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4
THB NBBRA.SKAN
PromonadoB," they should bo strictly confined to uni
versity students or si ould bo dispensed with.
WANTED--AN INVENTOR.
THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE AP
PEALS TO OUR STUDENTS.
On Train, January 20, 1893.
Chancellor James H. Canficld, University of Nebraska,
Lincoln, Nebraska.
My Dear Chanceleor: Last night, on board this
Pennsylvania train, I lay awako endeavoring to invent
some new implement for land tillage. The plow is an
onemy to fertility. The plow, as used in Nebraska and
other stonoless soils, impacts every furrow it passes
over and renders it as impervious to rainfall as pos
sible. The draft of a plow is downward to such an ex
tent, that the full force of the team's strength is ex
hausted in pressing the bottom of the furrow into a
polished trough for tho conduction of rain down the
sidehills. "We must have some method of tillage which
shall stir up the soil and subsoil to the depth of eigh
teen inches and more. If it were possible to loosen
the soil and subsoil down for three feet all over tho
state of Nebraska, we could then, with an annual rain
fall of twenty inches, make abundant and profitable
crops. Until deep plowing thorough subsoil tillage
becomes universal in that commonwealth, there will
be, year in and year out, no certainty of remunerative
crops.
My reason for writing you, is to suggest that you
bring this question before the entire body of 1C00
students of tho University of Nebraska, and ask them,
each andall,,to try and think out a now implement of
agriculture which shall supersede tho plow. In my
judgment the conjing implement should spade the land
and turn it over, as a man who pushes the spade with
his foot into tho ground, and drawing tho spade out
turns the soil upside down by the twist of his wrists.
Possibly a rotary spader could be invented Possibly
an implement consisting of a large number of revolv
ing knives could bo made, so that in passing over tho
surface of the field it shall chop up tho soil and subsoil
down for two feet in such a manner as to render per
colation of tho rainfall down to the depth at which the
ground has been stirred, very easy and perfect
Professor Shaler, of Harvard, estimates that the
present inefficient and ill-resulting methods of plowing,
especially upon undulating lands, is costing the agri
culture of the United States 250 square miles of soil
lesB each year by erosion. Everywhere in Nebraska
where torrential rainfalls are so frequent, sidehills
mutely verify Profoesor Sbaler's theory as to the an
nual waste of washed lands.
This is a matter of such vast importance to Ne
braska, and, in fact, to all humanity, that I hope you
will pardon me for suggesting it as a subject upon
which the inventive mind of educated youth may
properly be concentrated. A proper solution of tho
question will facilitate subsoil tillage and at the same
time save both crops and soiL
Very respectfully yours,
J. Sterling Morton, Secretary.
COMPANY B'S "BLOWOUT,"
What tho 'Varsity Rifles failed to do, Company B
of tho cailot battalion carried through with groat suc
cess. It looked like a groat undertaking, but an ener
getic committee took charge of tho affair and tho first
military ball yet given by tho cadets went through
with a rush.
On Friday ovening, February ltat, after tho oxams
had all been finished, about one hundred university
students onjoyod themselves dancing to tho strains of
the excellent music furnished by Irvine's orchestra, in
the Lansing theatre dancing hall.
In tho absence of Lieut. Pershing Capt. Elliot, or
Company "B," led tho grand march, followed by Capt.
Weeks, of Company "A." The next in rank was Lieut.
Haughton, then the sergeants, corporals, and high
privates, accompanied by tho fnireBt co-eds that tho
old "Uni" could furnish. During tho march the pro
grams woro distributed, which caused a ripplo of sur
prise to creep over the gueBts. What was that design
on the cover? A jagged looking piece of blue ribbon,
pinnod on the card, with a yellow stripe at tho end.
Yes, it was tho unique badge which the company
adopted last spring. As tho committee wore afraid to
ask tho lieutenant for auy more trousers, they over
came tho difficulty by reproducing tho pieco thereof
in the colored inks.
It was nearly 1 o'clock when the meeting was de
clared officially adjourned and all returned to their va
rious homes (?) to live happily over after, until tho
next military hop takes placo.
Much credit is due the committee, composed of Ad
ams, Jones, Saxton, Riley, and Bobbins, for thoir ef
forts in making tho affair the success it was. Tho
difficulties they experienced may bo realized when it is
known that two of the committee would get hold of a
cadet to persuade him to go, while the other threo
would stand around and ward oif the members of the
Junior Prom committee, who wore hovering near over
ready to pounce upon a luckless individual
LAW NOTES.
Tho following officers wore reinstated in office in the
junior class: President, Wm. Meutzer; vice president,
Win. Hendricks; secretary, 1L F. Neal; treasurer, Miss
E. M. Davisson; sergeaut-at-arms, Irvine P. Gardner.
There has been a good deal of wrangling in the jun
ior class during the last mouth, there being several
factions each desirous of running tho class. The con
stitution which was made several weeks ago with the
intention of throwing out the present officers, was not
successful, as the constitution was thrown out at the
meeting on the 29th and a committee appointed which
reported at the next meeting that there was no need of
a constitution and that Roberts1 Rules of Order would
bo used, which was carried.
Examinations were held last week but tho work of
the class did not stop at all, classes being .held every
day.
I