l74 DEFARTMENTAL KEPOETS. 



of the experiment stations in this country at the close of the nine- 

 teenth ceutniy. Under the law only 1,000 copies of this report could 

 be printed, and one-half of this edition was sent to Paris, the remain- 

 der being principally distributed to libraries in this countr3\ It is 

 hoped that provision may hereafter be made for another edition of 

 sufficient size to secure its more adequate distribution in this country. 



Mr. J. I. Schulte, of this Office, was detailed to the United States 

 Commission for service during the exposition and acted as juror and 

 interpreter, his acquaintance with the French and German languages 

 and with scientific and practical agriculture making his services in 

 those capacities of much value. 



The class jury which passed upon the station exhibit was composed 

 of representative experiment station officers, more than a majority of 

 whom were French. The awards recommended by the jurj" included 

 grand prizes for the Association of American Colleges and Experiment 

 Stations and the Director of this Office; gold medals for E. W. Hilgard, 

 W. O. Atwater, T. B. Osborne, W. H. Jordan, W. A. Henry, S. M. Bab- 

 cock. C. F. Yanderford, L. G. Carpenter, and W. H. Evans, and silver 

 medals for Elwood Mead, Milton Whitney, C. F. Curtiss, P. H. Mell, 

 and Paul Schweitzer. In the case of Dr. Babcock the group jury 

 raised the award to a grand prize, as gold medals were recommended 

 by the class juries of this and another class. 



It is expected that a considerable portion of the station exhibit at 

 Paris can be utilized at the Pan-American Exposition at Buffalo, 

 N. Y., in 1901, and that thus the large amount of labor expended in 

 its ijreparation By the stations and this Office will be more thoroughly 

 justified. 



AMERICAN INSTITUTIONS FOR AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. 



The past year has been a prosperous one for the agricultural col- 

 leges throughout the country. Interest in their work is steadily grow- 

 ing, and the number of students is increasing. The regular college 

 courses in agriculture are being strengthened, and the special courses 

 are being organized so as to cover a greater variet}' of subjects and to 

 give the students training in both the science and practice of various 

 agricultural industries. In a number of States the buildings and other 

 equipment for the agricultural departments have been greatlj^ im- 

 proved. At the University of Illinois a building costing $150,000 has 

 been erected for the special use of the college of agriculture. This 

 will be thoroughly equipped a\ ith apparatus and other facilities for 

 instruction, and when completed will form the largest single plant 

 for agricultural instruction in this countrj^ At the University of 

 Nebraska a building costing 640,000 has been erected for the special 

 use of the exijeriment station. This is in addition to a similar build- 

 ing erected two years ago for the use of the college of agriculture. 

 Both these buildings are located on the university farm and, taken 

 together with other improvements recentlj^ made there, have very 

 greatly increased the facilities for agricultural instruction at this 

 university. At the Washington Agricultural College a science hall 

 costing $60,000 has been erected, which j^rovides greatly improved 

 facilities for the work of the college and experiment station. At the 

 Texas Agricultui-al College there is a new agricultural and horticul- 

 tural building costing over $30,000, and at the Kansas Agricultural 

 College an agricultural building of about the same value. At the 

 Oklahoma Agricultural College there are new chemistry and library 



