16 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH 



constructed in connection with the power-house, and plans 

 have been prepared for a coal bunker. The ice plant has 

 been fitted up and is now under trial. It is capable of 

 turning out half a ton of ice in the day. An ice store is 

 being built departmentally. The laboratories consume a 

 good deal of ice which has formerly been obtained from 

 Calcutta, and it is hoped that the new plant will not only 

 prove a convenience but will effect an economy. Much 

 trouble was experienced with the gas supply, owing to the 

 retorts burning out. This culminated in a complete stop- 

 page of gas for some weeks in the hot weather. The 

 Oriental Gas Company of Calcutta kindly spared the 

 services of their Chief Distributing Engineer, Mr. E. P. 

 Reilly, to overhaul the installation. The laying of the 

 retorts was found to be defective, and other minor altera- 

 tions were carried out under Mr. Reilly's supervision, with 

 the result that no further trouble has been experienced. 

 We are under an obligation to the Company for their 

 courtesy in sending up one of their best engineers to help us. 

 Provisional estimates for providing a Middle English 

 School for the use of the staff of the Institute and the 

 residents in the neighbourhood were sanctioned, the cost to 

 be borne jointly by the Governments of India and Bengal. 

 The estimates did not provide for residential quarters for 

 the teachers; plans for the school and quarters were pre- 

 pared with assistance from Mr. Preston, Inspector of 

 Schools, Patna Division, and submitted with revised esti- 

 mates for consideration by the Bengal Government. Some 

 minor improvements were carried out in the students' 

 hostel. 



12. Library. — The revised catalogue of the library, 

 corrected up to the end of 1908, was issued. The correc- 

 tion of the proofs and seeing it through the press entailed 

 a great deal of work. The card catalogue was revised, and 

 a register of new additions is now maintained in such a 

 form that further editions of the printed catalogue can be 

 brought out without much trouble. The loan arrange- 

 ments are working admirably, and I am glad to note that 



