34 DEPARTMENT REPORTS. 



PUECHASE OF STOCK. 



The Board of Agriculture, at the meeting held in connection with the 

 cattle sale, authorized President Wells and myself to attend the public sale 

 of Short tlorns from the celebrated Woodbum herd, owned by A. J. Alex- 

 ander, Lexington, Kentucky, and purchase a few animals at our discretion. 

 To my great regret President Wells was detained by business, and I made the 

 trip without him. I was fortunate in having the company of some of our 

 Michigan breeders, who attended the sale and purchased a number of the 

 best animals, among them Messrs. Jas. M. Turner of Lansing, Dwight Curtis 

 of Hillsdale and J. S. Flint, as the representative of Wm. Steele of Ionia. 

 The trip, while a hurried one and marred somewhat by disagreeabla weather, 

 was still, in many respects, a pleasant one. Kentucky is historic ground to 

 every lover of good Short Horns, and it was very pleasant to meet some of 

 the breeders famous in Short Horn annals on their own ground. The Wood- 

 burn farm is a grand estate, and the fame of its stock attracted a large 

 attendance of breeders from various parts of the country. To Hon. Wm. 

 Warfield we are indebted for many courtesies kindly extended to our party. 



One thing that impressed me strongly was the fact that, while there were 

 many grand herds of cattle in this section, where Short Horns have been bred 

 for sixty years (so long one would suppose that all vestiges of the scrub would 

 be obliterated), there were after all a good many natives, or at least many 

 inferior grades, an evidence of the prejudice or shortsightedness of the 

 average Kentucky farmer. 



We purchased two yearling heifers. Miss Bates 21st at 1355 and Wood- 

 burn Kirklevington 2d at 1500, both sired by the imported bull 2d Duke 

 of Whittlebury 62574. Their breeding is excellent, and we expect they will 

 prove quite an acquisition to our herd. 



In closing this report I desire to express my obligations to those who have 

 assisted me in carrying on the work of the department, and who have neces- 

 sarily had much to do with the details of management. 



Any success achieved in my work is largely due to the unwavering sym- 

 pathy and support of the State Board of Agriculture. I can only hope by 

 conscientious devotion to the duties they have entrusted to my hands, to show 

 how fully I appreciate their confidence. 



SAM'L JOHNSON, 

 Professor of Agriculture and iSuperin- 

 tendent of the Farvi. 



Agricultural College, June 30, 1887. 



REPORT OF THE CHEMICAL DEPARTMENT. 



President Willits: 



In presenting the report of the chemical department for the current year, 

 permit me to congratulate you on a year of successful administration aud of 

 prosperity in the college as a whole. In the chemical department the stu- 

 dents have never been more earnest in their studies or more devoted to 

 their work. The order, both in class-room and laboratory, has been 

 unexceptionable. 



