Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1872 [PAGE 73]

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he will be required to take the entire care of the green houses and grounds of the present campus; to perform all the needful work thereon; to make such imp movements as may be req and to keep the grounds well supplied with annuals and bedding plants, equal to the supply in past years. For this he will^receive $50 a month and the net income of the green houses till he reaches a maximum salary of $1000 a year. The Horticultural Grounds, now occupying about 130 acres, exclusive of the campus and parade ground, have made very marked progress, as the reports of Prof. Burrill and his assistants will show. The forest plantations, for which we have been gathering trees for the past year or two, are begun ; twelve species of forest trees are already in place, and others are ready to follow. The Nurseries, though suffering from the drought, are exhibiting good results, and the young orchards maintain the thrifty appearance they have shown from the outset. The Horticultural classes have been employed during the winter in root grafting and will soon set their grafts in the nurseries. New hot beds warmed by flues, have been constructed and are about to be put in operation. The underdraining h a s been continued and over five acres have been added to our thoroughly underdrained grounds. A beautuful plan for our Arboretum and ornamental grounds about the new building has been pre pared by our teacher of Architectural Drawing, and the plantation of trees will be commenced as soon as the weather will permit. The green houses and grounds about this building have been objects of increasing interest, and are of great value in teaching the finer parts of Horticultural Art. The heat ing apparatus of the new green house has been found expensive and inadequate from the poor character of the boiler. An appropriation will be needed to replace this with a bettsr one. The Stock Farm has been enriched during the year by the purchase of a male and female of each o the following breeds of cattle: the Short Horn, the Hereford, the Ayrshire and the Jersey. All these are young and choice animals of excellent pedigree and from celebrated families of stock. There has also been purchased a Devon Heifer of rare beauty, and a Devon Bull has been donated by Hon. W. C. Flagg, so that we have now five of the leading breeds of neat cattle to illustrate this important branch of agriculture. There have also been purchased two pure bred Berkshire Swine and three Southdown Ewes, and we have received, by donation, from J. H. Pickrell, Esq,, two Berkshire Sows and a South, down Buck, and from Dr. Miles two Essex Pigs. The reports of the Head Farmer show some interesting results in the feeding of the cattle. The Barn has just been supplied with a steam boiler and engine, with machinery for cutting and grinding feed, affording us now the means to begin our experiments with cooked food. Some steaming tubs or tanks will be needed. The stock of fatting steers having all been sold off, it is desirable that a new stock be at once pur. chased, even if they must be sold again within the year, in order to reimburse the funds. The plan on which the farm has been managed during the year has been satisfactory beyond all former experience, and the balance sheet presented by the Farmer, gained in the face of heavy losses by the fall in prices of stock and grain, is full of promise for the coming year. The Farm still needs some additions to its buildings and machinery, which may be met perhaps from its own income. The Experimental Farm, of about 80 acres, has been under the care of Hon. W. C. Flagg, who, with the aid of the State appropriations, has inaugurated a somewhat full set of experiments in three departments, viz : 1st, in fertilizers ; 2d, in methods in cultivation, and 3d, in varieties of seed and species. He has also prepared for some experiments in stock feeding. His report on these several classes of experiments is not yet in hand, but will be included in the printed volume for this year. The work has necessarily been partly preparatory, and a series of years must elapse ere any ripe results can be reached. I hope the valuable services of Mr. Flagg may be secured for the coming year to carry on what he has so well begun.

THE COLLEGE OF MECHANICAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING.

This College, as now organized, embraces the subordinate schools of Mechanical Engineering, of Civil Engineering, of Mining and of Architecture. There are large classes in the two former, and smaller ones in the latter. The work of the year has shown the increasing popularity and utility 1 of all these courses. The Mechanical building provided for by the Legislative appropriation of last winter, was erected during the summer and autumn, and is now fully occupied. A new steam engine of 20 horse power, made by students, is daily at work running the lathes, planer and other machinery of the several shops. Over $7000 worth of new machines and tools have been added to the outfit of the several shops, and when fully set up will furnish facilities for a great variety of profitable labor. Over fire hundred models were received during the year from the patent office, furnishing illustrations of great value to the student, of mechanical devices and their endless applications. A set of models, manufactured by Mr. Eiggs, of Chester, England, purchased from the maker, and are in the cases Besides these, several fine models have been constructed by the students as shop practice. "With the