Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1926 [PAGE 136]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

1924]

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

^33

Professor Lloyd who had been investigating it was of the opinion that more Experiment Station work of this character was badly needed, and in short, that, in the opinion of our people, the project was a worthy one. Dean Mumford further stated that a suggestion was made by Mr. Castle that perhaps suitable experimental or demonstration plots might be secured without expense to the University. 7. In m y letter to M r . Castle, dated February 10 (Appendix I) I pointed out that we thought it not wise to establish independent sub-stations, and that the pressure on our space and our financial situation would limit our activities altho I thought we could put $5,000 or $6,000 into the project to begin with. 8. Soon after that I was informed that the Cook County representatives had introduced a bill asking for a separate appropriation to establish this experiment field. They asked m y opinion of its advisability and I said I thought it was inadvisable but, of course, would not oppose it. I stated, however, that it would not be possible, in m y opinion, for us to absorb this independent appropriation into the University budget for one or two succeeding sessions and that it would be necessary, therefore, for those interested to ask a separate appropriation at the next and possibly still third session. This I thought was understood by all and agreed to uniformly. Dean Mumford took the same position. W e did not express our opinion to any other members of the Legislature. It is this incident which is referred to in M r . Schwake's letter to the Governor. The appropriation was accordingly made, being $25,000 for the two years. 9. It will be seen from the report submitted from Professor J. C. Blair through Dean Mumford and given below that our people have been studying the problem through a long period. It is a problem on which it was obviously necessary to put some study. One could not wisely start such a station with scientific purposes in mind without considerable investigation. The report shows that our people have been assiduous in the matter. After they had made some investigation they thought that perhaps some land in the Forest Preserve District of Cook County would be suitable and asked your authority to make arrangements for the use of such land for a year. This authority was given by your action at the meeting of June 9, 1924, whereby the Director of the Agricultural Experiment Station was authorized to enter into an arrangement with the Forest Preserve of Cook County for the use of twelve acres of land for experimental work in truck farming until December 31, 1924. This arrangement was duly made. In making the recommendation for the arrangement Dean Mumford pointed out that it was impossible to secure a permit to use this land for more than one year at a time altho he and his colleagues understood that the permit could be renewed annually. Having made all these preliminary arrangements, on September 26 last, on request of Dean Mumford you appropriated the whole $25,000, appropriated by the last General Assembly, for the purposes of this Cook County Experiment Station. 10. The above is the history of this movement down to the time of receiving the letter from Dr. Noble enclosing the letters from Governor Small and M r . Schwake. O n receipt of these I asked Dean Mumford for a report in accordance with the instructions of the President of the Board. From this report it appears that Professor Blair and Dr. Lloyd made theirfirsttrip of inspection on this matter on July 27, 1923, and spent two days in conference with M r . H . W . Day, Assistant Farm Adviser, and August Geweke, President of the Cook County Truck Growers Associations. O n this trip they "covered all the main trucking areas in Cook County, met a large number of people, and looked at a great m a n y farms." Since that time Professor Blair has made fifteen trips to different parts of Cook County following up this preliminary work and Dr. Lloyd has made eight. Professor Blair submits the dates of these trips in his report of December 8 to Dean Mumford. Moreover, Dr. R. S. Smith made an examination of certain farms in Cook County in connection with this matter on December 9, 1923. Professor Blair has consulted further at various times, M r . Geweke and M r . Day, M r . Kennicott and M r . O'Malley (both of the Forest Preserve Board), M r . L. L. Heller, M r . Frank B. Diekman and M r . W . N . Rudd, M r . C. E. Hall and M r . Anton J. Cermak experimentalreport at three different y forty one consideration. torthose inspected by andthe report, inspectedmembers thethe 12,under inrinE.Board). M was put inaccording to one Histhe central regionless ofa area 1924, M theaddition one in the southern, (the two in also being not of than Forest Preserve northern, . Lewis, charge of 11. last work shows that on M points; farms . P. Lewis