Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1876 [PAGE 107]

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107

METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS.

It has been found difficult to keep up the meteorological observations without employment of some trustworthy and careful person to make the daily observations and record. Thse observations were recommended on the 1st of January, and have been regularly transmitted to the War Department at Washington. An appropriation of $10 a month, or perhaps of $ 100 a year, will be sufficient to secure their regular continuance.

AGRICULTURAL LECTURES.

Arrangements have been made for the course of Agricultural lectures to the Senior Class, provided for by your resolution ot December last. The lectures will be delivered during the approaching term. If necessary, I ask that the appropriation for the same be renewed.

LIBRARY.

An appropriation has been asked from the legislature for the library. But as sometime must elapse before this can be had, if at all, and as some books are needed at once, will it not be advisable to authorize the purchase of not exceeding $300 worth of books.

THE TEACHING FORCE

Now employed and under engagement for the remainder of the current year, is probably sufficient for the Spring Term, and the engagement of new teachers for another year may be left till your next meeting; but provision ought to be made in the annual appropriations for them.

THE C E N T E N N I A L .

In a former report, I called your attention to the great International Exhibition to be held at Philadelphia, in 1876. The indications already give assurance that this exhibition will be widely national in character, and twenty-two foreign governments have given notice of their purpose to participate. A movement is on foot, chiefly under the direction or with the concurrence of Gen. Eaton, the Commissioner of Education for the U. S., to secure a full exhibition of the educational institutions and work. It will be greatly to the advantage of the University to make a full exhibit of the wors of the several departments. If this is to be done, it will be desirable to provide at once for material%for the work to be done in the shops to represent the schools of Mechanical Engineering and Architecture, and to authorize preparations in all other departments. It will cost from §300 to $500 to make such an exhibition, and it may be safely assumed that it will be worth all this as an advertisement.

CERTIFICATES.

The Faculty direct me to ask the Trustees to have prepared and engraved a suitable certificate for students who shall pass the full course of study in either of the Colleges, and also smaller certificates for those \\ ho may have pursued such partial courses as may entitle them to certificates under the law.

ADVERTISING.

I have already stated the opinion expressed by the legislative committee that the people of the State ought to be more thoroughly advertised of the real value of the facilities provided here by the grants of Congress and the Legislature. The justice and good policy of this must be apparent to all. It is a matter then both of duty and policy to give the University large, thorough and effective advertisement. This is the more necessary since for the past two years the advertisement has not been as much as was desirable. I recommend that the Business agent be authorized to issue as soon as practicable an edition of the catalogue not exceeding 3,500 copies, and to issue such other circulars as may be necessary, Also to at once insert advertisements in such papers as may be selected, to an amount not exceeding $ . In this connection I may also say that perhaps our most effective advertising has been done by the public addresses given by the Regent, and occasionally by other members of the faculty. It seems desirable therefore that we shall be at liberty make such addresses, even in term time, if it can be done without neglecting our work here and without expense to the Board. It is true that this liberoy shall be carefully guarded against all possible abuses. I make this statement here not to ask special action, but simply to announce the policy which seems to me judicious. R E P O R T OF E . L. L A W R E N C E , H E A D FARMER.

To DR. J. M. GREGORY, Regent III. Ind. University : At a meeting of the Board in September last, it was agreed that the year, as regards the Agricultural Department, should begin and end with December 1st, instead of March 1st, as heretofore. Accordingly at the time of the meeting in December last, I made a report detailing the operations of the department for the nine months then past. I herewith present a statement of the operations since that time, together with some suggestions with reference to the wants of the department ; also recommendations for certain experiments in feeding stock. The cash receipts for the last three months amount to $1,208 53; and credits from other departments to $225 45—total, $1,433 98. Of the cash receipts, $555 was for hogs, making the sales for the year, $1,136 30. I reported at the last meeting, $410 26 in accounts, the most of which has been paid. The remainder of the cash receipts was mostly from sales of hay. The accounts against other departments are made by hauling 22 cars of coal, feeding experiments, etc. The total expenses for this time are $1,156 47; $162 78 was paid for bran and meal, mostly to be used in the experiments ; $285 was paid for short-horn heifers; $18 for an old cow to feed, and the balance was for labor, incidental expenses and the Head Farmer's salary. As a detailed account of this will appear in the next annual report it is thought not necessary to be more minute at this time.