks for 

 an experiment in adaptation; that he was 

 carrying on breeding experiments with over 

 25 species of plants, including cereals, pota- 

 toes, grapes, pears, plums, apples, cherries, a 

 variety of ornamental plants and others; and 

 that in every case he was working with very 

 large numbers of individuals. His collection 

 of bulbs of ornamental plants was the largest 

 in point of variety, not only in the United 

 States, but in the world. 



He was able to originate and place on the 

 market three potatoes of special merit. These 

 were the Snowflake, the Alpha and the Ruby. 

 The first attained great popularity and was 

 sold at a large figure to a New York house. 

 This house paid him as high as $1,000 per 

 pound for potato seed. In cereals he origi- 

 nated the Defiance Wheat, the Champlain 

 Wheat and Hulless Oat. The first of these 

 " has been for years the standard wheat for 



