Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1873 [PAGE 75]

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71

Ithas been the steady intention of the Trustees to put on continued service a Professor of Agriculture as soon as a suitable man for the place can be obtained; The interest of the Agricultural Department demands also the employment of a Professor of Agricultural Chemistry as soon as a person of the requisite qualifications can be found, and a suitable laboratory provided. This chemist would not only give the special instruction in the chemistry of soils and fertilizers, feeding, &c, but also conduct the chemical experiments in agriculture. There is also needed at an early day a Professor of Physics. The instruction thus far has been given by other Professors, whose work in their own departments is constantly increasing. Provisions are made in one of the large basement rooms of the new building for a physical laboratory, in which practical instrtuction can be given in demonstration and application of those great laws of nature which underlie all our mechanic arts, and even our agriculture. Our former instructor in Architecture, having failed in health, his place Lhas been very acceptably filled by Mr. N. C. Ricker, an advanced student in that department, whose practical knowledge of the subject, and whose mechanical experience has enabled him to give very valuable instruction. He anticipates spending this spring and summer in Europe prosecuting his studies, and extending his observations; and I cordially recommend that on his return he be appointed permanently to fill the place of Instruction in Architecture.

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DEPARTMENT WORK.

The work of instruction in the several Colleges has been prosecuted with increasing efficiency nimost cases, andneeed not be r»articularly detailed here. Reports from some of these departments will accompany this report. We have all sought to keep steadily in view the great fundamental principle of the Institution: the union of practice with theory. In all studies in which it is feasible, field labor, literary work or other practical work, have been used to add force and clearness to the instruction of the lecture room.

THE FARM.

The Stock Farm, under the care of E. W. Lawrence, Head Farmer, makes a fair exhibit of sucessful and thrifty management. The report of Mr. Lawrence, which is appended, will exhibit in detail the various crops cultivated, with the expense and product of each. In sustaining the entire loss of the oat crops by the ravages of the army worm, damaging us, as was estimated, nearly $500, the books show a balance of $1,827 06 of net income. Mr. Lawrence has conducted some very interesting experiments in feeding with several varieties of feed, cooked and raw, the results-of which will be reported to you by the proper officer. Of course the experiments of a single year do not positively determine any great principle, but they form a valuable contribution to the body of evidence, by which such principles are to be ultimately established. I t is designed that the experiments shall continue through successive years, and with the purpose of arriving at some trustworthy results in this department of agricultural science. We cannot much longer delay the erection of a proper farm house upon the stock farm. The present building, besides being very defective and inconvenient, and much dilapidated from age, and supposed to be unhealthful. Our finances may not allow the erection of a building this year; but plans and estimates should be prepared, that due preparations may be made for building at the earliest date practicable. Experimental Farm.—The experimental farm has been cultivated under the direction of Hon. W. C. Flagg, under whose direction also the experiments in feeding were made. His experimental plats have been arranged with reference to a series of experimentation, to extend through a series of years. They are designed to investigate or illustrate the truth in four or five great departments of agricultural science. Thus, one set of plats is devoted to experiments with fertilizers; another to experiments in methods of cultivation ; a third to a rotation of crops ; a fourth to test the different varieties of the same grain. To these he has added the experiments in food, already mentioned, as conducted by Mr. Lawrence. Mr. Flagg's reports will prove suggestive and valuable to the farmers of the State, though several years must elapse before there can be drawn from them any settled conclusions. It is to be hoped that Mr. Flagg may be permitted to continue this work through this, and coming years.

AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT.

The report of Prof. Burrill and Mr. Vickroy will furnish you a fully detailed statement of work in this department. Although the receipts from horticultural products have not been as large as was expected, chiefly fof lack of suitable market, yet if the value of the nursery stock on hand be taken into account, the year has not been an unprofitable one. The nurseries, orchards, small fruit and the forest plantation, have all thrived to a more than usual extent. Some modifications have been proposed in the general management of a portion of the land, chiefly in the seeding down of a sufficient