THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. 87 



ing, as was said in the last Report, is far more important than 

 is generally supposed, and has from the first received the 

 most careful attention, and been eminently successful. The 

 horticultural department, under the charge of Professor 

 Maynard, contains extensive plant and propagating houses, 

 peach, pear, and apple orchards, vineyards and nurseries, 

 affording ample facilities for instruction and for the labor 

 of students, who are paid by the hour for all work beyond 

 the limits of what is called " class-work," which is required 

 of all students six hours a week as a part of the educational 

 course. 



The farm, of nearly four hundred acres, must be regarded 

 as an important adjunct of the College, as it affords facilities 

 for observation and labor which could not be had without 

 it. It has been somewhat cramped for means, and has been 

 required to do a vast amount of work — in the way of grading 

 grounds, building roads and walks, and teaming of various 

 kinds — for the College, so that its accounts have not shown 

 its actual working ; but its capacities for usefulness in con- 

 nection with other departments of the College are too obvious 

 to need cohiment. 



Though the education and training of young men must 

 be regarded as the primary object, the contributions of the 

 College to the science and practice of agriculture have been 

 extensive and valuable ; and they are universally recognized 

 throughout the country as in the highest degree creditable 

 to the institution and to the State : they have, indeed, in 

 repeated instances, been taken as the basis of important legis- 

 lative action in other States. The following may be stated 

 as a few of the subjects that have been investigated, most of 

 them exhaustively, and with valuable practical results : — 



1. The growing of sugar-beets, the manufacture of sugar 

 from them, and trials of their value for cattle foods. This 

 industry is soon to grow up in our midst, and to absorb large 

 amounts of capital. 



2. The sources of supply and the quantity and quality of 

 our manurial agents. These careful scientific investigations 

 have been the prime means of revolutionizing the manufac- 

 ture and trade in fertilizers, not only in this State, but through- 

 out the country. 



3. Laboratory and physical examinations of the South 



