38 STATE EOAED OF AGKICULTUEE. 



REPORT OF THE PROFESSOR OF BOTANY AND HORTICULTURE. 



To the President of the State Agricultural College : 

 I present the following report of my department for the year 1875 : 



LANDSCAPE GARDEKING. 



The nsual conrse of six weeks was devoted to the above subject by the mem- 

 bers of the Senior Class, consisting of fifteen students. The instniction 

 acquired by the text book and by lectures is much assisted by the illustrations on 

 the College grounds. Frequent visits and references were made to different 

 parts of the premises to study the different sorts of ornamental trees and shrubs, 

 singly and in groups. Certain features of the paths, drives, lawns, flower-beds, 

 location and style of the buildings, served as important additional illustrations. 

 This course, aided by the previous practice during work hours, made it possible 

 to fix the principles of this beautiful art in much shorter time and in a more 

 lasting manner than would otherwise be jiossible. Eveiy dollar thus spent in 

 improving our buildings and in other ways ornamenting our grounds, is adding 

 60 much to what may be called " apparatus." It is not only a good investment 

 to assist the teaching of our students, but in all who visit the College it stimu- 

 lates a taste for rural life which cannot help pelding good results. 



HORTICULTUEE. 



At the beginning of the year the Juniors, twenty-one in number, devoted 

 eight weeks to horticulture. The time has always seemed too short for this 

 important study. By the recent change in the course adopted by the State 

 Board of Agriculture, the time is lengthened to thirteen weeks and placed at the 

 beginning of the Junior year. As the Juniors occupy the entire year working 

 in the Horticultural Department, the teaching will now come in just the right 

 place, preceding the practice. 



Much of the instruction was given by lectures, and, as in landscape garden- 

 ing, frequent visits and references were made to the College orchards, gardens, 

 and green-house. The chief topics considered in the course were as follows : 



Location of the garden; preparation of soil, grading, draining, laying out, 

 sowing seeds, irrigation, modes of culture, mulching. 



Tools — care, structure, uses. Construction, composition, management of the 

 compost heap ; application of all kinds of fertilizers ; rotation of crops ; reme- 

 dies for insects, thieves ; construction, management, and use of hot-beds, cold 

 frames, green-houses ; transplanting, harvesting, marketing, packing, shipping, 

 storing. Special crops — onions, celery, cabbages, squashes, tomatoes, etc., etc. 

 Market garden ; seed growing ; double cropping ; protection ; profits ; over- 

 doing ; frequent changing ; experiments. New kinds — how obtained by cross- 

 breeding ; how to begin. 



Propagation of fruit and ornamental trees, shrubs and herbs, by grafting, 

 budding, layering, cuttings. Best sites for orchards ; kinds to set out, and 

 why; constant care in culture, pruning, killing insects, thinning, harvesting; 

 fruit-houses, cellars, diying. 



