DEPARTMENT REPORTS. 27 



For further information concerning the work of the College you are 

 respectfully referred to the department reports contained in the following 

 pages : 



REPORT OF DEPARTMENT OF PRACTICAL AGRICULTURE. 



I' resident J. L. Snyder: 



Dear Sir — I have the honor to submit the following report for the 

 Department of Practical Agriculture : 



In September last, Professor H. W. Mumford, then head of this depart- 

 ment, resigned to accept a position at the University of Illinois. His 

 resignation took effect Sept. 15, 1901, since which time the department 

 has been temporarily in charge of the Assistant Professor of Agriculture. 



Mr. J. J. Ferguson who has been on the department force since Septem- 

 ber, 1899, has been in direct charge of the instructional and practical 

 work in live stock. 



Mr. Geo. C. Humphrey and Mr. Geo. Severance have filled most accept- 

 ably the positions respectively of Instructor in Animal Husbandry and 

 Instructor in Agriculture. The latter position was created at the begin- 

 ning of the year. 



The quality of instructional work we believe has been well sustained 

 during the year, which fact is attested by the interest shown by the student 

 body along all the lines of the work of the department. The results 

 obtained by some of our seniors in some feeding experiments with lambs 

 and cattle are of marked value and while done under the supervision of 

 Mr. Ferguson speak very highly for the students. 



During the first week of June took place the student stock judging 

 contest for the Boland prizes. These were offered through the generosity 

 of Mr. W. A. Boland of Grass Lake, Mich., who in 1901 made the depart- 

 ment a donation of flOO to be used in two equal amounts of $50, one 

 amount in 1901 and one in 1902, the $50 in each case to be divided into 

 five sets of prizes of $5, $o and $2 to be given for the first, second and 

 third best judging of beef cattle, dairy cattle, horses, sheep and swine. 

 The results of these contests have been very satisfactory both from the 

 standpoint of the student and that of the department. Doubtless in the 

 near future we shall take steps to establish a permanent fund for prize 

 work. 



At the fat stock show in 1901 M. A. C. did very creditable work, both 

 in the student contest and in the show of stock, taking three first, two 

 second and three third prizes from the Exposition for live stock and two 

 first and one third specials from associations. One of these was the grand 

 championship for dressed carcasses taken by Elm Park Lad, a registered 

 Aberdeen Angus steer shown by M. A. C. against forty-nine competitors 

 presented by other colleges and stations and leading breeders and feed- 

 ers of the entire country. 



