Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1950 [PAGE 961]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

952

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

[November 29

Project area at Race Street and Florida Avenue to include the following additional planting: Rosa Multiflora hedge, double row, approximately 1,790 lineal feet, along the south and west border of the area $1 360 40 Additional lawn seeding between this hedge and rear property lines of houses, covering approximately 4.63 acres 2 219 25 Total $3 579 65 T h e original plans provided for the erection of a wire fence along these area borders but the hedge is recommended because it will cost less and will add to the appearance of the area. It will serve as a screen and a barrier between the housing area and the horticulture experimental plots. T h e additional lawn seeding was not included in the original specifications as the area involved was not originally included in the property lines assigned for individual use of the occupants of the houses. When the specifications were drawn the exact use of this area was not determined and later it was decided to develop it as a lawn. Funds are available in the appropriation for this project. I concur and recommend that the Comptroller be authorized to execute this addition to the landscaping contract.

On motion of Dr. Meyer, these recommendations were adopted.

DISCONTINUANCE OF ALHAMBRA CROP EXPERIMENT FIELD (19) On July 17, 1917 (Minutes, page 418), the Board of Trustees accepted an experimental field of approximately forty acres at Alhambra, Illinois, described as "East one-half of the south one-half of the southeast quarter of section 14, township 5 north, range 6 west of the third principal meridian." The field was donated by Adolph Hitz with the provision that if the University of Illinois discontinues the use of the land for agricultural experimentation and demonstration for a period of more than two consecutive years, the title to the land.shall revert to the donor, or to his heirs or assigns. The University has developed the Brownstown Experiment Field in Fayette County as a "Crops Center" for the breeding, evaluating, increasing, and distribution of crops particularly well adapted to the area. The Brownstown field is more desirable than the Alhambra field because: (1) soil type at Brownstown is representative of a larger area of Illinois than that at Alhambra; (2) the large number of "slick" spots 1 on the Alhambra field and their random occurence lowers the reliability of crop tests made there; (3) the distance from the central station at Urbana makes Brownstown more readily accessible than Alhambra. The Dean of the College of Agriculture and the Head of the Department of Agronomy recommend that in the interests of economy in carrying on crop experimental work and in view of the enlarged program contemplated on the Brownstown field, the Alhambra Crop Experiment Field be discontinued, beginning with the seeding of wheat this fall. I concur and recommend that the Comptroller and the Secretary of the Board be authorized to execute the necessary papers to effect the transfer of the title to the Alhambra field to the estate of Adolph Hitz.

On motion of Mrs. Holt, this recommendation was adopted and authority to transfer title was given, by the following vote: Aye, Mr. Fornof, Mr. Herrick, Mrs. Holt, Mr. Livingston, Mr. McLaughlin, Dr. Meyer, Mrs. Watkins, Mr. Williamson; no, none; absent, Mr. Hickman, Mr. Nickell, Mr. Stevenson.

PURCHASES (20) A report of ( A ) emergency purchases authorized and ( B ) purchases recommended (see Appendix, page 959). O n m o t i o n of M r . L i v i n g s t o n , t h e a c t i o n of t h e P r e s i d e n t of t h e U n i v e r s i t y in a u t h o r i z i n g e m e r g e n c y p u r c h a s e s w a s a p p r o v e d a n d c o n firmed, a n d the p u r c h a s e s r e c o m m e n d e d w e r e authorized.

1 "Slick" spots are spots in which carbonates and other salts accumulate due to poor drainage, and affect crop production.