198 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



there a tasty cottage or stately hall half hidden by the trees, and with broad 

 stretches of velvety lawn intervening. At our immediate right flows the Red 

 Cedar River. We can trace its course as it enters the farm far to the eastward, 

 flows on through the farm itself, and then forms the southern boundary of 

 the ornamental grounds, where it is fringed with trees of many kinds. 



In front of us and a little to the left are the professors' houses, beginning 

 with that of President Abbot. These are surrounded with trees and well kept 

 lawns. Farther on in the same direction, and bordering upon the Grand 

 River turnpike are the fruit and vegetable gardens and the apple orchard. 

 Immediately at our left is the sample orchard of pear, plum and cherry trees. 

 Between the professors' houses and the turnpike on the north are gardens con- 

 taining the experimental plats of seedling strawberries, raspberries, gooseber- 

 ries, currants, and grapes, the vineyard and also the arboretum and nursery. 

 Directly in front of us and in the distance stands College Hall containing the 

 museum, library, chapel, recitation rooms, etc. Beyond this at a little dis- 

 tance is Williams Hall for students, and a little further on are the farm-house 

 and other farm buildings. At the right of College Hall and near the bank of 

 the Red Cedar stands Wells Hall for students. A little nearer to us is the 

 greenhouse, and still nearer, and separated from the greenhouse by the little 

 stream that flows through the grounds, is the new botanical laboratory and 

 museum. Between the greenhouse and College Hall is the chemical labora- 

 tory. East of the farm buildings and south, extending across the river, lie 

 the well tilled and productive fields of the farm. 



As we passed on down the main drive past the professors' houses and brought 

 up in front of College Hall, we were warmly greeted by the members of the 

 State Board of Agriculture and professors. As soon as the hand-shaking was 

 over we proceeded at once to business. Our committee, being interested in 

 horticulture, spent most of its time in looking over the gardens and orchards, 

 giving but a hasty glance at many things of interest. A day is all too short a 

 time to examine the work of the college in the horticultural department. But 

 we did what we could in the little time we had under the efficient guidance of 

 Professor Beal and Frank A. Gully of this department. 



The limits of this paper will only allow me to give a sort of general outline 

 of the plan of work, and to touch upon some of the things that interested us. 

 In the basement of College Hall we found the foreman's office, and the 

 tool-room for the garden department. The smaller tools are kept here, all 

 numbered and each in its proper place ; the larger tools, wagons, plows, etc., 

 are kept in a tool-house adjoining the barn belonging to this department. At 

 the office the students are assigned their work for the afternoon, and proceed 

 with those having charge of the different divisions. Usually a member of the 

 senior class has charge of the drives, another of the nursery, another of the 

 orchard, another of the evergreens, and so on. These are under the super- 

 vision of the foreman, and the general plan of work and experiments is in 

 charge of Professor Beal, who spends, besides two or three hours in the fore- 

 noon in teaching classes, all the afternoon looking after various details of the 

 experimental work, and in giving practical instruction to squads of students of 

 about eight each. This practical instruction includes such work as pruning 

 grape-vines and fruit trees, grafting, budding, layering, transplanting, crossing, 

 and many other processes taught in books, and by the professor in class, but 

 not really understood until the work is actually performed by the student him- 

 self. This kind of work is not paid for, and is something of an innovation 

 upon the ordinary labor system pursued at the college. It seems to work well 



