Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1886 [PAGE 63]

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Sales have been somewhat less than usual during corresponding time. The expenses connected with harvesting and threshing have made the outlay greater than during the other quarters of the year. With a few exceptions of minor importance,, the work appropriate to the season has been promptly done. The extreme heat during the latter part of July added to the discomfort and cost of the oat and hay harvest. These crops were well secured, and the oats threshed from the field. The yields were fair. We had 2,464 bushels of oats, machine measure; 70 bushels of timothy seed. Because of the severe winter, nearly all the wheat sown last fall had been plowed up in the spring, so that we only had a crop of 17 bushels. Of hay we have about 180 tons, aside from 10 tons of timothy straw. The oat straw was well stacked, and is more than usually good. Pastures have kept in good condition, aside from a remarkable growth of weeds. Hedge trimming and drawing of manure is nearly completed. We have plowed a few acres for wTheat sowing. As a whole the live stock has done well. We have a reasonable supply of lambs and pigs for sale for breeding purposes. Feeding of a car-load of steers for sale was commenced August 20; also of a few cows find heifers not desirable to be retained for breeding. A well bred and good Jersey bull has been obtained in exchange for a heifer calf. Our corn crop promises to be better than for four years past. Most of it is already secure from injury from frost. An exhibit of cattle, lambs, and some farm products, was made at the recent county fair. There has been a noticeable increase in the requests received for information on agricultural questions, for special articles for the agricultural press, for addresses, etc. I count this an encouraging evidence of increased interest in our work. Accompanying this is a copy of a bulletin just issued giving some results in our breeding and feeding on the farms. The roof of the house where I reside and some of the flooring need renewing. The estimated cost is $120. Respectfully submitted, G. E. MORROW, Professor of Agriculture.

The following report from Professor S. "A; Forbes was read and laid over for further consideration:

UEBANA,III.., Sept. 7,1885. To the Trustees of the University of Illinois: GENTLEMEN: I beg leave to nominate,in accordance with the law,the following named persons as assistants in the State Laboratory of Natural History, to serve until otherwise ordered: For Entomological Assistants—Thomas F. Hunt, at $40 a month; Clarence M. Weed, at $40 per month. For Botanical Assistant—Charles F. Hart, at $45 a month. For amanuensis—Miss Mary J. Snyder, at $45 a month.* I would further like to be empowered to engage Prof. T. J. Burrill and Mr. F. S. Earle for certain services relating to the botanical survey of the State—the latter for such time as may be necessary, (within the limit of the appropriations made for botanical assistance), at the rate of $83% a month, and the former for the gross sum of $300 for the current year. If you deem it necessary that I should be formally authorized to engage such other miscellaneous assistants as the work may require and as the funds available will enable me to pay, I respectfully request that such authority be given me once for all. as it will be obviously impossible to submit the names of such assistants in advance, at the regular meetings of the Board. It seems to me advisable that the Director of the Laboratory should be given general power to suspend assistants, for cause, until the next regular meeting of the Board. Very respectfully, S. A. FORBES, Director of Laboratory.

The Executive Committee submitted the following report:

A meeting of the Executive Committee of the University of Illinois was held at Chicago on the 21st day of July, 1885. Present: Emory Cobb and S. M. Millard. Professor Bicker made a report of the needs of the University and the necessity for fire walls and ventilation. Whereupon the committee took the following action: WHEREAS, $4,500 was appropriated by the department to extend the Are walls of the University and for ventilation; therefore,