I. AGRICULTURE AND RURAL ECONOMY. 371 



viding an annual appropriation for the purpose. This, how- 

 ever, failed to become a law. Mr. Orange Judd, the well- 

 known editor and proprietor of the America7i Agriculturist^ 

 then with characteristic liberality offered on his own part 

 $1000, and, on that of the trustees of the Wesleyan Universi- 

 ty, the free use of laboratories and appliances for the purpose 

 in the Hall of Natural Sciences (given by himself to that in- 

 stitution), provided the Legislature would appropriate a sum 

 of money for the establishment of a station. In answer to 

 this the Legislature passed almost unanimously a resolution 

 " to promote agriculture." The preamble to this reads as 

 follows: " Whereas, the trustees of the university at Middle- 

 town tender the free use of ample laboratories, and other 

 facilities for establishing and carrying on an experiment sta- 

 tion for the general benefit and improvement of agriculture 

 and kindred interests of the state of Connecticut." 



The resolution provides " that the sum of seven hundred 

 dollars per quarter for two years is hereby appropriated to 

 the university located at Middletown, Middlesex County, to 

 be used in employing competent scientific men to carry on 

 the appropriate work of an agricultural experiment station," 

 and directs the comptroller to pay the sum specified to the 

 treasurer of the university, provided" the said treasurer shall 

 satisfy the comptroller that such money is expended in the 

 employment of scientific men for making the investigations 

 and experiments contemplated in this resolution ; and that 

 the said university shall superintend such experiments, and 

 shall provide ample laboratories and buildings therefor free 

 of charg-e." 



CD 



The station is now fully organized. Professor W. O. At- 

 water, of the university. Dr. W. C. Tilden, and two assistants 

 are engaged in the work. An advisory committee of prom- 

 inent farmers of the state has been appointed to give coun- 

 sel in the management of the station, and to facilitate its 

 connection with the public. Hearty sympathy and encour- 

 agement are manifested on all sides, and it is hoped that the 

 first two years of its labor will prove so successful as in the 

 future to insure from the state support commensurate with 

 the importance of its object. 



