114 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



Augustus Storrs, until his death, maintained a small farm 

 in the town of Mansfield, and devoted himself for many years 

 to the breeding of Shorthorns, his favorite cattle. He be- 

 came interested in agricultural education because he saw that 

 to carry on farming successfully a man must be scientific. 

 After a time in the immediate vicinity of his farm a building 

 became available, which had been built for school purposes ; 

 and he, with his brother, formed the idea of starting an 

 agricultural school. They decided that they would give a 

 considerable sum of money, land, and buildings, provided the 

 State would take charge of the school, and provide an annual 

 sum of money for its support. 



The matter came before the General Assembly, and, as is 

 shown by the report for 1881, the General Assembly passed 

 the following act: 



" The Storrs Agricultural School is hereby established for 

 the education of boys whose parents are citizens of this State 

 in such branches of scientific knowledge as shall tend to in- 

 crease their proficiency in the business of agriculture." 



The controlling body of the institution was to be a board 

 of trustees. Six of these were to be appointed by the senate, 

 their regular period of office to be a term of four years. One 

 was to be elected annually by the Connecticut Board of Agri- 

 culture. The director of the Connecticut Agricultural Ex- 

 periment Station was to be ex officio a trustee. The Governor 

 of the State was to be ex officio president of the board. And 

 since that time another trustee has been added by an act of the 

 General Assembly, to be elected by the graduates of the in- 

 stitution. 



Of the first board of trustees you may like to have a per- 

 manent record. I therefore give the names: Governor 

 Hobart B. Bigelow, J. P. Barstow, J. M. Hall, S. O. Vinton, 

 J. M. Hubbard, T. S. Gold, J. B. Olcott, E. H. Hyde, and 

 Professor S. W. Johnson, residents respectively in the towns 

 of New Haven, Norwich, Willimantic, Eagleville, Middletown, 

 West Cornwall, South Manchester, and New Haven. 



The General Assembly voted an annual appropriation of 

 $5,000 for three years, on condition that lands, buildings, and 

 other property to the amount of $15,000 should be given by 

 private persons. These private subscriptions or gifts were 

 made by the Storrs brothers. The farm and buildings were 



