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About Lincoln County leader. (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987 | View Entire Issue (May 19, 1911)
TEh (BmiPA(B0: j!3Bj. '-''''cgr fti . :jflaa gH f 3 7" 7W CXOJJXOAOO or COnMPC IT HAS been admitted by the state department In Washington that I negotiations for the acquisition 01 the Galapagos Islands, oS the coast of Ecuador on the west coast of South America, by the United States as a naval base have been un der way for some time between the United States and Ecuador. The Islands, which are sparsely settled, cannot be bought outright, because of a clause In the constitution of Ecua dor which prevents their sale. It Is said In Ecuador that the United States offers to pay $35,000,000 in rent. That would be $353,000 a year. From a commercial or an industrial point ef view they would be of little value to the United States. Their total area is only about 2,400 square miles. But they would serve, thrust out into the Pacific as they are, as an advance post of the Panama canal. And, which is the main point, thej would not be the menace to it they would be under certain circumstances tor the next 100 years. So, the completion of the Panama canal will bring the Galapagos Islands Into the limelight of the world stage. In almost a straight line and half way from Southampton to Sidney, their fu ture maritime importance cannot be exaggerated. The islands, about two days' run from Panama, stand in the same relation to the Pacific entrance of the canal that the West Indies does to Its Atlantic gateway. It will also be noticed that they are a little more than half way on the trade route from San Francisco to Valparaiso. This group is remarkable In many ways, and the story of the isles from the prehistoric period when nature In the throes of some great agony threw them up from the bed of the Pacific, to the time of their discovery and occupation by man, holds much of Interest Nothing is known definitely of the date when the Islands came Into be ing, except that they were of a dis tinctly later appearance than the mountains of the South American mainland. Some scientists think them the remains of a now-sunken conti nent. Owing to the isolation of the Islands, there Is no authentic record of active eruptions, but we know that as far back as 1735 volcanic disturb ances wero noticed, while In 1814 and 1825 English skippers reported the craters active, and as late as 1907 a new opening appeared on James Island, from which a torrent of lava flowed to the sea. The archipelago consists of 16 larger Islands and about 40 smaller, with a total area variously estimated t from 2,400 to 3,000 square miles. CURIOUS PHASE OF IDIOCY Man Will Lie In Bed and Shiver Rather Than Get Up for Extra Wraps. Perhaps a man never realizes so sorely what a fool he Is as wben he wakes up on a cold night with the feeling that there Is not enough cover ing on the bed. While he is perfectly aware that he Is shivering, all his powers of action seem to have de serted him. He will no doubt draw his knees up close to his chin, but that Is about all he will do to relieve bis suffering. All this time, strange to say, his mind 1b Just as capable of thinking as If he were not in a half daze. He real ises fully that in his wardrobe, with in a few feet of him, are enough extra wraps to laugh the cold to scorn and make hlra the happiest man In the world. Yet he will huddle himself into a cramped position, and He awake to hear his teeth chatter rather than get ont of bed and wmlk a few feet All this time he recognises the fact that he Is a fool, and though he la- Leaving the question of discovery perhaps forever undetermined, we do ........ uai luuuiiu ue um lougd, tun u bishop of Panama, was the first Eu ropean to sight the Galapagos, on the 10th of March, 1535. This exploring prelate Is also credited with being re sponsible for the Introduction of bananas Into the western continent. His discovery of the Galapagos Islands was quite accidental and came about during a voyage from Panama to Peru, whither he had been sent to report on the doings of Plzarro, for the worthy bishop enjoyed the confi dence of his king. The good bishop was a scientist as well as a church man, and he determined the exact lat itude and longitude of the archipela go; but he gave no name to the group, and after a stay of ten days turned the prow of his ship toward Peru. The archipelago now was well known to the Spanish mariners, and for rea sons already suggested were called the Enchanted Isles. During the pe riod of revolution against Spanish au thority In South America the islands were much used by the privateers that preyed on Spanish commerce. With the fall of Spanish power the Isles were in a measure forgotten and these desolate shores were only touched by an occasional whaler or some circumnavigating sailor, the archipelago actually remaining no man's land until February 12, 1832, when the Ecuadorean government for mally took possession of the group. It is curious to note that this act of oc cupation was inspired by a North American, a Louislanian named Vll lamil, who left his native territory when it came under the Jurisdiction of the United States. As already stated, the Indigenous animal life of the archipelago Is In Its way perhaps the most Interesting in the world. When Darwin first visited the islands he determined 26 distinct species of land birds, 25 of which were found nowhere else In the world, and since that time other naturalists, who have studied this feature, claim that there are 58 peculiar species, and pos sibly more. Darwin puts forward the hypothesis that all of these are de scended from a single species, having been modified in form and color dur ing the course of ages. Of the reptiles, the most interesting are the turtles and lizards. The for mer, the Galapagos, are found no where else, and at one time literally swarmed over the islands. They were huge, measuring sometimes three feet from the breast shell to the dome of the back; slow of movement, making about four miles a day when walking; long, thin necks and curiously small heads and broad flat flappers; their whole appearance suggesting some dwarfed descendant of the Pleistocene age. Some specimens weighed as much as 600 pounds, but these giants are very rare nowadays. An expedi tion that sailed from San Francisco with the special object of getting spec imens of the Galapagos turtle, after considerable difficulty could only find a few weighing 40 or 50 pounds. For merly, cruisers or ships that stopped at the Island had no difficulty In kill ing great numbers of these reptiles, but latterly a combination of circum stances are working for their complete extinction. iuu lui uio .... ,1, n tv . ....... qu&UL) of oil that can be used In place of lard. The medium-sized ones contain from five to six gallons of this prod uct, worth about 75 cents,-gold, per gallon, and as It is a very simple mat ter to extract the oil, It is easily seen how the turtle hunters would pursue their calling untl! they had complete ly exterminated this remarkable rep tile. The dogs that roam the islands have also contributed to the destruc tion of the turtles. The Ecuadorean government has several times begun negotiations for the disposition of the islands, and as far back as 1851 the preliminaries of transfer were arranged with the United States, the sum offered being $3,000,000 for the right of collecting the guano that could be found on the Islands. For various reasons the deal fell through, and while since that time tentative negotiations have been commenced during different adminis trations, no definite agreement has ever been reached. GRANVILLE FORTE8CUE. FARM m ORCHARD Notes and Instructions from Agricultural Colleges' and Experiment Stations of Oregon and Washington, Specially Suitable to Pacific Coast Conditions His Theory. "Foxey has been involved, I under stand, in some shady transactions. Doesn't he believe In decent busi ness?" "I think he inclines more to per cent, business." Scotch Broth. The three witches were making the broth. "Gee," muttered Macbeth, "can this be a cooking school?" Herewith he hastily fled. wardly curses himself for hla timidity. some strange spell seems to be cast over him that prevents his doing what he should do. There be shivers until sleep comes to hlB aid. In the morn ing he will vow never again to be such a coward, though he knows in his heart that when the thing occurs again he will be just as big a fool as before. Women of Japan. Among Japanese high school grad uates the desire for receiving further education Is strong today, writes a Japanese teacher. The Japanese girl of this generation has breathed the air of comparative freedom from her birth. Old dogmas and precepts which governed the lives of her mother and grandmother fall upon her ear like far off thunder not threatening, but as something remote and little to be regarded. Although it is commonly said that woman's education in Japan has ad vanced with wonderful rapidity with in the last twenty-five years, it is also undoubtedly true that woman's educa tional onnortunltles axe not so great as those of men. nut, says this teach er, the time is full of hope for women. SEEDTIME AND HARVEST, When Paleness Was Piety. In the days of the Puritans the stocks were not unknown as a penalty for looking too healthy. Ruddiness of complexion was a crime when a gaunt visage was regarded as an outward sign of sanctity. Doctor Echard, wri ting In the early eighteenth century, remarks: "Then it was they would scarcely let a round faced man go to heaven. If he had ut a little blood In his cheeks his condition was account ed dangerous, and, I will assure you, a very honest man of sanguine complex Ion, If he chanced to come nigh an of ficial zealot's house, might be set In the stocks, only for looking fresh on a frosty morning.- Few of the January faces to be seen in a London street however, would run any risk of draw ing down this penalty. Who puts obstacles In the path of others will at some time find them re coll hu own pathway. H. V. Scudder, Agronomist. Oregon Agricultural College, Corvallis. With such wonderful weather for the earliest plowing and seeding as only Oregon can offer every sower of seeds is already looking forward with the highest expectations to a most prosperous harvest. But just a moment, friend ! You remember well the scriptural warning "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." No prohecy ever uttered, perhaps, has received so uni versal acceptance from humanity in all the ages as this, possibly.! because it is founded upon a most primal lit eral truth. From remote times man has been first of all a sower of seed and every recurring harvest in its dearth or in its plenitude has driven home the un alterable truth of this maxim. Yet the farmer of today, who of all men should give most heed to the literal accuracy of this text and its direct ap plication to his industry seems often more heedless of this first step toward a bountiful harvest than were his fore bears ages ago. For failure because of carelessness in the quality of the seed used, there seems little excuse nowadays. If "scientific agriculture" has done aught it has first of all increased the farmer's opportunity to secure crops of the highest quality, and repeatedly it has emphasized the need of so doing. Everywhere the state experiment stations and the federal agricultural authorities have eagerly extended the helping hand to aid the farmer in pro curing good seed, and year after year has the wisdom of these efforts been amply demonstrated. The farmer of Oregon seems less progressive in this matter than those of any other section of the country. Out of all of the samples of seed re ceived and tested at the cooperative seed testing laboratory at Corvallis last year only twenty per cent were sent in by Oregon farmers. Yet the need for most careful examination of seeds before purchase or sowing is constantly being demonstrated by the results of the work done in this seed testing laboratory. This need is evi dent especially in the grasses, clovers and alfalfa. For example, in the tests of alfalfa seed alone since Jan uary 1st of this year forty-two per cent of all samples examined by the seed experts contained dodder, and in sixty-one per cent of this infected alfalfa, the dodder was the most dan gerous species known to agriculture. One sample of alfalfa seed examined and reported only last week contained 15.1 per cent dodder. Yet 1 per cent of dodder is sufficient to destroy the alfalfa crop. Alfalfa seed having 1 per cent of dodder would contain about 4,000 dodder seeds in every pound of alfalfa and seeded at the rate of 16 pounds of alfalfa per acre 400 dodder seeds would be sown on every square rod of the seed bed ; enough under or dinary conditions to so thoroughly in fest the crop with the parasite as to destroy the alfalfa in a single season. Alfalfa is one of the most important crops in the state and in the North west. Dodder is a parasitic weed, the seed of which when sown with the alfalfa germinates in. the ground. Af ter germination the slender tendrils of the dodder vine reaches out, fasten upon and coil about the alfalfa stalk. The soil roots of the dodder then die and the pest thereafter obtains its sustenance directly from the grownig tissues of the alfalfa plant, sapping it of life in a few weeks. Having des troyed the alfalfa plant the dodder vine blossoms and seeds most prolifi cally, the seed scattering upon the ground, quickly germinating and at tacking new alfalfa plants, thus rap idly spreading and ultimately destroy ing the crop, there being practically no remedy where the dodder once gets started. The only means of preventing in fection from this dangerous pest, the seed of which so closely resembles al falfa seed as not to be easily detected except by experts, and which cannot be separated from the alfalfa seed by any cleaning device now known is by the refusal of the buyer to purchase or "sow alfalfa seed containing even a minute precentage of dodder seed. Free of charge, the seed expert at the cooperative seed testing laboratory at Corvallis will examine and immediate ly report upon any sample of alfalfa or other seed sent in by any farmer or seedman in Oregon or the Northwest. If free use were made of this labora tory there is little question that dod der in the alfalfa fields of the north west, and in the seed harvested there from, would be on the decrease in stead of increase as it is now. Nor is it in dangerous impurities that inferior seed is constantly being discovered. Using alfalfa as a fur ther illustration, germination tests of I all the samples received at the labora tory since January 1st of this year showed the following: 20 per cent of samples germinated 90-100 per cent IB " " 80-90 26 " " " 70-80 14 " " " 80-70 " 10 " " " 60-60 Yet good alfalfa seed should ger minate ninety-five per cent or over. That good seed can be secured, how ever, is shown by the fact that 20 per cent of the samples tested had a satis factory germinating power were good, live seed. The farmer must search for such, however. Using alfalfa as an illustration of what is even more common in the grasses and similar seed, it appears perfectly evident, that both in purity and viability, the bulk of the seed now being sown by farmers in the North- west is decidedly inferior, and with absolute certainty this prophesies the harvest. The grass seed samples tested show even greater need of minute examina tion before purchase of seed. So far this year only two samples of Red Top have been received that were up to standard in purity. Two-thirds of all the Orchard Grass samples examined were below the standard of purity that 11.10 uuooimii; .j UUWIUi, J. i . i u . , sample of Kentucky blue grass exam ined contained 61 per cent of pure seed, while the standard of purity for this species is 80 per cent. The stand ard of germination for Red clover is 95 per cent, yet the average germina tion of the samples so far examined by the laboratory this year is 73 per cent. To illustrate how dangerous it may be to sow seed containing a small percentage of impurities, the exact analysis of a sample of what was sold for a mixture of timothy and alsike is given as follows: Timothy, 66 per cent; alsike clover, 14 per cent, other cultivated grass seeds, 5 per cent; trash,. 9 per cent; foreign seeds, 6 per cent. Although the amount of foreign seeds is only 6 per cent, and may pos sibly be considered of no consequence, yet a list of the weed seed contained in this 6 per cent of foreign seeds fol lows: Plantain, Cinquefoil, Black-seeded plantain, mouse-ear chickweed, sorrel, pepper grass, evening primrose, witch grass, shepherd's purse, small crab grass, night-flowering catchfly, sedge, slender spike rush, lamb's quarters, amaranth, brown-eyed Susan, woolly panicum, crab grass, May weed, dod der, syperus, small-seeded false flax, hedge mustard, nerved manna grass, green foxtail, white vervain, curled dock, sporobolus sp., three-seeded mercury, forked catchfly, sleepy catchfly, yellow wood sorrel, sinuate leaved evening primrose, Canada this tle, horsemint, lyespus sp., rush. Total weeds seeds per pound of sam ple, 13,500. Although the farmer received only eighty-five cents' worth of good seed for every dollar he paid out, yet, when the weed seeds he has sown on his farm are considered, it is not hard to realize how enormously unprofitable his seeding will prove at harvest time. It is this seeding of the land to worth less plants and noxious weeds that is causing the farmers of the Northwest the loss of thousands of dollars an nually from the inferior crop produced and the labor wasted. Nor can the dishonesty of the seedsmen in the Northwest be considered the cause of this enormous annual waste. The seedsmen of this region are, for the most part, trying to do their best, but if the farmer accepts and pays for in ferior seed as readily as for the best, little encouragement is given to the honest seedsman to search out seed of high quality and refuse to sell any thing else. Only by insisting upon pure, viable seed will the farmer secure, and final ly force the seedsman to carry nothing else. Farmer and seedsman alike have at their immediate service, free of all cost, the co-operative seed test ing laboratory at Corvallis, which has but the one purpose, that of aiding both dealer and grower in securing and sowing high-quality seed. Hence, my friend, look well to your seeding, so that in the golden harvest time your present expectations may not be discounted. Begin at the be ginning. Use naught but seed of quality, pure and of high vitality, and as logically as effect follows cause, so certainly will come to you at harvest the opportunity to reap in profit that which you have sown with precaution. Tale of a Bird. A little four-year-old boy living In a country town disturbed and took some eggs from under a sitting hen belonging to a neighbor. The neigh bor complained to the boy's mother, who later called her boy to her and began to reprove him, when he broke In with the question: "Who told you?" The mother said: "A little bird told me. Now, tell me, how many eggs did you take?" The little boy, stammering, said: "Weill Weill Why didn't the bird tell you the whole of it?"