44 STATE BOARD OF AGEICULTURE. 



By this means the matter was read by many more peoj)le thau would otherwise 

 be possible. This plan ha? been very highly spoken of by the press, by his 

 Excellency, Grovernor Bagley, and by many private parties, "as just the plan," 

 "an admirable idea,'" "a sensible thing to do," and many other similar expres- 

 sions of approval. 



OUTSIDE WOEK. 



Although the duties of my professorship are l)y no means "a mere sinecure," 

 it has seemed necessary for success to spend some time in mingling with the 

 outside world and to take part in various associations by jjapers and discussions. 

 Many invitations for speaking and writing have been declined. The writer has 

 aided the College Natural History Society as its president, by frequent remarks 

 and by encouraging the students to take part. Public lectures have been given 

 at the College to all the students and Faculty on "Physical Culture" and "The 

 Horticultural Dejiartment ;" one at the State Teachers' Association on "Teach- 

 ing Natural History;" one at the Ingham County Teachers' Association on 

 the same topic. One evening was spent with the Farmers' Club at Lena- 

 wee Junction, in a talk on "Grasses," "'Trimming Apple Trees," "Orchard 

 Insects," and in answering questions. One evening was -spent in a similar way 

 at Laml^ertville, Monroe Co. At the State Pomological Society held at Ionia I 

 gave an address on "How Plants Grow ;" at Lansing on '.'Trimming Trees ;" at 

 Monroe on "Fungi." The writer attended the American Pomological Society 

 held at Chicago, where he took an extensive collection of fruits from Ingham 

 and surrounding counties. At the American Association for the Advancement 

 of Science, held in Detroit, he read three papers on "Inequilateral Leaves," 

 "Venation of some Odd Leaves," and "Carnivorous Plants." A fourth paper 

 was accepted l)ut the writer was unable to remain for the time set apart to read 

 ic. A few articles have been given to the Michigan Teacher, American Natur- 

 alist, Country Gentleman, Michigan Farmer, Prairie Farmer, Annual of Kural 

 Affairs, Science, Gossip, etc. Several Aveeks, besides a very large correspond- 

 ence, have been spent collecting and jirepariug timber and various forest 

 products for the Centennial. 



TOOL SHED AND SEED LOFT. 



The past summer we have built the shed so long needed for the larger tools. 

 It is placed southeast of the garden barn and near it. The entire new building- 

 is 50 by 25 feet. The lower part is used for tools. A closet four feet wide 

 across the east end, serves the teamster a useful 2rar2)ose as a safe place to lock 

 up some of the more valuable tools. Tbe upper story is divided into two equal 

 portions ; one joined to the chamber of the old barn is used to increase the room 

 for hay from the lawn ; the other half is approached by stairs at the east end, 

 and is used for storing and cleaning seeds, and the like. It is not yet all fin- 

 ished inside, but is already a great convenience. 



THE GREEN-nOUSE. 



The number of visitors continues unabated. Last spring a severe hail storm, 

 some of the stones of which were over three inches long, beat out some 800 

 panes of glass. This made a large additional expense on the green-house, for 

 which there was no provision made. The gardener has made two trips to Mil- 

 waukee, Chicago, and other western towns, where he has at a small expense 

 added largely to our collection of plants. We have received a few from Wash- 



