84 STATE BOARD OP AGRICULTURE. 



Mr. A. Birch, the farm foreman, and Mr. W. Brown, the herdsman, merit 

 most kindly mention. In these reponsible positions each has been attentive 

 to duty, and interested in promoting the efficiency of tlie department. 

 All of which is respectfully submitted. 



SAM'L JOHNSON, 

 Professor of Agriculture and Superintendent of the Farm. 

 Agricultural College, Oct. 20, 1SS2. 



EEPOET OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE HORTICULTURAL 



DEPARTMENT. 



To the President of the State Agricultural College: 



The following is a brief report of improvements and work done in the 

 Horticultural Department during the College year ending September, 1882: 



LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 



The main drive up from the west gate to the President's house has beeu 

 "widened eight feet, and a gutter has been put on the north side. The river 

 bank has been repaired and sodded as far as the Botanical Laboratory. This 

 drive has been repaired and the whole from the west gate graveled over. A 

 new drive has been laid out on the west side of the Chemical Laboratoi-y, run- 

 ning to the greenhouses. The lawn about the chemical laboratory has been 

 laid out entirely new and provided with walks around the building. The 

 grounds about Wells Hall have been graded, sodded, and walks and drives 

 have been put in order. The old bed of asparagus has been taken oil, and 

 the whole area graded and seeded down, or graveled over. Around the Presi- 

 dent's house the flower beds have been changed into more suitable forms and 

 filled up with other soil and compost. The lawn about the new library build- 

 ing has been graded and new drives laid out. The whole has been seeded 

 down and a plantation of shrubs and shade trees set out. Tile has been laid 

 for draining the steam holes in front of Wells Hall down to the ice house. 

 The compost heap has been turned over several times and enlarged. Gravel 

 has been put on over nearly all the drives. 



transplanting trees and shrubs. 



Different kinds of evergreens and shrubs have been planted in some of the 

 beds and lawns. I prepared and subsoiled a piece of ground in the garden, 

 west of the apple orchard, for nursery purposes. Cherry trees have been planted 

 out there, and between the rows, gooseberries and currants. We received as a 

 donation from Mr. Bragg, of Kalamazoo, 40 young apple trees and 12 peach 

 trees, of different and very good varieties, which have been planted oufc. 

 Apple, pear, plum, cherry, quince, peach, and apricot seed have been sowed 

 in rows, and some of the young plants are ready to transplant next fall. 



THE vegetable GARDEN 



Has been for the year under my own supervision. I have had the assistance 

 of Mr. F. Sindlinger as foreman, and am now having, in addition, the very 

 efficient and intelligent aid of Mr. E. D. Millis, a recent graduate. The hot 



