86 ' STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



The illness of instructors at various times has added considerably to 

 the burden of those who remained well, it being practically impossible 

 to bring- in an assistant temporarily. At one time during the spring term 

 three of our force were away ill, and yet the other instructors carried 

 the work with the omission of scarcely a recitation. The question of 

 illness as the department increases is becoming one of considerable con- 

 cern. It is almost necessary to carry one more instructor than is 

 normally required in order that the distribution of classes when an in- 

 structor is ill may not work unreasonable hardship on those who are 

 blessed with health. 



Throughout the year the department has been hampered by lack of 

 recitation rooms. With twelve members the department has at its 

 disposal only three recitation rooms. Additional rooms must be found 

 wherever possible. During the year we have been in every building on 

 the campus containing recitation rooms. For an instructor to look after 

 the details that must follow a recitation and to pass from the Women's 

 Building or the Horticultural Building to the fourth floor of the 

 Engineering Building, within the five minutes between classes, is a 

 physical impossibility; and yet such changes have been required almost 

 every hour during the year. It is hoped that the completion of the 

 Agricultural Building will be accompanied with the assignment to this 

 department of at least three additional rooms to which the department 

 will have primary right. Where these rooms are located is immaterial ; 

 but that the demand for them is imperative you will readily see. 



During the fall term 1476 students were registered in the study of 

 English ; 110 in the study of German ; 37 in the study of French, 



During the winter term the number of students was as follows: Eng- 

 lish, 1,357; German, 206; French, 31. During the spring term 1,161 

 were registered for English; 171 for German; 28 for French. The total 

 number in the fall term was 1,623; in the winter term, 1,594; in the 

 spring term, 1,360. The average total enrollment for the year was 1,526. 

 The average cost of instruction per student in the department was |6.57. 



I am still looking forward to a time when we shall be able to introduce 

 into our work in German and French the language phone. I have 

 recently given some additional attention to the use of the talking ma- 

 chine in the teaching of modern languages and I am more than ever 

 convinced that it is desirable. Many of the foremost institutions are 

 using it, and its value is beyond question. With us, its use, however, 

 seems dependent upon rooms; and rooms are lacking. 



It is with pleasure that I record the fact that we were again victorious 

 in our intercollegiate debate with Ypsilanti State Normal College. This 

 is the third successive year in which we have won. While the debate 

 for the first time was under the general management of the debating 

 society, the department has necessarily had much to do with the training 

 of the contestants. To Mr. Fish belongs special credit for this work, 

 as to it he gave more time than did any other member of the department. 

 The representatives this year were Mr. C. L, Nash, a senior agricul- 

 tural student, Mr, J, C, DeCamp, a junior forestry student, and Mr. E, 

 E, Kurtz, a junior engineer. Last year all of the members of the team 

 were junior agricultural students. None of them, however, were can- 

 didates for the team this year. 



