DEPARTMENT REPORTS. xxi 



institution are beginning to be more fully known, and I am more than ever 

 convinced that success in all its far-reaching results is attainable. 



EDWIN WILLITS. 

 Agricultukal College, } 

 September 30, 188b. ) 



REPORT OF THE PROFESSOR OF AGRICULTURE AND SUPERINTENDENT 



OF THE FARM. 



To the President of the College : 



"Dear Sir : — I herewith submit my report, of the work of the department of 

 Practical Agriculture, for the college year ending Sept. oO, 1886. 



141 students have received instruction in the department during the year, 

 as follows : Freshman 92 ; Sophomores 49. 



As in my last report I discussed the course in Practical Agriculture at length, 

 indicating by the questions used at the examination of the respective classes 

 the scope of instruction and the topics treated, it is only necessary for me to 

 say in this connection that, with the increasing number of students, the work of 

 instruction is made much more laborious and must soon necessitate the employ- 

 ment of a competent assistant. 



The superintendence of a large farm, where improved breeds of animals are 

 kept, necessitating constant attention to pedigrees and registration of same ; 

 the cataloguing and selling of stock ; the looking a'fter permanent improve- 

 ments ; the purchase of stores ; the receiving, vouching for and accounting of 

 a large business ; the employment of help ; the planning for student labor and 

 its supervision ; the carrying on of some experimental work ; together with 

 the teaching of large classes are among the duties that have demanded my 

 attention. 



While not entirely satisfactory either to myself or others, I may be pardoned 

 for saying that I am content to leave the value of my labors, in all of these 

 positions, to the verdict of unprejudiced and fair minded men. 



I attended the Farmers' Institutes to which I was assigned at Grass Lake and 

 Hudsonville and by invitation the local Institutes held at Eaton Rapids, Web- 

 ster, Jackson and Okemos. I have also taken my turn in delivering the Wed- 

 nesday afternoon lectures before students, and have prepared bulletins No. ] o 

 on " Potato Culture — Varieties etc., " and No. 18 on " Wheat — Notes on dif- 

 ferent varieties and experiments with different amounts of seed. '" 



MEETING OF TEACHERS OF AGRICULTURE. 



At the June meeting the State Board of Agriculture appointed Hon. 

 Henry Chamberlain and myself delegates, to attend the annual meeting of 

 teachers of Agriculture, held at Purdue University, Ind., June 28, July 1. 



The gathering was a very pleasant and profitable one. Profs. Latta and 

 Throop, to whom we were indebted for much of the pleasure of our visit, are 

 graduates of the Mich. Agricultural College, and were efficient helpers in vari- 

 ous departments of work here after graduation. They now occupy the respon- 



