EXPLANATION OF PLATE 1.—Ampelopsis cordata. Figure 1: A herbarium
specimen of twigs in fruit, from a photograph. Figure 2: A single leaf
and tendril after a photograph direct from the same, reduced by the
engraver. Figure 3: View of the station for the indigenous specimen at
Portsmouth, Ohio; the Ampelopsis is in the center of the picture
immediately above the bicycle. Figure 4: View of a plant growing on the
south wall of the Botanical Building, Ohio State University; to the
right of the door a portion of a Japan Ivy is seen.
THE BAUM PREHISTORIC VILLAGE SITE.
W. C. MILLS.
The field work of the Ohio State Archæological and Historical Society
was completed August 18. The explorations were a continuance of last
year’s work at the Baum Prehistoric Village Site, which is situated in
Ross County, Ohio, just across the river from the small village of
Bourneville, and is located upon the first gravel terrace of the Paint
Creek Valley. The village site surrounds a large pyramidal mound which
was examined a number of years ago under the direction of the
Smithsonian Institution of Washington. A complete report of the
explorations is found in the 12th Annual Report of the Bureau of
Ethnology, 1890-91. At this time the village site was not explored but
it was known to exist, as the following extract from the 12th Annual
Report will show: “This mound is situated upon the edge of the first
general bottom of Paint Creek, which though protected by a huge levee is
annually inundated. In overflow times the smaller circle of the
adjoining enclosure is almost entirely submerged, and the summit of the
mound is the only land visible above a broad expanse of water. Around
the mound upon all sides, particularly to the east, are traces of former
Indian occupation. Numerous fragments of pottery similar in fabrication
and ornamental feature to those found in the mound bestrew the plowed
ground. These were intermingled with the valves of mussel shells, pitted
stones, shell disks, human bones, arrowheads, pieces of perforated stone
gorgets, and a large quantity of chipped flint.” Directly north of this
village site, about one mile distant is the noted hill top enclosure
known as Spruce Hill, which overlooks the valley of Paint Creek for many
miles north and south. The hill on which this enclosure is situated is
about 500 feet high, and is a long narrow spur projecting from the
tableland and extending to the south.
The wall of this enclosure is composed entirely of boulders and broken
pieces of sandstone which had been collected along the margin of the
summit of the hill. These sandstones are the result of disintegration of
the sandstone strata which is near the surface on the hill top. Directly
east from the village site, a little more than 1300 feet, is what is
known as the Baum works, which was surveyed by Squier & Davis in 1846.
They described this work as the best preserved, and possessing gateways
that are wider than those of any other earth-works found in this valley.
They also made a survey of the mound which is situated in this village
site and they described it as a large, square, truncated mound, with a
base of 120 feet and having a flat top, with an area 50 feet square. The
mound at that time being 15 feet high. They also say that quantities of
coarse broken pottery were found on and around the mound. Thus it will
be seen that the early investigators found pottery surrounding the mound
and later explorations by the Smithsonian Institution show that the
broken pieces of pottery found on the surface surrounding the mound were
very much like the pottery found in the mound and placed with the buried
dead therein.
The object of the investigations carried on by the Archæological and
Historical Society is to show the connection between the occupants of
the prehistoric village and those who built the mound. This has been
done by carefully comparing the contents of this village site with the
contents of the mound as reported by the Smithsonian Institution. So
far, all of the pottery and implements of bone, stone, and shell that
were buried in this mound, have been duplicated in great numbers from
the refuse heaps, burials, and ash pits found in the village. The
village entirely surrounds the mound, but on the east it is more
extensive and occupies upward of five acres of ground.
The work of examining the village site is very laborious. Every portion
or particle of the earth to a depth, on the average, of two and one-half
feet is carefully dug over with small hand trowels, and every particle
of bone, shell or stone is carefully removed and examined. The contents
of the ash pits are screened so that no implements or ornaments may be
lost. The whole village site is platted, laid off in sections thirty-six
feet square, which square is again laid off into sections four feet
square. In this way every find is carefully located upon the map. This
year the work was conducted east and north-east of the mound. Here the
post-molds of their little tepees were found in abundance. Their
fire-places usually were placed just outside of the tepees, and their
refuse pits near at hand, and near by we found the burials. A series of
photographs, showing the manner of burial and the close proximity of the
burials to the ash pits and tepees, were carefully made. At one time
seven skeletons were exposed within an area of fifteen feet square.
Within this space two ash pits were found and one row of the post-molds,
showing the relation of the little home to the burial ground. The manner
of burial is shown by the photographs taken of the seven skeletons
exposed at one time, showing that they had no definite manner of placing
the bodies, as some were buried at right angles to each other, some were
placed at full length, and lying upon the back, while others were placed
upon the side; in still other cases the body was evidently doubled up
and then buried. A great number of skeletons of babies were found in the
ash pits, showing that the already dug ash pit was the most convenient
grave for the little ones, who was then covered with ashes, consequently
the skeletons were perfectly preserved. With a great number of the adult
skeletons were found implements of bone, such as awls, hoes, celts,
arrow and spear points of stone, beads and ornaments of shell and bone;
but with the skeletons of children varying in age from four to twelve
years were found the greatest number of ornaments made of shell and
bone. In one instance a large gorget made from the marine univalve
Strombus gigas about two and one-half inches in diameter, was found upon
the skeleton of a child six years of age. In another more than two
hundred beads and ornaments of shell and bone were found upon the
skeleton of a child not over seven years of age. In another grave a
child not over four years of age had buried with it, what at one time
was no doubt, a necklace made of elk teeth, perforated for attachment.
In two instances the graves of children were carefully covered over with
slabs of slate. With those children whose graves were carefully covered
no implements or ornaments of any sort were placed. Of the sixty-three
skeletons found, not a single perfect piece of pottery was found buried
with them, differing greatly from the Madisonville Prehistoric Cemetery
near Cincinnati, for at the latter cemetery quantities of pottery in
their perfect state was found, buried with the skeletons. The pottery,
implements and ornaments at Madisonville can be readily dedicated from
the village at Paint Creek.
In the ash pits can be found specimens showing the masterpieces of art
wrought in stone, bone and shell, representing the civilization which at
one time inhabited this village. Of the bone implements, the needle,
made from the bones of the deer and elk is most beautiful in design, at
the same time showing the skill displayed in the manufacture of the
implements. Some of them are upward of nine inches in length. Of the
bone specimens perhaps the bead is the commonest. In some pits more than
two hundred have been taken out. In these ash pits were also found well
wrought specimens of aboriginal fish hooks, also specimens showing the
various stages of manufacture of this implement, which differs somewhat
from the manufacture of those found at Madisonville, a full account of
which appears in the 20th Annual Report of the Trustees of the Peabody
Museum of Harvard University, by Prof. F. W. Putnam, in which he fully
describes the manufacture of the fish hooks found in the prehistoric
village site. In no instance was an unfinished specimen found in the
Baum Village which would, in any way, show that a hole was first bored
through the bone and the fish hook then wrought from this hole as was
shown by Prof. Putnam; on the contrary a piece of bone was selected and
cut into shape representing a small tablet of bone two and one-half
inches long by from one-half to three-quarters of an inch broad, with
rounded edges at the ends. The center was then cut out by rubbing with a
stone on each side. So that two fish hooks were made instead of one from
the single piece of bone. A great many perfect scrapers made from the
metacarpal bone of the deer and elk were also found, while almost every
pit would contain from one to four broken halves of these scrapers.
Specimens were also procured showing the various stages in the
manufacture of this implement which resemble very much in every
particular those found at Madisonville, and also those found at the
village site at Fort Ancient.
The pottery fragments found in these ash pits resemble those found at
Madisonville, in the ornamentation by incised lines, implement
indentations arranged in figures, and handles ornamented with effigies
of birds and animals. Of the shell implements, perhaps the most common
is the shell hoe, which is made from the mussel shell _Unio plicatus_.
A great number of beads, from one-half to one inch in diameter, made
from mussel shells and perforated with from one to three holes, are
found. The large gorgets from two to two and one-half inches in diameter
are also found. These are invariably perforated with from one to three
holes, and are made from a shell foreign to the Paint Creek Valley.
Of the implements and ornaments made of stone, the flint arrow heads are
very common. These are mostly made from material brought from flint
ridge in Licking County. Grooved axes are also found, the type
prevailing is the one having the groove extend entirely around. The
perforated gorgets of slate are also found, but the most interesting of
the stone implements found in the pits are the perforated discoidals.
These are all small, varying in diameter from two to three inches, and
finely polished.
In the refuse heaps and ash pits were found the bones of the animals
used for food, charred corn, hickory nuts, walnuts, butter nuts, acorns,
hazel nuts, beans, seeds of the papaw, wild plum, etc. About thirty-five
per cent. of the bones taken from these pits were of the Virginia deer.
The bones of the black bear, raccoon, elk, ground-hog, wild-cat,
muskrat, squirrel, beaver, wild turkey, wild duck, wild goose, trumpeter
swan, great horn owl, barred owl, were found in abundance. But perhaps
the most interesting of the animal bones found were those of the Indian
dog. Skulls and parts of skeletons were taken from the pits in great
numbers. Professor F. W. Putnam, of Harvard University, who has been
making a study of the skulls of the dog taken from the mounds and burial
places of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Ohio, Kentucky, New York,
and from the great shell heaps in Maine, says that a distinct variety or
species of dog was distributed over North America in pre-Columbian
times, and by comparison he finds that the dog found in America is the
same variety of dog found in the ancient site of the Swiss Lake
dwellers, and also in the ancient tombs of Thebes in Egypt, and claims
that the variety of the pre-Columbian dog is apparently identical with
the pure breed Scotch collie of today, while Mr. F. A. Lucas, of the U.
S. National Museum, describes the dog found in the Baum Village as
resembling very much the bull terrier in size and proportion, and states
that the same species have been found in the village sites in Texas and
the old Puebloes.
A FOLIICOLOUS FORM OF SORGHUM SMUT AND NOTES
ON INFECTION EXPERIMENTS.
W. A. KELLERMAN.
(Plate 2.)
On January 1st, 1900, several pots in the Botanical greenhouse of the
Ohio State University were planted to sorghum, Kaffir corn, maize,
sweet-corn and pop-corn. The seeds were previously moistened and mixed
with a large quantity of head-smut of sorghum taken from smutted sorghum
plants also from maize infected with the same fungus. This species was
named _Ustilago reiliana_ by Kühn in 1868 from specimens collected in
Egypt.
The plants developed rapidly and normally, though the stems were slender
and did not reach the normal height. The panicles appeared early and
only in a comparatively few cases showed infection.
In one case an anomalous specimen appeared, namely, a sweet corn plant
with the upper leaves as well as the panicle infected. This form
therefore differs from the type in being in part foliicolous and may be
designated as _Ustilago_ (_Cintractia_[2]) _reiliana_ forma _foliicola_
nov. for. Figures 1 and 2, Plate 2, show the appearance of the infected
plant, the one representing an earlier and the other a later stage of
the emergence of the smut mass.
Footnote 2:
Mr. G. P. Clinton regards this fungus as a Cintractia rather than an
Ustilago.
It may be remarked further that I have repeatedly tried seed inoculation
experiments, mostly in the greenhouse but also occasionally in the
field.
In the latter case in the summer of 1900, I obtained from a plot of many
hundred stalks including field-corn, sweet-corn, pop-corn, sorghum,
Kaffir corn and broom corn only three cases of smutted plants. These
were of sweet-corn, both the tassel and ear being affected. The previous
year about the same per cent. of successful inoculations were obtained.
But in the greenhouse the experiments have uniformly resulted in the
production of a considerable number of smutted stalks of sorghum and
occasionally an infected plant of maize. These have for the most part
been reported in print, the first account appearing in Bulletin No. 23,
Kansas Experiment Station, in the year 1891.
I have now growing in the botanical greenhouse three sets of sorghum
plants raised from seeds planted January 1, 1898, January 1, 1899, and
January 1, 1900. Only the plants have been retained which showed
successful inoculation experiments. They have been shifted to larger
pots from time to time, but the plants make only a stunted growth. The
new stalks that appear now and then are invariably affected, though
sometimes one of the panicles, either the one terminating the main stem
or one of the side branches may be free from visible smut. It is thus
evident that this species of smut is perennial where its host lives from
year to year. Figure 3 shows a photograph of one of the plants started
in the greenhouse in 1899, its first stem producing an infected panicle.
Figure 4 shows a plant grown in 1900, the first or central panicle not
exhibiting the smut, but later when panicles from the side branches
appeared, they were seen to be smutted.
It seems that another experimenter, whom I will quote, has succeeded
scarcely as well. Mr. G. P. Clinton, the assistant Botanist of the
Illinois Experiment Station, Urbana, Illinois, in Bulletin No. 57
(March, 1900) reports as follows: “Apparently from the experiments of
Kellerman, infection takes place through the germinating seed, though
the per cent. of infection he produced was rather small. In ’98 field
experiments were conducted here with a view of infecting the Orange
variety of sorghum with this smut. In one case the seed was mixed with
an abundance of spores and in others these spores were sprayed in water
or manure water on the young parts of the plants when about six inches
high. In none of the several hundred plants that matured was any sign of
the smut found. It is very likely that the variety used may have had
something to do with the negative results, as it was not the same from
which the smut was taken.”
The head-smut of sorghum is not to be confused with another species that
occurs on the same host. The one now referred to is a grain-smut, that
is, the panicle as a whole is not included, but the individual grains
become smutted. This species has been called _Ustilago sorghi_, but Mr.
Clinton regards it as a Cintractia, namely, _Cintractia sorghi-vulgaris_
(Tul.) Clint. It is more common than the former, occurring often on
sorghum and broom corn.
The head-smut of sorghum, _Ustilago_ or _Cintractia reiliana_, was first
found in this country by Prof. J. T. Willard at Manhattan, Kansas, in
1890, in a plot grown for purposes of chemical investigation. The same
year it was detected by Dr. Halsted in New Jersey. I found it in Ohio in
1897 and it is now reported for Illinois by Mr. Clinton. In all these
cases it occurred only on sorghum, but Prof. Hitchcock has reported it
as not uncommon on maize in fields about Manhattan, Kansas.
Illustration: _Plate_ 2: KELLERMAN ON SORGHUM SMUT.
EXPLANATION OF PLATE 2.—Ustilago or Cintractia reiliana. Figure 1: The
foliicolous form occurring on sweet-corn, the panicle not yet emerged,
but the smut on upper leaves in sight. Figure 2: Same as in Figure 1,
showing a later stage of maturity. Figure 3: An infected sorghum plant
in the greenhouse, photographed in 1899, the panicle smutted. Figure 4:
An infected sorghum plant, grown in the greenhouse in 1900, the central
panicle sound, the later (side) panicles smutted.
A LIST OF HEMIPTERA COLLECTED IN THE VICINITY
OF BELLAIRE, OHIO.