hy SSN

(tamed. SS

A Soliloquy

“T’'ve heard it said the world’s a dismal place. But I know better...

SS NS

for I have seen the dawn, and walked in the

splendor of a morning’s sun... blinked at the brilliance of the dew, and beheld the gold and crimson

of an autumn landscape.

“I’ve heard it said the world is sad. I can’t agree...

Roe ;

for I have heard the cheerful songs

of feathered masters . . . heard the low laughter of the leaves, and the everlasting chuckle

of a mountain brook.

“I've heard it said the world’s a musty, sordid thing. It can’t be true...

for I have seen the rain . . . watched it bathe

the earth, the very air... and I have seen the sky,

newly scrubbed and spotless, blue from end to end... and I’ve watched the Winter’s snow drape tree and bush, to look like Nature’s freshly laundered linen hung to dry.

“T’ve even heard it said the world is evil. But they are wrong...

for I have known its people .. . watched them die

to save a freedom, bleed to save a life . . . spend of themselves to stem disaster, of their wealth to ease distress... and \

I have watched them live, love, and labor... watched them hope, dream, and pray, side by side.

re!

— - °

“T have heard them say these things. But I would disagree...

because, for every shadow, I have seen a hundred rays

of light . . . for every plaintive note, I’ve heard a symphony of joy .. . for every pennyweight of bad, I have found a ton of good .. . good in Nature, in People,

in the World.

And I'm thankful I belong.”

MOLINE, ILLINOIS © Quality Farm Equipment Since 1837

insects

YOU SHOULD KNOW

How to Identify These Crop Destroyers

CUTWORMS Family Noctuidae

When you find young plants cut off at the ground, a cutworm is probably responsible, and might well be found in a small burrow in the soil close by. A cutworm is the larva, or caterpillar, of a night- flying moth. There are many kinds. The com- moner ones are stout, well-fed, soft-bodied, smooth or nearly smooth, and cylindrical, with color vary- ing from gray to brown or nearly black. Some- times they are spotted or marked with stripes.

2 ed

COTTON FLEAHOPPER Psallus seriatus (Reut.) The fleahopper pierces and sucks sap from the terminal buds and newly formed squares -. . breeds on goatweed (croton), primrose, horsemint, and other plants. One field of goatweed may hatch millions of fleahoppers. The adult is a flattened, oval-shaped, pale-green winged insect approxi- mately 1%'' long. The body is spotted with four black marks near the wing tips. The young cotton fleahopper is very small, green, and wingless.

toxaphene

DUSTS - SPRAYS

For full color booklet showing these and other insects write to Hercules

MEADOW SPITTLEBUG Philaenus leucophthalmus (L.)

Spittlebugs attack alfalfa and other leg- umes. The yellow- or coral-colored imma- ture bugs are first found in tiny specks of foam or froth on the plants in early Spring. They suck sap from the young, tender plant parts as they travel upward, always enlarging the spittle masses. In June, the bugs develop wings and swarm over the fields as brown or gray, wedge-shaped, quick-jumping hoppers which infest hay.

Naval Stores Department, HERCULES POWDER COMPANY II King Street, Wilmington 99, Del. May, 1953

W HEN pullets get to be about eight

weeks old their feeding habits change and their feed needs change. G.L.F. Growing Mash is made to order to fit those needs from eight weeks until the first egg.

For one thing, birds at this stage are beginning to eat more scratch grain. The grain provides a lot of nutrients, but they’ve still got to get theif vita- mins and minerals from the mash. So in G.L.F. Growing Mash the vitamin D is doubled and the minerals stepped up. On the other hand, there are some ele- ments that the chicks need when they are tiny that they no longer need when the get half-grown, and these are omitted from G.L.F. Growing Mash.

The net result is that you get a mash which actually is better fitted to this

Made-to-Order

G.L.F. Growing Mash

Fills the bill from 8 weeks to ust egg - sav

second half of the growing job, and still costs less than Chick Starter. Using G.L.F. Growing Mash from eight weeks on can cut feed bills by as much as two to three dollars per 100 birds.

G.L.F. GrowingMash is well suited for birds raised in confinement, because it is high in energy and furnishes all the nutrients that a growing bird re- quires. Growing Mash is available in pellet form too, since some poultrymen like to feed pellets to birds grown on range.

With its advantage in price and in healthy growth, this high energy mash is ideal to get birds ready for a profit- able laying flock.

Cooperative G.L.F. Exchange, Inc. Ithaca, New York

es money, too

THe CorneLL CouNTRYMAN

Editorial Staff

slic The Cornell Countryman

DANA DALRYMPLE

Associate Editor ARTHUR DOMMEN

Managing Editor STEPHEN SANDLER

Editorial Assistants

BARBARA BARNARD LOIS CRANE

JOHN CLARKE RHODALEE KRAUSE DOROTHY NIELSON

CONTENTS

EDITORIAL OPINION

Home Ec. Editor JOAN BEEBE DEAN VINCENT

by Roberta Manchester ’53

Vienne De FI attests by Jean Little 53

Club News VIRGINIA PAQUETTE

Alumnotes

LYLE GRAY amis <M ma AAR oh 8

by Arthur Dommen 55

Secretary

NANCY KNICKERBOCKER TP Rmae: VASO MONEY OF PROG OORG acsssscecececossssoscssnscscisnsansssccinssnsincscschscnielescececeen wae

Editorial Board by Prof. R. M. Smock

B. Burg

B. Chamberlain E. Church

S. Finn

P. Foster

D. Griffin

K. Kendrick

N. Kerry

D. Klimajeski R. Manchester M. Mang

J. Metzger W. Wilkins S. Wiltse

i, TIN sisiicsititessininitenninrirnninceininticsonrienrinninntntinssinviisiaiiinndaii wo» 10° by Tom Sanford °55

Daan MRE RBIS i cscaiicsecssnscecnen sebbbi hatasaaasiontaabcloaa a FY

> Art and Photography Editor by Joan Beebe 54

BETSY COLLINS INTRODUCING YOUR FRIENDS. ocscsssssccocersssossssssusessssssssevnsseeeseessssseeseetessssssssumssssssseeenee ae

Dot Klimajeskt, Roberta Manchester Phil Foster Bob Snyder

Art and Photography Board

R. Cannon C. Gabel

R. Fallon M. Gilman

R. Ferrari H. Pringle iis a i cieisitcestinsiailaeainiealinndibbiaelinsaaitiiairtaianai io 18

Business Staff

Business Manager

ALUMNOTES

KENNETH BELL Cover Story

Advertising Manager DAVID BANDLER

Advertising Copy Manager JOHN JOHNSON

Campus Circulation Manager MARY LOUISE HOLMES

Mail Circulation Manager CAROLYN WILKLOW

Business Board

G. Macmillen A. Macomber M. Reed R. Synder S. Taylor

Board of Directors

MRS. EMILIE T. HALL MR. W. D. MC MILLAN PROFESSOR G. E. PEABODY

May, 1953

While wandering perplexedly through a maze of modern art re- cently, we suddenly thought of ap- plying the “surrealistic touch” to that photogenic subject, Goofus. Why not? Goofus is very real and very large, and quite unlike the creature on our cover. However, we ask you to use your imagination, and picture a scene of glad depart- ures, loud farewells, heavily loaded cars blocking the thororughfares of greater Ithaca, and a large and very sad dog watching the whole procedure. His eyes too, are turned over the hills and far away. Auf wiederseh’n!

Cover drawing by Kay Wolf ’54

The Cornell Countryman is published monthly from October to May by students in the New York State Colleges of Agriculture and Home Economics, units of the State University of New York, at Cornell University. Entered as second class matter at the Post Office, Ithaca, New York. Printing by Norton Printing Co. Subscription rate is $1.25 a year or three years for $2.50; single

copies, 20 cents.

Vol. L—No. 8

LALA LNG NRT Ne TR GARAGE A thn RN SRNR IE SRG atREoNgRRRRENNNNEaRANREEAkNRSANmeNNNNNRRRARRARRSeeRRR nee os ereenaoosnnutesencesenpeceananimenante cerneensiapecee:

HT}

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femoves ears fh f delivers clean kernels to wagon. & from } ta aq out arming broken stalks. = Presser Wheels over husking rolls

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Today New Idea offers a wide line of quality implements to harvest hay and corn crops, to improve soil fertility ... all the result of top-flight engineering combined with down-to-earth farm experience.

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4 Tue CorneLt CountryMAN

Editorial Opinion

Apathy or

Reason ?

The subject of extra-curricular activities has been thoroughly chew- ed, swallowed and digested at peri- odic intervals by various groups, interested and disinterested alike. What ultimately influences a stu- dent to affix his signature to the contracts of a dozen alluring organ- izations, or to painstakingly avoid any commitments whatsoever, is the degree to which he wishes himself to be a joiner. In these days of hectic competition in love and war, it is small wonder that literally thousands of college students are desperately seeking membership in organizations.

Extra-curricular activities are to- day as strong as ever. That fewer students sign up and compete for registered organizations is no indi- cation that interest is waning. On the contrary, there is no reason to believe that persons selected for of- ficers in the agglomeration of clubs, publications and societies on cam- pus should exhibit less enthusiasm for responsibility than their prede- cessors, unless it is the fact that corporations seeking college grad- uates are paying less homage to the string of titles in the yearbook.

Student participation in extra- curricular activities is necessarily measured by total numbers, but a decreasing enrollment is not by force indicative of a growing apathy. Just as old roots that have be- come useless to the plant are slough- ed off, those students who once join- ed an organization merely for the sake of “being in it” are finding themselves an unwanted minority. The hangers-on grow fewer year by year. This is not apathy; it is a form of maturity.

In the long-term trend, we see the end of the mad scramble to join clubs, and a greater appreciation of the gifts which the university offers to all alike. One doesn’t have to be a member of X Club or Y

May, 1953

Council to read the Saturday Re- view of Literature in the Ellis Room, or to have an off-the-record talk with a professor, or to attend a lecture on Chinese philosophy in Anabel Taylor. It is indeed a great pity that certain groups continue to stress so strongly extra-curricu- lar “participation.”

Perhaps, too, students are taking a greater interest in purely aca- demic matters. At least they may be becoming more conscious of the wealth of knowledge which they catch glimpses of at every corner.

Few students have the chance to realize, in the short span of four years, that interest in extra-curric- ular activities as denoted by total numbers declines when the quality of university -instruction improves, and vice versa. To be sure, this is a long-term trend, but a logical one. Would it be too hazardous a guess to say that teaching at Cornell has been getting steadily better for the past decade? The “Sun’s” poll on declining enrollment in organiza- tions need not be taken so omino- usly after all.

The fertile years of college life, the hours in which one assimilates new material the most rapidly, should be devoted to some goal more worthy than scurrying from one club meeting to the next.

In conclusion, there is really no apathy towards extra-curricular activities, only a better realization of their true value. The picture is an optimistic one, and grows more so every year. If trends mean any- thing, and the statisticians assure us they do, it may be said that students are exercising more fully their right of decision, and only after a good look around, are un- dertaking wholeheartedly the res- ponsibility of leadership in organ- izations with which they feel them- selves allied by a genuine interest.

Arthur Dommen

It’s As Simple as A.B.C. To Wire Flowers

Anywhere

See your Nearest Florist

“In Collegetown”

Lountlery Blowers

409 College Ave. Phone 3327

Credit Cards Acknowledged

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Dean Elizabeth Vincent

Scholar, Educator and Writer

Mountains and Dancing Theme of Retiring Dean

by Roberta Manchester ‘53

Mountains and dancing—seem- ingly unconnected—have followed Dean Elizabeth Vincent of the Col- lege of Home Economics through much of her career.

Dean Vincent retires this sum- mer to fulfill her long-time plan of a career in writing in the area of child development and family re- lations. Dr. Vincent has previously written several text books in this field and many magazines have car- ried her professional and semi-pro- fessional articles. When her book- plate was designed in the early twenties, she purposely chose the two themes, mountains and dancing, which she loved so well.

Dr. Vincent was brought up in a gold mining center, Victor, Colo- rado, which has since become a ghost town. Here the mountain scenery is some of the most beauti- ful in the world. Her college days were spent at the University of Colorado, where she earned her

A.B. and M.A. Neither these col-

lege days nor her first jobs as psy- chology instructor at the University and as director of the Psychology Clinic at a Juvenile Court in Den- ver, took her away from the moun- tains. It was not until she came East to start working on her Ph.D. in education psychology at Colum- bia University, that she had to leave her beloved mountains and substitute the sky scrapers of New

York City.

Dancing and Music While in New York Miss Vincent

took ballet lessons for pure pleas- ure. In her childhood she had re- ceived dancing training from pro- fessional artists in ballet and in- terpretive styles. At fourteen her first job offer came for a dancing position on the stage. Although she turned this down and partially end- ed her dancing career, her deep- rooted feeling for dancing has ex- isted throughout her life.

Also during her childhood, she

trained to become a concert pianist. Both her parents were musicians, and they wanted Lee to be one too. She had to spend such long hours practicing at the piano, that she sickened of piano playing, even for her own amusement. Nevertheless, music and concert-going are among her many interests.

Dean for Seven Years

From her cheerful office in the College of Home Economics, Dean Vincent has for the past seven years promoted the growth and develop- ment of the College and the Uni- versity. Hanging on the wall of her office is a soft-toned modern paint- ing, done for her by Virginia True, head of the Housing and Design Department. The Dean wasn’t con- sulted as to the picture’s theme; it turned out to be coincidentally, mountains and dancing.

Dr. Vincent has demonstrated great skill in her administrative work and associations with the stu- dents and faculty. Her job as head of the psychology department at the Merrill Palmer School in De- troit for twenty-one years, helped her for her work at Cornell. Being interested in child development and family relations, she worked closely with the home economists at Mer- rill Palmer, Faculty, and it was there that her home economics future began.

Interest in Children

Dr. Vincent’s keen interest in children started when she was at the Juvenile Court. She admits that her experiences with delinquent children were some of the most val- uable assets in her training. Her future work, writings, and student relationships here at Cornell have shown this interest. She has al- ways taken part in student activi- ties and has worked to promote both men’s and women’s groups on campus.

As a speaker and lecturer, Dr. Vincent is well-known. Before com- ing to Cornell she did part-time lecturing in the areas of child de- velopment and family relations at many universities throughout the nation. She can hold forth equally well at a political economy meeting or a gathering discussing the phil- osophy of religion. Throughout the

(Continued on page 16)

Tue CorNELL CouNTRYMAN

Cornell’s

Vest Pocket Jungle

Any day of the year a visitor to the Plant Science Conservatory may find anything from a Ladyslipper orchid to an African violet.

Imagine yourself in the fragrant, moist, tropical jungles, surrounded by ferns, palms, and exotic flowers. What a pleasant thought on some raw, windy day, you say. And yet did you know that right here on the Cornell campus you don’t have to use your imagination at all?

In the Conservatory at the rear of Plant Science you'll find tropical plants from all over the world, grow- ing undisturbed by the climate of upstate New York. This collection of nearly 900 species and varieties is used for everything from Bailey Hall decorations to taxonomy courses,

To most people, tropical flowers mean orchids. In the collection of 250 species and varieties are flowers ranging from the size of a dime to the popular Cattleya of corsages which may be 8 inches in diameter.

Always In Bleom Orchids could well be called the

rainbow flower since there are red, yellow, blue, purple, green, and white ones, as well as many pastel shades.

Because so many different kinds are represented, it is almost im- possible to go into the Conserva- tory and not find at least one or- chid in bloom. Hanging from their pots above your head, the moth orchids remind you of their name- sakes, and the Ladyslipper orchids attract you with their subdued green and brown. Among the plants from Central America is what is probably this country’s largest collection of Mexican orchids.

Uses of Plants

Many of these plants serve a use- ful purpose, too. They are being used in a series of experiments to help commerical florists grow better orchids. One of the most interesting programs is that of growing them under different temperatures and daylengths. Eventually the com-

May, 1953

- by Jane Little ‘53

mercial grower hopes to have all kinds of orchids in bloom at any season.

Another experiment being con- ducted is that of finding new root media, that is, new types of soil. At present, orchids are grown in fern roots, an expensive undertaking, for all the roots are gathered by hand. Since so many orchids are now be- ing grown, ferns are becoming scarce. A study of the watering fre- quency going on for three years, has shown that daily watering pro- duces the most flowers.

Other Tropical Plants

As a background for the delicate orchid flowers, there are many tropical ferns and palms. These add to the effect of a true jungle as they tower above you. Those of you who are familiar with that popular house plant, the African violet, may not realize that it has many attrac- tive relatives. A collection of these shares bench space with varieties of their widely publicized cousin.

While the tropical plants catch your attention first, you may won- der about the many other plants that grow in the cool part of the Conservatory. In the fall term, stu- dents in Floriculture 1 use part of this as a laboratory. Anytime in November or December, you will be sure to find someone who wonders if he will have his Paper-white Nar- cissus in bloom at the right date.

In the spring, flowering plants for the Willard Straight rock garden or the Lua A. Minns Memorial Gar- den on Tower Road are started here. At any time of year you may see a Wardian case, like a minature green- house, filled with tiny plants being grown, experimentally.

For those who associate bananas, figs, pineapples, oranges, and coffee only with grocery stores, the Con- servatory offers a view of them as they would be in their native habit- at—the making of a tasty breakfast. There is no need to visit the tropics; your chance for a sample is right here in Cornell’s pocket-sized jungle.

—Ferreri

A close-up of a few of the orchids that are included in the Plant Science Greenhouse

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Soil Conditioners .. .

The

Aftermath

by Arthur Dommen ‘55

“Give new life to your garden instantaneously!”

To those whose custom it is to mull over the garden section of their Sunday paper, this line is cer- tainly familiar. Such words as “mir- aculous,” “remake” and “equiva- lent” have become standard terms in the advertisements of soil condi- tioner manufacturers, and the op- timistic how-to-do-it articles that complete the pages are no less hazy.

The excitement that accom- panied the announcement of Kri- lium in the spring of 1952 still surges on. But among research workers and chemical company ex- ecutives, it has crystallized into an awareness of the need for more and more knowledge concerning soil structure. There is no doubt left in anyone’s mind that the development of these synthetic materials, such as Krilium, is the most important definite step towards simplifying the control of soil physical condi- tions.

It was by an undetermined coin- cidence that Krilium originated, in the laboratories of the Monsanto Chemical Company. Yet, more than a year later, research on these ma- terials is still in its infancy. As an example of the problems still ahead, one product at least has the dis- advantage of producing an undesir- ably dry soil surface, with the con- sequence that small seeds may fail to germinate. How this difficulty can be countered is yet to be seen.

In the main, however, many of the existing conditioners perform successfully their semi-permanent function of improving soil struc- ture, and their temporary functions of preventing crusting and erosion, all at a nominally high cost. Fol- lowing the pattern set by DDT, the soil conditioner has proved to be a very expensive child indeed. Never- theless, it is said that one green- house in St. Louis treats all its soil with Krilium; the easier watering of plants in a well-granulated medium,

and the consequent elimination of much labor, offsets the initial cost of the conditioner.

Lawsuits...

Much of our present knowledge of these products has been acquired through industrial contracts at agri- cultural colleges. But before samples of an entirely revolutionary product have been compared through a satisfactory, standardized test, there is much confusion and bitter name-calling. In one recent instance, the manufacturers of a material receiving a low rating in a release published by an eastern university have filed suit against members of the department con- nected with the injurious bulletin. The case is a grave one, for the amount of the suit runs to six fig- ures. ,

There is good reason to believe that, by finding improved materials and better methods of production, soil conditioners will continue to create interest in the physical con- dition of the soil. Furthermore, with lowered costs, these substances are sure to find their way out of the flower pots, nurseries, and football fields to the general farm. However, it is at no time to be forgotten that soil conditioners do not create, but merely preserve, the good struc- ture in the soil to which they are applied.

But No Miracles

Man, never satisfied with Nature by herself, constantly strives to im- prove upon her slow-but-sure me- thods. He is ever running ahead, breaking his traditional bonds, im- patient in his conquest of the unex- plored.

The farmer’s occupation is pecu- liar in that it will always require the exertion of manual labor. True, his hands are no longer on the plow; instead, they are on the tractor steering wheel. It is an exacting job, keeping ahead of Nature, pushing her, pulling her—as you will.

We have learned not to expect miracles from soil conditioners. This field of industry is a large one, and exaggeration has no place here. Thus, it is well to keep in mind the moral of Professor Carew’s little leaflet on ERUNAM, the “wonder”

soil conditioner. Spelled backwards.

Tue CorneELL CounTRYMAN

The Taxonomy of

College Professors

An unusual and telling description of some of the men who make up modern education

by Prof. R. M. Smock

The genus “Professor” was stu- died on campuses from the Atlantic to the Pacific while on a sabbatic leave. This snooping survey was made with the thought of self im- provement through examples from various species of the genus. The resulting disillusionment led the author to arrange the following taxonomic classification.

Fast Pace

The Floor Walkers: These gentle- men walk slowly or rapidly (de- pending upon their glandular gifts) across the lecture platform. Some of them would do better in a large department store. Instead of looking at the faces of the students, they study objects on the floor not visible to the students. If they hap- pen to be fast walkers and interest- ing enough to listen to, the neck muscles of the students are as tired after an hour as though they had been attending a tennis match.

One of my favorites in this cat- egory was a gentleman in the dan- gerous forties who only looked up enough to scrutinize the calves of the ladies in the front row. He had seated a few girls in the class in the front row to better facilitate this scrutiny.

The Other Extreme

The Hypothyoids: This category includes the gentlemen who don’t have the energy to do much walk- ing or much talking. What talking they do simply can’t be heard ex- cept by the eager beavers in the front two rows. Some of these men lean on the window sill and com- mune with God’s out-of-doors. Edu- cation is supposed to engender a

May, 1953

little curiosity, but the only curio- sity aroused in such class rooms is the wonderment as to what the pro- fessor m'ght be talking about. The only enjoyment students get out of listening to such a man is in watching his face for a possible smile. If a smile appears, the stu- dents laugh uproariously at what was presumably very amusing. Posterior Professors: These men can be viewed from the front only when coming into the room. They talk all hour to and presumably with the blackboard. Illustrations on the blackboard are good but students have a right to know what the teacher is talking about. Some professors write so faintly on the blackboard that they could be drawing pornographic pictures for all the students know. In one class at least one student was determined to learn something in spite of the professor. He was using field glasses.

Blinding Results

These men look at the black- board so much that they probably should be excused on the basis of night blindness. Should they turn around to look at the class, the

lights of the room would probably blind them.

“Take it or Leave it” Professors: Some seemingly well intentioned teachers seem to take pride in defy- ing their students to really learn. Their attitude seems to be “I am paid to dish it out: you can take it or leave it.” Questions by stu- dents on the life history of Bacci- lus amylovorus are treated as as though there were skeletons in the closet of even this morally un- impeachable organism.

Professor Smock, preparing to go incognito.

What is shameful about making lecture material clear and under- standable? Some professors give students the idea “this material is clear to me but you couldn’t pos- sibly understand it.” This suggests to the student that the professor is fearful of losing his job if too many people know what he knows.

The Bone Drys: Some professors strive to make material as uninter- esting as possible. Why can’t the learning process be just a little less painful? It may seem difficult to inject interesting illustrations during a discussion of the sex life of Venturia inequalis but one pro- fessor did just that. It made the next ten minutes very bearable.

The constant rebuttal one gets from professors on this point is “we are not here to entertain” or “this is dead serious business.” The first adjective is the more appropriate.

Odd Characteristics

You have not heard me complain about the odd little idiocyncrasies that characterize some professors: students should have something to remember their college teachers by.

(Continued on page 21)

An Answer to...

The Whys of Ithaca Weather

by Tom Sanford ‘55

Spring weekend will be a com- plete washout! Perhaps you resent that statement or accept it with an experience-backed “no kidding.” Or possibly your college curiosity urges you to listen to an explanation as to just why such a depressing out- cry is made in the first place.

In this Ithaca area, and more generally in the Southern Tier of the state, the occurrence of periodi- cal rainstorms during the spring and