STATE AGRICULTURAL' SOCIETY. 411 



bers are men of over 200 pounds weight, their movements were quite leisurely. 

 We were met at the door of the lecture room of the laboratory by Dr. Kedzie. 

 Here he had his own special analytical work going on, amongst which, at the 

 present time, was the examination of the Avaters, sent from about tliirty wells, 

 to find out which was the least liable to incrust the boilers of locomotives, that 

 the Grand Rapids and Indiana Kaiiroad Company might learn which were the 

 most available points for sinking their wells and erecting their tanks for a sup- 

 ply of water on the line north to Petoskey. Dr. Kedzie's private laboratory 

 had been given up to the students He had even been driven to fix up a tem- 

 porary place of work for a student in the cellar. Every work-stand in the long 

 hall was filled with students at the actual work of gaining a practical knowl- 

 edge of this science. There was one young lady among them, who seemed as 

 earnest and studious as any of them. The young men hardly looked up as the 

 body of visitors filed into the room. One of the propositions before the Legis- 

 lature the past winter was an appropriation to build an addition to it, so that 

 its capacity might be doubled. It was very evident to us, and in fact there 

 was not a single negative voice on the subject, that the I^egislature had neg- 

 lected a known duty in not granting the request of the Board. This study is 

 the basis of an agricultural education. Here it is expected that every student 

 shall be occupied for four terms of the full period he remains at the college. 

 The want of accommodation here strikes at the usefulness of the institution 

 and is an injustice to the whole body of students as well as to the faculty. 

 Nothing short of ignorance and prejudice the most profound could have de- 

 nied the appropriation which was so earnestly and. sincerely sought for, and 

 which it is evident was needed us an act of justice to the students and the 

 school, even more than to the professor and the faculty which have labored so 

 faithfully to make the college the first of its kind in the United States, and 

 sustaining a reputation in Europe as being remarkable for its succes?. Pro- 

 fessor Kedzie displayed the several soils which he had analyzed during the past 

 year, and of which he had made a most valuable report, which is to aj)pear in 

 the next volume of the Transactions of the Board of Agriculture. 



Leaving this laboratory and its busy students and hard-worked professor, we 

 crossed over the grounds to the new and neat but rather quaint looking board- 

 ing hall. Here we found one of the young men in the armory, which was fur- 

 nished with muskets in the racks along the wall. The armorv is in the base- 

 meut, and was cool in comparison witii the outside atmosphere, which seemed 

 to be somewhere among the 90's, even in the densest shade of the tall ever- 

 greens. Very few of the party cared about ascending to the third story of this 

 building, hence we crossed along its front to the green-houses of Mr. Cassidy. 

 Here, outside, everything was suffering from drought, as there has been much 

 less rain throughout this section than tliere has been in most other parts of the 

 State. The grass-plats were suffering, and the want of water has delayed the 

 growth of the herbage after being shaved with the lawn mowers. The green- 

 houses were perfect pictures of bloom, order, and neatness. Here also addi- 

 tions are needed for the accommodation of both the gardening and botanical 

 departments. We missed the presence of Professor Beal very much here. He 

 had been called to Ann Arbor by the meeting of his college class, which had 

 its first gathering for many year. After lingering for some time in this part 

 of the grounds. President Abbot conducted us to the rockery, which is con- 

 structed on the bank of the ravine which here divides the grounds. Every 

 spot seemed to be inhabited by some plant labelled with its botanical name. 

 At the foot of the bank, which contained a flight of stone steps seemingly al- 



