ONTARIO AGRICULTT'RAL ( < tLLEOE. v)87 



ONTARIO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE AND EXPERIMENTAL 



FARM. 



By the Rev. John Gillespie, A.M./MouswaLl Manse, Dumfriesshire. 



The writer visited the above institution during the autumn of 

 1(S87. He spent considerable jjortions of two days in the college 

 buildings and on the ftxrni, and had thus a favourable oppor- 

 tunity of becoming acquainted with its distinctive characteristics, 

 and of forming an estimate of the nature and results of the 

 varied work which it accomplishes. From repeated perusal of 

 reports and other documents regarding it, he had previously 

 formed a decided opinion that an institution of a similar 

 character would be admirably adapted to the Avants of the 

 rising generation of farmers in Scotland, and a careful personal 

 inspection of the place and the work carried on strongly con- 

 firmed the opinion already entertained. 



When established, it was expressly stated that the objects 

 Avere twofold, — (1) to give theoretical and practical instruction 

 in husbandry to young men who intend to follow farming as a 

 business, and (2) the conducting of experiments tending to the 

 solution of questions of material interest to the agriculturists 

 of the province. For the benefit of the farming community, 

 bulletins are issued from time to time, which narrate the history 

 and results of the experiments. Further, the students in at- 

 tendance are afforded the fullest opportunity of witnessing these 

 experiments at every stage of their progress, so that these are 

 < »f great value to them educationally. These are of the most 

 Aaried character, relating to the production of beef and milk, as 

 well as the growth of farm crops. Thus the institution is at 

 once a provincial agricultural college and an experimental 

 farm. 



The Ontario Agricultural College is situated on a farm oi 

 550 acres, one mile south of the city of Guelph, in that province 

 of Canada. It was formally opened in 1874, and therefore it 

 has been in existence for fourteen years. When the property 

 was purchased by the provincial authorities in 1873, it had on 

 it an ordinary dwelling-house and farm buildings which, though 

 superior to the average farm steadings in Ontario, were in many 

 respects inadequate and unsuitable to the purpose to which 

 they were to iDe devoted. Instead of being taken down and 

 entirely rebuilt, they were added to and remodelled by degrees. 

 Probably it would have been more economical in the long run 

 to have gone on the principle of making " a new stock, lock, and 

 barrel." However that may be, they are now commodious, and 

 on the whole satisfactory. The college buildings, which present 

 a rather imposing appearance, are built of magnesian limestone 



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