DEPAETMENT EEPOKTS. 01 



cheap supply of available nitrogen. In order to make some contribution to 

 this subject for both tlie reasons assigned, I devised and carried out a set of 

 experiments bearing on the question whether the nitrogen contained in the 

 vegetable matter of soils (humus) might not be a source of combined nitrogen 

 for certain orders of plants, while other orders would fail to secure a supply 

 from this source. In these experiments flower pots were filled with soil from 

 which every trace of combined nitrogen had been excluded except that con- 

 tained in humus; in such soil clover, beans, and peas were planted as repre- 

 sentatives of one class of plants, and wheat as the type of a different class. 

 A profound interest was awakened in this subject in the mind of every one 

 who saw these experimental plants. A paper on this subject was read before 

 the Society fur Promotion of Scientific Agriculture at the meeting in Montreal, 

 and the facts, as far as they were developed, were eagerly caught up by the 

 public press. It is proposed to repeat, verify, and extend these experiments 

 next year. 



ITEW APPARATUS. 



A large part of the special appropriation for the Chemical Department has 

 been expended in the purchase of new and improved apparatus, especially for 

 the study of physics. Most of this apparatus was manufactured by Ducretet, 

 of Paris, and specially imported for the College by J. W. Queen & Co. 

 Prominent among these new acquisitions I enumerate the following : Saccha- 

 rimeter, Soleil Ventzke, Crooke's Tubes, to illustrate the 4th state of matter; 

 Melloni's Apparatus, for radiant heat; Tyndall's Apparatus, for the con- 

 version of force; Carre's Freezer; Browning's Spectroscope, (3 prisms); 

 Dubosc's Phosphoroscope ; Arago's Apparatus, magnetic rotation ; Faraday's, 

 ditto; Khumkorff Inductorium, giving sparks 23 centimetres; Crova's 

 Actinometer; Noremberg's Polarizing Apparatus; Bertin's Tourmalins; 

 Bohnenberger's Electroscope; Epinus's Condenser ; Wheatstone's Rheostat; 

 Wheatstone's Bridge ; Cailletet's Apparatus, for liquifying the "incondensable 

 gases;" Arago's Phosphoroscope; Bramah Press; Aneroid Barometer; 

 Breguet metallic Therm ; Hittorf'a Apparatus, nonconduction of electricity 

 in an absolute vacuum ; Natterer's Tubes; Toepler Holtz Machine. 



This comprehends only a small part of the apparatus already purchased ; 

 other articles have been ordei'ed but not yet received. 



LABOHATOPvY EXTEH8I0N. 



The last Legislature appropriated $6,0U0 to enlarge the Chemical Labora- 

 tory. This sum was named from estimates made two years before by a skilled 

 architect, but in consequence of the advance in the price of material and 

 labor this sum was found to be insuflficient to pay for the contemplated exten- 

 sion and finishing the same, and the first story of the new part still remains 

 unfinished, and an additional appropriation of ^1,450 is asked to complete and 

 furnish this. first story. These rooms are designed for work in quantitative 

 chemical analysis, and for original research and experiment in Agricultural 

 Chemistry. 



The upper story is completed, and contains a beautiful lecture room with 

 seating capacity for 150; tlie room is lighted by six large windows, and a sky- 

 light over the lecture table GxlO feet, which affords abundance of light for 

 lecture table and blackboards. Tliree large blackboards are mounted so as to 

 be raised or lowered at pleasure. The room contains eight large ventilators; 



