MICHIGAN STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 569 



board requiring that a herd of Ayrshire cattle be kept on the College Farm is a 

 mistake. Their small size, combined with, to say the least, only a moderate milk 

 record, do not commend them specially as a dairy breed for our State. 



In view of the rapid increase in the dairy interest, the establishment of a dairy at 

 the college would seem desirable, and instruction for the students in the best method 

 of butter dairying, woidd be advantageous. 



The feeding and fattening of stock is also in the line of practical instruction to the 

 student, and this is one of the principal objects of the farm in connection with the 

 college. 



In the sheep department there are a few well-bred registered merinos and some 

 good soutlidowns. The flocks, as a whole, present a fair, not a striking appearance. 



The swine are very good specimens of their respective breeds. 



The crops on the farm for 1882 have been good. Wheat averaged 35 bushels per 

 acre, oats 60 bushels, hay two tons, and corn estimated at 40 bushels. Much good and 

 permanent work is being done in draining, and it is hoped that the unsightly and 

 unprofitable land on the farm will soon be in a condition to bear abundant crops. 

 While there is so much undrained and unimproved land on the college farm, there 

 would seem to be no necessity for slack labor for students. The weather was unfortu- 

 nately so bad at the period of our last visit, and the time so short, that your com- 

 mittee were unable to make much examination of the growing crops. 



A bill has been introduced into Congress for the purpose of making an appropria- 

 tion for establishing agricultural experimental stations at the agricultural colleges 

 in the various States, and experimental stations must come sooner or later; and we 

 view with approval this eflFort to have them established through appropriations of 

 the general government. There can be no more suitable place for the dissemination 

 of information obtained at such stations than the agricultural college, and there is 

 no reason to believe that the special work of such stations cannot be as well done at 

 the colleges as at any other place; while the expense would be much less than at a 

 station apart from the college. 



We trust the best systems of practical agriculture will be taught and applied at the 

 college, to the end that the students who graduate at the college may be familiar 

 with the best methods and know how to apply them profitably to the farm. The 

 people look for the college to lead in agricultural improvement. 



Respectfully submitted, 



PHILO PARSONS, 



L H. BUTTERFIELD, Jr., 



F. L. REED, 



Committee. 



Mr. Batterfield offered the following, which was adopted : 



Besolved, That our next annual fair be held, commencing on Monday, September 

 17th, to and including Friday, the 21st, 1883. 



Mr. Hyde offered the following, which was adopted : 



Besolved, Tliat the salary of the secretary be one thousand dollars per annum, and 

 that the treasurer be allowed a bookkeeper at a salary of four hundred dollars. 



Mr. Sterling, chairman of the Transportation Committee, submitted the fol- 

 lowing report, which was, on motion, adopted: 



The Committee on Transportation report, that the following railroads have 

 granted such reasonable requests as your committee have asked since our last annual 

 meeting, and we recommend a resolution by the Executive Committee acknowledg- 

 the same. 



The roads entitled to this acknowledgment are, the Michigan Central, Detroit, 

 Grand Haven & Milwaukee, Flint & Fere Marquette, Detroit, Lansing & Northern, 

 Grand Rapids & Indiana, Lake Shore & Michigan Southern, and tlie Wabash, St. 

 Louis & Pacific. 



J. M. STERLING, 

 W. J. BAXTER, 

 W. L. WEBBER. 



Mr. Dean offered the following, which was adopted : 



Resolved, That this society recognize and appreciate the great obligations they 

 •are under to the several railroad companies of this State, who have, as we are 

 informed by tlie chairman of the Transportation Committee, manifested a disposi- 

 tion to grant in the future, as they have in the past, all reasonable requests of this 



