Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1872 [PAGE 123]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

119 EEPOET OF COBKESPONDLtfG SECEETABY.

I "would respectfully submit the following preliminary report: Our fourth annual report was plaecd in the hands of the State printer within the time prescribed by law, several months since, but owing to the great amount of printing for the General Assembly, which has been in session nearly ever since, the printing is not yet begun. I would suggest that a topographical survey be made of the farms the coming summer, and a map of good size* that can be folded up in the report, be engraved therefrom, to illustrate future reports. Besides the Catalogue, report of the proceedings of the Board of Trustees and its Executive Com. mittee, I have procured for this fourth volume the addresses of Prof. Turner and Dr. Bateman, at the laying of the corner stone of the new University building, and several of the lectures of 1871. delivered at the Farmers' Conventions at Champaign, Springfield, Pekin and South Pass. I have also proposed to add a report of the Convention held in Chicago last August, by the officers of agricultural colleges^ This meeting discussed many of the more important topics connected with the new education, and the report published in the "Prairie Farmer" having been destroyed by fire, it seems best to preserve it in a more permanent form. For the fifth annual report, I have already issued and received a good many answers to a circular in regard to the early native and improved breeds of cattle in Illinois. In addition to these, the winter meetings at Champaign, Dixon, Pontiac, Avon and Pittsfield, besides furnishing and eliciting a good deal of useful information to the people, will contribute some valuable papers to this report. These agricultural lectures and discussions, I may add, were generally well attended, and awakened a good deal of interest, both in agriculture and in the University. The expenses and pay of lecturers amounted to $533 98, and the advertisement of them to $25. There is an opportunity of procuring, through the Smithsonian Institution, exchanges with similar institutions, societies, etc., throughout Europe and other countries, by sending our report to the Smithsonian Institution, addressed to such societies as we may desire to exchange with. This will furnish, at the mere cost of transportation from here to "Washington and back, a good many desirable volumes for our library. In the charge of the State Geologist are about 150 samples of different varieties of soils collected in different parts of the State, especially the Southern, which we can have for examination and exhibi. tion by arranging for packing and transporting them, and giving 'a receipt therefor. There is a continued and increasing demand, and almost a necessity, for analyses of such soils and the working of other laboratory experiments directly related to agriculture and other industrial arts for which there is no adequate supply, and cannot be until the chemical force of the University is increased. Much could be done towards exhibiting the industrial resources of our State, and its changes in population, production, etc., by a series of colored and shaded maps, on the plan of those already made by Secretary Wines of the State Board of Charities. If the means for lithographing or otherwise duplicating these can be furnished, I can supply at an early date, and in time for the next annual report, maps showing such facts, as the following, by counties: density of population and its increase, wealth per capita and its increase, changes in corn production, in wheat production, in cattle, horses, swine and sheep, founding of towns, building of railways, and opening of coal mines. Respectfully submitted, W. C. FLAGG.

Mr. J. H. Pickrell read the following report from the Committee on Agriculture, which was accepted:

To the Board of Trustees of the Illinois Industrial University: Your Committee on Agriculture, to whom the report of the head farmer was referred, beg leave to report that they have had the same under consideration, and that it is with no small degree of satisfaction that they can endorse the same as a full, fair and just report and that the balance, $1,477.83, is correct, and that Mr. Lawrence is entitled to his maximum salary of $1,200 per year. The balance of the net profit, together with the amount of $686.41, from State appropriation, we recommend to be placed to the credit of the farm, for the purchase of additional machinery, and to pay for the amount (engine, etc.,) already partially put up. The estimates for the next year— $3,340—made by the head farmer, we think very reasonable, especially as we think, (unless some unforeseen and unusual occurrence should prevent,) that it will be all refunded by the end of the year. Until the actually necessary improvements of the farm are supplied, we suggest that the net profits of the farm should be kept for that

purpose.