Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1871 [PAGE 112]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

104 Judge A. M. Brown read the

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON HORTICULTURE.

For what has been done in this department during the past year, the committee refer to the Regent's report, and to the statement presented by the Professor of Horticulture. The work for the coming year will consist of the care of the orchard, nursery, garden and ornamental grounds, and the commencement of the forest tree plantations. Your committee recommend some change in the plan adopted by the Board at their meeting held in November, 1868. It is found that a part of the ground designated by that plan for the forest tree plantations will be needed for the experimental farm, and they propose that twenty acres on the east end of the ground, known as the experimental farm, be devoted to the forest, and that the amount of each variety to be planted be suitably reduced, so that the whole will not occupy more than the said twenty acres, leaving the question of extending the planting in another locality for future determination. As many of the young forest trees now in nursery are of suitable size for transplanting, your committee recommend that as much of this work be done the present spring as the means at command will allow. They recommend that the arrangement of the trees in the plantation, be intrusted to the Professor of Horticulture and Mr. Vickroy, the superintendent of that department—planting with reference to the adaptation of varieties to the different kinds of soil, and not confining the several varieties arbitrarily to squares or rows. They recommend that the cucumber tree be omitted from the plantation, and that not exceeding one-fourth of an acre each be planted of the black sugar maple, silver-leaf maple and catalpa. Your committee hereby express their approval of what has been done in the collection of different varieties of fruits, both for the orchards and the gardens, and recommend that this be extended as new varieties of promise are brought out. They also approve the recommendations of the Eegent and Professor of Horticulture with reference to the vegetable garden. They also recommend the collection, as rapidly as it can be done without too great expense, of trees and shrubs for the arboretum, which should include, ultimately, every variety of tree and shrub that will flourish in this soil and climate, and especially all kinds that are native to our own State. These trees and shrubs, as collected, may be planted in nursery until the ground intended for their permanent planting can be put in a proper state of preparation.