Page 760 : GERMAN OCEANIA — GERMINATION
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enjoyed a fixed literary form since Lessing and other pioneers in the middle of the 18th century.
German Oceania comprises the northern section of eastern New Guinea or Kaiser Wilhelm’s Land, with islands off its coast; Bismarck Archipelago; part of the Solomon Islands; the Eastern Carolines, of which 32 out of 88 are German; the Western Carolines; the Pelew Islands, 11 out of 56 being German; and the Marianne Islands, seven out of 58 of which are German; the Marshall Islands; and Savaii and Upolu, the two largest of the Samoan or Navigator Archipelago. All require imperial contributions for their administration.
German Southwest Africa is bounded on the north by Portuguese West Africa; on the east by Rhodesia and the Bechuana countries; on the south by Cape Colony; and on the west by the Atlantic, with the exception of Walfish Bay, about midway the coast, which belongs to Cape Colony. It contains 322,450 square miles, with a population of 100,000, largely Bantus and Damaras. The coast is held by the German Colonial Company for Southwest Africa, with the seat of administration at Windhoek. The territory is divided into Damaraland on the north and Namaland on the south. The barrenness of the east and south is being somewhat successfully relieved by artesian-well irrigation. A new harbor has been built at Swakopmund, a narrow-gauge railway connects this port with the capital, Windhoek, 237 miles inland and another runs from Swakopmund to Tsumeb (359 miles). Swakopmund, Karibib, Okahandja and Windhoek are connected both by telegraph and telephone. There is a cable to Europe. Agriculture is practiced chiefly in the form of market-gardening, but there are extensive pastoral interests. Cotton-cultivation has begun, and grape-growing and tobacco-raising are tried. The imports are chiefly provisions, textiles and iron-manufactures; the exports chiefly animals on the hoof, guano and animal-products. Copper is mined, and diamonds and gold have been found. Trade is almost wholly with Germany. The colony is far from self-supporting, and the natives rebel frequently, putting the government to enormous expense.
Germantown, a famous town of Pennsylvania, included since 1854 in the limits of Philadelphia. It was the scene of the defeat of the American army under Washington by the British on Oct. 4, 1777. Washington had learned that Howe had separated a portion of the main division of his army, then at Germantown, and he determined to take advantage of it to attack his camp. Marching all night, he attacked the enemy at sunrise, but the morning was dark and foggy, and the Americans were thrown into confusion. They were seized with panic, though Washington succeeded in retreating in good order. The Americans lost 1,000 men, and the British 600.
German Universities lead the world. Heidelberg, the earliest, was founded in 1386, and there are 21 universities with 3,203 professors and teachers and 44,964 students. Berlin (6,569 students), Leipsic (4,147) and Munich (5,734) are the largest universities; and Greifswald (890) and Rostock (661) the smallest. Of the universities 14 are Protestant, four are Roman Catholic and three are mixed. The government has control over these institutions, and the ministers of public instruction have the immediate charge; and all except three are dependent upon state-appropriations. The ministers of public instruction appoint for each university a curator, who sees that the regulations and laws are enforced. The professors choose a rector, who is the actual head of the university, sometimes a prorector when the sovereign is the nominal rector; and a judge to assist the rector and the deans of the faculties; and a questor, who collects and pays over the fees due from students. There is, besides, a senate composed of these officers, which is called together to decide on important matters. All the universities have the four faculties or branches of philosophy, jurisprudence, medicine and theology, and some add those of political economy and natural science. Entrance to the universities can be made only through the gymnasium or preparatory school, except in the case of foreigners, who are admitted without examination. Students are not obliged to stay in one university, but can study at several, and can enroll themselves in whatever branch they desire to work at. They board and lodge where they please, and enjoy much social liberty. The instruction is by lectures. If a student is expelled from one university he is expelled from all. The course of study is one of four years, except in the medical faculty, which in some institutions is five years.
Germination, the process by which a spore develops a young plantlet. There are certain conditions of germination which are well understood. For example, the spore must have a certain amount of food-material in solution, of heat and of air (that is oxygen). Spores differ widely from one another in the amount of heat necessary for germination, some spores being able to germinate in temperatures which would be impossible in others. The word germination, however, is constantly applied in a popular way to the results which follow the planting of seeds, although this process is not really germination. When a seed germinates, the process does not consist in the formation of a new plant, but in
