UIHistories Project: A History of the University of Illinois by Kalev Leetaru
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Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1871 [PAGE 73]

Caption: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1871
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65 From the appropriation of $25,000 made in 1869, for this department, there have been erected two large barns—one on the Experimental farm, 48 by 76 feet, with cellar extending under about threefifths of it, costing nearly $5,000 ; the other on the Stock farm, built in form of an L, each limb being 80 feet long by 40 feet wide. A basement with heavy stone walls and cemented floors, extends under it all, containing a cattle department, swine pens, a root cellar, cooking room, manure pit, etc. It is well Supplied with cisterns, a well, and a cistern for liquid manures. The total expense of the whole was about $10,000. The farm is now well supplied with teanis and tools. The funds designed for the purchase of some thorough-bred neat cattle, and other stock, was put into stock steers and hogs, for the purpose of feeding out the large corn and hay crop. The increased fund arising from the sale of these animals will enable us to purchase several valuable animals of different approved breeds, with which to begin our experiments illustrating stock breeding and feeding. There remains an unexpended balance of the appropriation, from which there ought to be provided a steam cooking apparatus, and some other much-needed machinery, including a windmill for pumping water for stock, and either a small steam-engine or a good horse-power, with cutting and threshing machines. 1 believe that at last we have adopted a wise and safe policy in the management of this large farm. A competent Head Farmer has been employed at a minimum salary, and he is given a large pecuniary interest in the successful management, in the offer of a maximum salary, to be paid out of net income of farm. The plans of cultivation are still under the control of the Board, but the Farmer is to be allowed to employ his own laborers. If he is liberally supported he counts confidently on making the farm yield not only his maximum salary^ but also a generous surplus for the University. The Experimental farm will, it is hoped, be provided for by the appropriation (now pending before the Legislature) for agricultural experiments. The amount of this appropriation is $3,000 annually, for two years—$500 a year of this sum being designed to cover the expenses attending the lecture courses through the State. No part of the work of the University is more difficult to manage successfully than that of sound agricultural experimentation, and no part is more interesting to the agriculturists of the State. To make these experiments really valuable, they must be scientific in character and systematic in scope. An exhaustive series of experiments, covering —5