DEPARTMENT REPORTS. 17 



lo. Plant propagation and vegetable gardening for women ; lectnres 

 ] honr and laboratory 2 hours per week; ^Ir. Kohler; 22 

 students. 



i(>. Graduate work; hours by appointment throughout the year; 

 Prof. Fletcher; 1 student. 



17. Special work has been given in landscape gardening and flori- 

 culture to .5 students. 



The total number of hours of lectures given by this department to 

 undergraduate students during the year is 680 ; of laboratory work 

 8SS. We hoj)e that the proportion of practice work to lectures will 

 never be lower than this. The total number of students enrolled in all 

 courses, considering lectures and the accompanying laboratory hours 

 as one course is 277. 



CHANGES IX METHODS OF INSTRUCTION. 



Garden i II (/. — The men students in plant propagation and vegetable 

 gardening have been divided into two sections, each of which has 

 planned, planted and tended a typical home garden in addition to labora- 

 tory work indoors. This change has worked out quite satisfactorily, but 

 next year Ave ])ropose that each student shall have a garden at least 

 15x30. The change is made in order to place a larger measure of per- 

 sonal res])()nsibi]ity upon each student for practical work done. 



Hitherto sophomore Avomen students have taken the 3 hours lectures 

 on plant }>ro])agatioii and vegetable gardening with the men, but have 

 not done the jnactical work that is required of the men. This year we 

 liave given a separate and shorter course of lectures to the ^Avomen, and 

 required them to make a garden and do other practical work. This 

 change has worked so well that it seems to us best to make it permanent. 



Fruif-f/roiriiu/. — The course in fruit-growing offered to juniors in the 

 fall term lias hitherto been a thoroughly professional course, especially 

 the laboratory work, which has been largely devoted to systematic 

 ])omology or a critical study of species and varieties of fruits, more 

 especially of the description of varieties. The larger proportion of 

 the class do not ex}>ect to specialize in horticulture and this work is 

 too technical for them. The plan now is to make the lectures deal more 

 largely with amateur than with professional fruit-growing, and to make 

 the laboratory work deal chieHy with planting, spraying, pruning and 

 other operations that are of interest to the home fruit-grower, with the 

 study of varieties as an incidental feature. The detailed and critical 

 study of varieties, which has hitherto been given in this course and 

 required of all agiicultural students, Avill now be given in the fall 

 term of the senior year, and only to those who have elected to specialize 

 in horticulture. 



Landscape (lardeniiuj. — The college cannot afford to ignore the de- 

 mands u]ton it for young men trained to superintend large estates, to 

 carry out the ])lanting designs of eminent landscai)e gardeners, and to 

 take other respcmsible jjositions in this profession. During the past year 

 we have had eight calls for men to work in this field; the demand is 

 increasing every year. There is need that the department should de- 

 velop its work in landscape gardening. Up to two years ago the only 



