XVI NOTES BY THE EDITOR 



from Prof. Phillips, entitled, " Observations on a Drawing of the Lunar 

 Mountain, Copernicus," by Professor Secchi, Director of the Observa- 

 tory at Borne. This drawing is the result of a long series of observa- 

 tions made by means of the fine telescope at the command of Professor 

 Secchi. The drawing is on a scale of ten geographical miles to an 

 inch, and all the objects are laid down by triangulation. This is by far 

 the most perfect representation of any portion of the moon's surface 

 that has been executed, and is highly honorable to Professor Secchi. 

 Prof. Phillips remarks : Drawings of this nature are of priceless value, 

 and if engraved and circulated among astronomers, it would be a most 

 effectual stimulant to further research. 



A bill to incorporate and endow an Agricultural College in Mary- 

 land, appropriating six thousand dollars annually from the State Trea- 

 sury in support of the same, has been passed during the past year by 

 the Legislature of that State. Commissioners have also been appointed 

 to locate the proposed institution, and establish regulations concerning 

 it. As an illustration of what the Maryland Legislature expect their 

 Agricultural College to do, we quote Section 6 of the act of incorpora- 

 tion : 



" And ~be it enacted, That it shall be the duty of the said board of 

 trustees to order and direct to be made or instituted on said model 

 farm annually a series of experiments upon the cultivation of cereal 

 and other plants, adapted to the latitude and climate of the State of 

 Maryland, and cause to be carefully noticed upon the records of said 

 institution the character of said experiments, the kind of soil upon 

 which they were undertaken, the system of cultivation adopted, the 

 state of the atmosphere and other particulars which may be necessary 

 to a fair and complete understanding of the result of said experiments; 

 and they shall also require the instructor of chemistry, as far as may 

 be consistent with his other duties in said institution, to carefully 

 analyze all specimens of soil that may be submitted to him by any 

 citizen of this State, free of charge, and specially furnish the applicant 

 with an accurate statement of the result." 



The Legislature of New York has passed a bill to loan to the New 

 York State Agricultural Society $40,000 without interest, for the pur- 

 pose of aiding in the purchase of a farm, and the erection of buildings 

 for a College. The citizens of Ovid, Seneca County, have raised 

 $40,000 additional towards the object, and there is no longer a doubt 

 in regard to the establishment of an Agricultural College and Model 

 Farm in the Empire State. 



The State of New York has also erected for the use of the Agricul- 

 tural Society and the State Collection of Natural History, a spacious 

 new building. It is represented as an imposing edifice, 81 by 50 feet, 

 with a wing 68 by 40 feet, the whole four stories high. 



