DEPARTMENT REPORTS. xxix 



tion, budding, top-grafting, root-grafting, propagating plants, harvesting and 

 marketing fruits and vegetables, storing fruits and vegetables, evaporating fruit, 

 rearing seedlings under glass, testing seeds, experimenting with plant growth 

 and variation, laying out walks and drives, sodding and seeding, care of orna- 

 mental plants, etc. This labor is all true laboratory work whether performed 

 indoors or out. A great part of it must be performed indoors. Without 

 facilities for carrying on such work, horticultural instruction can be little 

 more than a travesty. Last fall we erected a very small forcing house at 

 trifling expense, and this year we have enlarged it out of the odds and ends of 

 materials. This enclosure affords room for carrying on work which it has 

 been impossible to undertake before. It is entirely inadequate to out wants, 

 however. The department is in great need of a full equipment. In the 

 direction of work rooms, etc., it needs a building of considerable size contain- 

 ing two stories and basement, in which shall be an office, class-room, tool- 

 room, general work-room, heeling-in cellar with root-grafting cellar attached^ 

 room for washing and packing vegetables for market and a storage cellar. In 

 addition to this equipment, more supervision over student labor is necessary. 

 Instruction cajinot be given to more than four or six students at a time. With 

 the number of students now enrolled in my class it is impossible for two men 

 to give instruction during the year in even the larger part of the subjects 

 named, even though the men had no other duties to perform. At present the 

 afternoons of myself and foreman are entirely required in supervising the other 

 and more general work in the gardens, orchards and upon the grounds. The 

 more particular needs in this direction you have already in consideration. 



Illustrative Labor. — Paid labor comprises all that which is necessary to be 

 done for the good of the Department. In general it illustrates the best methods 

 of performing horticultural labor. The hindrances to making this labor pleas- 

 ant and profitable for all concerned lie chiefly in lack of tools, supervision and 

 horse power. When the proper equipments are supplied I see no reason why 

 our common work cannot be made Very profitable to students. 



Aside from attention paid to student labor, an experiment with tomatoes has 

 consumed much time and thought. It has required the recording of no less 

 than 5,000 distinct observations. The results of this experiment are given 

 in Bulletin No. 19, which is just issued. It is proposed to extend this experi- 

 ment next year, and to undertake three others in the same line of inquiry. 



All the orchards and vineyards upon the College premises have been placed 

 in a good state of cultivation. As fast as plants bear fruit the varieties are 

 identified, and the plants labeled and platted. This labor of identification has been 

 an arduous one this year. The inevitable confusion resulting from change in 

 management cannot be easily remedied. The grape crop has been large and 

 fine this year. From vineyard No. 2 — that in the rear of the residence occu- 

 pied by Professor Carpenter — a heavy yield was harvested. Owing to a lack 

 of any place for handling these grapes they did not prove so profitable as they 

 should. Although a heavy crop set in vineyard No. 1 — that south of Wells's 

 Hall — it was all appropriated before ripe. I recommend that in this vineyard 

 a series of illustrative trellises be erected. A part of this vineyard was re- 

 moved last spring to the Fruit Garden, to make room for an outhouse for 

 Wells's Hall. The pear orchard is in excellent condition. So far no trees 

 have been lost from blight. A fair crop for the age of the orchard was 

 marketed this year. We also had an unusual crop of cherries. Most of the 

 plum trees were killed or badly injuried by the Avinter of 1884-5. I propose to 



