Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1888 [PAGE 194]

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KEPOET OF AGEICULTUEAL EXPEEIMENT STATION.

197

charter, could not enter upon any expenditure of money for any purpose, unless the necessary money had already been provided for such use. .Accordingly the subject rested until the present Congress, by act of February, 1888, made a special appropriation of $15,000 to be expended, if used at all, before the first of July, 1888. This second act is in one particular more liberal than the first, since it provides that money shall be paid, not out of the proceeds of the sales of the public lands, which might be insufficient, but "out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated."

OEGANIZATION.

Although an enforced delay in organization had occurred, the authorities of the University had not been idle. Much thought had been given to the work required and the means of performing it both by the Trustees and by the members of the Faculty of Agriculture. The Trustees found themselves under obligations to administer upon property placed within their control, not even the option of refusal being left to them, and they proceeded to perform their duty under the best advice and counsel within their reach. They recognized that they were charged with a duty towards the great agricultural interests of the State, and that they could not evade the responsibility which the law placed upon them. They invited the President and Secretary of the State Board of Agriculture, of the State Horticultural Society and of the State Dairymen's Association, to confer with them at a meeting called for the purpose in Chicago, March 21, and, after a full consultation had with those gentlemen, the Trustees adopted a plan of organization (given in full at page 88 of this volume) under which a Board of Direction was appointed and a working staff employed. (See page 11). The Board of Direction held its first meeting at the University, March 28th, and laid out its work for the ensuing season. Its outline of operations was approved by the Executive Committee of the Trustees March 31st, and work was at once begun. The experiments undertaken are as follows: 1. Field experiment. Corn, testing varieties. 2. Field experiment. Corn, testing varieties for ensilage. 3. Field experiment. Corn, time of planting. 4. Field experiment. Corn, depth of planting. 5. Field experiment. Corn, thickness of planting. 6. Field experiment. Corn, planting in hills or drills. 7. Field experiment. Corn, effect of depth and time of plantp* ing, 8. Field experiment. Corn, frequency of cultivation. 9. Field experiment. Corn, depth of cultivation. 10. Field experiment. Corn, effect of root pruning.