THE BA TTALION
Published Weekly by the Students’ Association of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas.
VOLUME XVI
COLLEGE, STATION, TEXAS, FEBRUARY 17, 1909
NUMBER 18
HE MEN ON PIMM:
AT MEETING OF SCIENTIFIC AG
RICULTURAL SOCIETY HELD
FRIDAY NIGHT.
Irrigation Canals and Crops Around
Brownsville Taken up by Mr.
Speed.
Last Friday night the Scientific
“Bughunters” held a very interesting
meeting. Many new ideas were
brought up and everybody certainly
was benefited by the different talks.
First, Mr. John Sharp Williams
made a talk on “Criticizing the West
ern Farmer with Suggestions for Im
provements.” He brought out very
plainly where the average stock
farmer makes a great mistake by
purchasing a great quanity ot ms feed
stuffs, such as corn chops, alfalfa, hay,
etc., for he pays the cost of producing
it, getting it ready for market, be
sides the dealer’s profit, when he real
ly could raise it and grind it himself
by making a few modern improve
ments and using better manage
ment. Furthermore, the manure
question is not given proper attention.
Even in the case of high price feeds
you can get double value out of them
by (1) the production of animal tissue
on flesh,-and (2) the use of manure in
maiii tci-Liiiiij-, ooii fervid tj,. T ugh vc
showed where the west should pro
duce all her own horses and mules
and not have them shipped in here
by the carloads from our superior in
tat line.
Then Mr. Speed discussed the tinp
to Brownsville and told about the ir
rigation system in that part of the
country. Lands that used to be bare
and rocky are now covered with the
finest of vegetation of all kinds. He
mentioned especially, the trip from
Brownsville to Mission: The first
thing you see is the great gravity
canal at San Benito. It is 27 miles
long, 250 ft. wide, has 5 locks and
dams large enough for boat passage,
and a lateral runs from this every
mile. Irrigating Capacity is about
16000 acres of land, but all of the land
is not being irrigated yet. A large
sugar mill is to be built on this canal.
At Harlington, another little station,
the main feature was the irrigation
of cotton and cane. Smith is the great
experimenter of cotton irrigation in
this section and he says it is a suc
cess, for it yields two bales to the
a^re by irrigating. Next place was
Mercedes, where they had a beauti
ful body of water adjoining the town.
The north canal, which crosses the
lake, is a solid concrete structure.
reinforced by steel.
Next on the program was J. J. Cald
well, one more of our real old time
“bughunters.” His subject was “The
Farmer’s, Opportunity,” and he dis
cussed h so thoroughly +bat it
a person wonder why all the present
farmers are not rich men. He brought
out especially, those vital parts of
the farm, such as crop rotation, care
of manure, benefits derived from
stock on the farm, maintaining soil
fertility, and advantages of improved
tools.
Progammed for next time, Friday,
26th, 1909, are Messrs. Yeary, McMil
lan, Hanway, and Woodie Gilbert.
CHARLES W. ELIOT TO BE HERE
TUESDAY.
Noted Educator Will Officiate in Cor
nerstone Laying.
President Eliot i Harvord Uni r er-
sity with his wife and party will arrive
here from Dallas next Tuesday. He is
making this trip to get acquainted
with conditions in the south and/in
the interest of Harvard, lie goes i.oril
A. and M. to the University of Texas,
the only two institutions in the state
he will visit. On Tuesday evening at
7 p. m. President Milner will give a
reception at his home to enable the
faculty and associates to become ac-
puainted with Prof. Eliot. Then at 8
o’clock a banquet will be given at the
Mess Hall in his honor, at which Pres.
Milner will be toast master. Such men
as Chairman Plenderson, of the Board
j of Regents of the Univers'cy of Texas
I Geo. Dealey of Dallas News, R. M.
j Johnston of Houston Post, the presi
dent of leading educational institu-
. tions in the state, and a number of
leading business and professional men
j throughout Texas have been invited to
I attend.
I Regimental dress parade will be
j held in his honor on Tuesday after-
j neon.
I On Wednesday morning Pres. Eliot
1 will address the corps at the laying of
j the corner-stone for the new engineer-
: ing building.
! We have four Harvard men here:
Profs. Lomax, Herrick, Fountain and
Reed.
Mr. Spisa will not serve supper at
the kless Hall for the corps on Tues
day night but will give each man his
rations for that night at dinner Tues
day.
Y. M. C. A. Notes.
Prof. Spence will address the Young
Men’s Christian Assoiciation next Sun
day night on the subject, “Systematic
Giving.” Pi-of. Spence always makes
a strong talk whenever called upon,
and he will without doubt have an urg
ent message for us. We ought to go
out in a body to hear him; it will ben
efit us.
PRAYER OAY OBSERVED.
LOCAL Y. M. C. A. HAS REGULAR
MEETING UNDER LEADER
SHIP OF MR. WARD.
MANY WERE PHASES TAKEN UP:
Purpose and Importance of Prayer-—
Too Little Attention Paid to It.
A prayer meeting under the leader
ship of Mr. Ward was conducted at
the Y. M. C. A. meeting Sunday night.
This was a day set aside by all mem
bers and fi’iends of Christian societies
at work among students, to devote
themselves with greater faithfulness
than ever to prayer on behalf of the
students.
After the usual song service and
scripture reading, the meeting was
turned over to Mr. Ward.
He first gave a shdrt talk in which
lie explained the pinqiose and impor
tance of prayer; gave incidents of how
the spiritual tide is rising in all parts
of th world. There have been, during
the past year, the most marked advan
ces in Christian interest and activity
among the students. Foremost among
the causes of the growing spiritual in
terest in the universities and colleges,
has been that of earnest,fervent pray
er of faithful Christians.
Different ways of praying were men
tioned by Mr. V/ard as follows: If we
pray with an unbelieving heart, the
i^rayfv/ avails nothing. Tlio fac* tliat
a self confident man cannot appeal to
God’s mercy was brought out.
Another thing that hinders us in
praying is the lack of self sacrifice.
V/e would like very much to see a
certain work accomplished, but we are
not willing to pay the pride.
Many of us do not pray as we should
because we have not devoted enough
time and attention to Christian work
to know the responsibilities that de
volve upon us.
Others of us are hindered by formal
ities. We pray as a matter of form—
we might as well not pray at all.
A good motto is “To work as though
everything depended upon you, and
pray as though everything depended
upon God.” ,
A short payer service followed Mr.
Ward’s talk. Prayers were offered by
members of the association in behalf
of the students in our home colleges,
and for a general uplifting of the stu
dent body of the world.
In spite of the cold weather about
forty-six cadets were at the meeting.
The visitors were Misses Stiles and
Rives, Capt. Moses and Prof. Notting
ham. We are glad to have the Cam
pus people take an interest in our
meetings. Everyone is heartily wel
come.
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