DEPARTMENT REPORTS. 51 



also secured a second hand gasoline engine for the use of the junior 

 agricultural students in connection with their lu'actice work in Farm 

 Mechanics 3 and 4. 



Mr. A, Anderson of this division resigned, May 31st, 1909, and Mr. 

 Andrew Watt has been secured to fill the vacancy. Mr. Watt has had 

 twenty years experience in blacksmithing and wagon work, and should 

 be capaijle of filling the position as instructor in Forge Shop in a very 

 acceptable manner. 



Respectfully submitted, 



ROBERT S. SHAW, 



Dean of Agriculture. 

 East Lansing, Mich., 

 June 30, 1009. 



REPORT OF THP DEPARTMENT OF HORTICULTURE AND 

 LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 



To the President : 



I herewith submit my first report of the Horticultural Department : 



All classes have been held as scheduled in the catalog, though the 

 subject matter of a few courses has been changed as will be mentioned 

 later. 



A careful examination of the subject matter of the courses as pursued 

 during the past two years, convinced me that too much effort was be- 

 ing made to *'}X)pularize" the work to the serious detriment of Hie 

 fundamentals of the science and art of horticulture. 



At a college of this kind, it is expected, and justly demanded, that 

 young men be so well trained as to make them valuable as teachers, 

 investigators, and managers, after graduation. It is manifestly impossi- 

 ble to do this by "popularizing" the subject matter of the coursi^s. 



With this idea before us, several changes were made, and the aim 

 in the future will be to make the required and preparatory work a means 

 of training in observance and accuracy, and an appreciation of the 

 science of the work. The elective work will be more technical and an 

 effort will be made to train students to do creditable work in horti- 

 culture. 



The limited amount of money available for campus work makes it im- 

 possible to do much more than to keep it looking presentable. Every 

 year sees additions and new buildings that call for grading, planting 

 and more lawns. Nothing has been done to increase the plantings and 

 collection of trees and shrubs. It is hoped that this can be done, and 

 that we can continue to hold the distinction of having "the most beauti- 

 ful campus in the West." 



The gardens and orchards were in need of considerable improvement, 

 and an effort is being made to make them more valuable and to add con- 

 siderably to the collections of species and varieties. 



The extension work that was started by direction of the State Board of 

 Agriculture, promises to become a very important and valuable line of 



