86 STATE BOARD OF AGllICULTURE. 



CHERRY, PLUM, AND PEAR ORCHARD. 



The regular spring priming has been done here, and the grounds cultivated 

 and cleaned. 



VINEYARDS. 



The one near President Abbot's house I consider a failure. A great many 

 of the vines are lost on account of too heavy soil. We can have no success 

 there. The one near Well's Hall gets on better. The new wood is splendid, 

 and after one year's more care, it will produce fruit. 



BLACKBERRIES AND RASPBERRIES. 



These are situated in the garden. For further bearing they have to be 

 transplanted in the fall and removed out of the garden, on account of too 

 poor soil. 



STRAWBERRIES. 



Our last year's general planting was the "Wilson" for the general crop; 

 they have not been very successful. I received from Mr. Byron Lower in Mount 

 Pleasant, Mich., as a donation, 2G0 plants of strawberries, which he calls 

 ^'Mammoth Excelsior." The greatest part were planted on President Abbot's 

 garden. I can say that I never saw a strawberry doing as well in every respect. 

 The fruit is of the largest size and very solid, while its flavor is unsurpassed. 

 It is one of the freest growing varieties, and consequently will be suitable for 

 most all soils. It will be certainly for next year our general crop. 



Resi3ectfully submitted. 



LOUIS KNAPPER, 

 Superintendent of the Horticultural Department. 



REPORT OF THE PROFESSOR OF CHEMISTRY. 



To the President of the State Agricultural College : 



The State Board of Agriculture having requested the officers of the College 

 in their annual report " to give considerable fullness to the condition of the 

 departments, their buildings, courses of instruction, means of illustration and 

 experimentation, and in addition suggestions for the enlargement and perfec- 

 tion of their departments," I herewith submit an extended report of the 

 condition, working, and needs of the Chemical Department for the current 

 year. 



CLASS INSTRUCTION. 



Autuvm term. — During the first term of the College year I gave a lecture 

 daily in Elementary Chemistry to the Sophomore class, the subject matter of 

 the lecture being thoroughly illustrated by elaborate experiments. The class 

 spent four hours a week for a part of the term in repeating and verifying 

 these experiments in the laboratory. This laboratory work was not required of 

 the class, and involved certain expenditures to pay for the chemicals they 

 used. The interest of the class in this study was shown by the fact that every 

 member of the class paid his fee and took the full course in chemical manipu- 



