Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1876 [PAGE 152]

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152

may wish along the line of their road to look personally after collections. These passes are m a d e good for sixty days. I suggest that these Professors be authorized to make the trip at such times as they may have without detriment to their classes. There will be needed a small appropriation to cover the expenses of these collections. I also present the request of Profs. Robinson and Webb for seats for ther draughting rooms, a n d ©f Prof. Webb for several additions to his apparatus and other things needed in his department. ' The new apparatus for the Physical Laboratory, provided for by State appropriation, is needed as soon as it can be obtained. Prof. Robinson has made a selection of such apparatus to the amount of $600 or $700, and as it is to be obtained chiefly from Europe, I asked the members of t h e Board, by letter, to allow the order to be made. A letter has just been received from an importing house in this country offering to import it for us on favorable terms. I call attention to the Free Hand Drawing. Miss Patchen is employed three hours a day in this department. Some of her advanced students desire to be taught crayon drawing and shading from casts; but I can not recommend that any part of the three hours be abstracted from the large classes of common free hand. As this advanced drawing is of the nature of an accomplishment, why may it not be taught as music is taught, at the expense of the pupils taking it ? Miss P. might be authorized to instruct such a class and charge a fee for the same. A case has arisen calling up the question whether students may be excused from drill on account of the conscientious convictions of themselves or of their parents. We have one student who was admitted and excused on full showing that his father and himself are members of a reiigious body opposed to war, and forbidden by their principles to engage in military service. As he has entered and paid his matriculation fee on this understanding, it seems just that he shall still be excused. But it is desirable that the Trustees shall adopt some fixed rule for the guidance of the Faculty in such cases. Respectfully submitted, J. M. GREGORY,

F A R M DEPARTMENT.

DR. J. M. GREGORY, Regent Illinois Industrial University: The following report of the present condition of the Farm Department is presented, together with an outline of plans for future operations. The accounts for the year ending December 1,1875, as rendered by Mr. Lawrence, copies of which are herewith submitted, show that the cash receipts for the year (including credits from other departments) were $7,094 06, while the expenditures for the same period were $8,563 55, or the sum of $1,469 49 in excess of receipts. This excess of expenditures is derived from previous profits of the farm. The value of salable property belonging to the department at the beginning of the year (December 1, 1874), as shown by inventory, was $6,241 26, and at the close of the year (December 1, 1875), it amounted to $10,383 60, an increase in value of salable property during the year of $4,142 34. If to this we add the value of permanent improvements made during the year, ($543 79) andt deduct the excess of expenditures over receipts, ($1,469 49) as stated above, the sum of $3,216 64 remains as the profits or the department for the year. The resources of the department that may be made immediately available, are as follows: Credits as per account of Business Agent $303 19 16 fat steers, average 1,400 lbs., at $4 75 1,064 00 12 fat hogs « 156 00 100 tons of hay, at $10 1,000 00 300 bushel potatoes, at 25 cents , 75 00 400 bushel wheat 400 00 256 bushel rye, at 65 cents 166 40 65 bushel Hungarian seed, at 50 cents 32 50 Or a total of about $3,197 09 Since my last report the repairs on the experimental farm have been completed, so that theanimals now belonging to the department are in comfortable quarters. The cost of the repairs has been as follows: Lumber $146 25 Hardware..... '. 45 24 Labor 160 25 Total $351 74 The barn and house of the experimental farm have been painted with two coats, of cottage colors, for which the following expenditures have been made : Paints and oil $145 55 Labor 66 00 Total $211 55 Of this $59.90 has been charged to the house and $151.65 to the barn. The main avenue from the University building to the experimental barn and house has been raded in accordance with instructions of Mr. Gardner, at an expense of $37, of which a m o u n t 13.75 has been charged to Horticultural Department, $15 to Buildings and Grounds, and $8.25 to Experimental Farm. Grading around the experimental barn has been done, at an expense of $38. During the months of August and September observations were m a d e for the purpose of determining the physical properties of the prairie soils, on the Experimental Farm, so far as temperature is concerned; but the apparatus at command was not sufficient to give satisfactory results. With suitable means of investigation, it is believed that observations in this direction will prove of great value from a scientific standpoint, and they may result in discoveries of practical importance. For the purpose of testing in this climate the merits of green corn fodder in a fermented state for winter feeding, several pits were filled and covered in on the 22d to the 25th of September, which will be opened the present month.

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