DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY

The Department of Botany has devoted considerable time and has expended a certain portion of its appropriations for war work, particularly as approved by the Pacific Coast Research Conference in connection with the State Council of Defense. An appropriation of $700 has been received from the Council and has been expended on investigations of the possibilities of a supply of rubber from native plants. This work has been carried out by H. M. Hall, Associate Professor of Economic Botany, and T. H. Goodspeed, Assistant Professor of Botany. Their preliminary report has been published in Science of May 10, 1918 (vol. 47, no. 1219, pp. 452-454) under the title, "An Emergency Supply of Rubber."

The plants investigated belong to Chrysothamnus and related genera. There is no well established common name for the plants but they are included in the general category of "rabbit-brush.' They are sometimes also known as "golden brush." These are large plants which grow in abundance on the desert area and in the Great Basin generally. It has been found that some of the species carry 10 per cent rubber. However, those which are sufficiently common to make their utilization possible carry not more than 5 per cent.

This is not sufficient to be of interest commercially with rubber at its present price. If, however, the importations of raw rubber should be curtailed through enemy action, this emergency supply existing within the border of the continental United States could be drawn upon. While there is not enough to supply the need for even a single year, the total amount nevertheless would be considerable. The rubber obtained from these plants is of good quality, though not equalling the quality of the best imported Para. The study is to be continued in order more definitely to locate the supply of the shrub and to work out various problems in connection with harvesting.

Other minor matters under consideration by the Department of Botany, either separately or in conjunction with other departments, have reference to unused food plants either for human beings or domestic animals, such as the buckeye, in particular, or for use in industries or scientific research, such as the economic value of certain seaweeds, particularly as substitutes for agar.

W. A. Setchell, Professor of Botany, is a member of the subcommittee on Botanical Investigations of the Pacific Coast Research Conference. W. L. Jepson, Associate Professor of Dendrology, is a member of the State Council of Defense.

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

Beginning with the academic year 1918-19, the Civil Engineering College will administer a four years' curriculum in Military Engineering leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. This course of study is designed to prepare students for admission to the Corps of Engineers, United States Army, by competitive examination under the rules of the War Department.

C. G. Hyde, Professor of Sanitary Engineering, was a member of the Engineering Commission (G. A. Elliott, Chairman, Professor C. D. Marx of Stanford University, the third member) appointed by Colonel I. W. Luttle in charge of Cantonment Division, to design sanitary works for Camp Fremont, Menlo Park, California. Professor Hyde is now a Captain in the Sanitary Corps.

A. C. Alvarez, Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering, is assistant to the Manager of the University Military Bureau.

A. J. Eddy, Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering, is Captain in the Coast Artillery, stationed at the San Francisco Presidio.

C. T. Wiskocil, Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering, under the direction of Charles Derleth, Jr., Professor of Civil Engineering and Dean of the College of Civil Engineering, and assisted by J. R. Shields, Engineer in Testing Laboratory, conducted 250 individual tests on airplane materials during the year in the presence of government inspectors. Professor Wiskocil left for Washington May 15, to assist in the study of concrete ship construction. He was employed throughout the summer by the United States Emergency Fleet Corporation, Concrete Ship Construction Department.

E. D. Hayward, Instructor in Civil Engineering, is Second Lieutenant in the Sanitary Corps, stationed at Camp Fremont.

Principally under Valdemar Arntzen, Expert Mechanic in Civil Engineering Laboratory, the Civil Engineering Department during 1917-18, coöperating with the Department of Astronomy, assisted in designing and perfecting range finders for Captain Dinsmore Alter, C. A. R. C., formerly an instructor in the Department of Astronomy. From January to April, 1918, Mr. Arntzen and his assistants constructed numerous pieces of apparatus for Captain Stratton, formerly Professor of Psychology, and now in the United States Signal Corps. This equipment, to be used in the Aviation Schools at San Diego and at Kelly Field, Texas, consists of a set of three tambours, one pneumograph tube, one hand steadiness apparatus, one tilting chair and one reaction time apparatus. The equipment was made in coöperation with the Department of Psychology.

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

Upon the outbreak of the war the Department of Chemistry held a meeting at which the instructors and students, both graduate and undergraduate, signed a pledge to work on any problem that might be assigned to them. Forty men were thus enrolled to devote their time to research and other work necessary to the prosecution of the war. The character of the tasks was varied: some were submitted by the National Council of Defense, some came from the state, some from chemical manufacturers in California, and some were suggested by members of the staff as timely or of value to California, either by virtue of its natural resources or its needs. A number of the men of the department have devoted a large part of their time to this work, some of them giving twelve to sixteen hours a day. A large measure of success has been attained in many

cases.

While the problems submitted by the National Council of Defense must for the present be kept secret, not all of the investigations are of a secret nature. For example, the investigation of potash has been a subject of importance. As a fertilizer, potash is indispensable. While California soils may not as yet be in great need of this chemical, large quantities are used in the East. Prior to April, 1917, nearly half a million tons were imported. Only a small amount was made in this country. At present 200,000 tons are produced in the United States, with California in the front of the industry.

Long before the war there was a small production of potash made from seaweed. At first the drift seaweed was collected from the beaches, dried and burned, and the ash containing a small per cent of potash was sold as a fertilizer. Later this industry developed on a greatly increased scale, and at this writing many corporations maintain large factories. It was soon found, however, that the drift seaweed would not suffice for the greater demands, and com