DEPARTMENT REPORTS. 31 



AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT. 



The rapid development of the various lines of Agricultural instruc- 

 tion together with the fact that this work will soon be centralized in 

 our new agricultural building made it seem advisable to the board to place 

 the various lines of work, such as agriculture, horticulture, veterinary 

 science and forestry under one person as dean. Prof. Robert S. Shaw who 

 has been the efficient- head of our Agricultural department for the past 

 six years was appointed to this responsible position. He had scarcely 

 taken charge when the resignation of Professor Smith as director of 

 the Experiment Station made it necessary to add to his duties that of 

 director. He will be ably assisted in the latter position by Dr. Chas. 

 E. Marshall who will act in the capacity of Scientific and Vice Director. 

 While subordinate to Professor Shaw as director he will be charged 

 with the responsibility of directing the scientific work of the Station, 

 especially the research work carried on by virtue of the Adams fund. 

 During the past year there have been employed by the Experiment 

 Station three well trained men who will devote their entire time to 

 investigation work under the provisions of the Adams Act. One is 

 assigned to each of the following departments. Chemistry, Bacteriology 

 and Entomology. 



FORESTRY. 



Prof. J. Fred Baker was elected to the Professorship in Forestry 

 made vacant by the death of Prof. Bogue. Prof. Baker graduated from 

 this college with the class of 1902. Later he completed the forestry 

 course in Yale University and was in the government service for some 

 time. He was Professor of Forestry in Colorado College when called 

 to his present position. He has entered upon his duties with great 

 energy. The State Legislature at its last session set apart as a college 

 forest reservation the forty-two thousand acres of land in Alcona and 

 Iosco counties which w^as the portion remaining unsold of the land 

 donated to the college by the National Government under the Mori'ill 

 Act of 1862. No funds were provided by the State for replanting these 

 lands or protecting them from fire. 



In order that our forestry students might have some instruction under 

 actual forest conditions it was planned to hold a summer session on this 

 reservation for the students in our forestry course. The Attorney Gen- 

 eral, however, refused to permit the Board to use college funds for 

 this purpose and the project had to be abandoned for the present. It 

 is hoped that the summer school in forestry may be made possible for 

 next year by inducing the next Legislature to amend our college bill. 

 It is also very much desired that the Legislature will provide funds 

 for the protection and improvement of the forest reservation. The 

 college does not have sufficient income to undertake this great work, 

 however desirable it may be. If this land which is known as jack 

 pine plains — principally light sand — could be replanted or even pro- 

 tected from fire for a long series of years it would no doubt return a 

 handsome income to the college. It should be done and the work should 

 begin at the earliest possible date. 



