28 DEPARTMENT. REPORTS. 



careful work day after day for weeks or months can be pursued with no 

 break. 



These advantages have for several winters attracted some students to the 

 laboratories. The tendency seems to be infectious. Quite a class will remain 

 the coming winter, who will give their time mainly to Agriculture, Horticult- 

 ure, Botany, Entomology and Zoology. One of the enthusiastic professors 

 recently said to me that indications pointed to a soon-coming time when his 

 laboratory would be open for work ten hours a day for every working day of 

 the year. 



FAIE EXHIBITS. 



At the State Fair in Lansing the College made a large and interesting 

 exhibit which attracted much attention, and excited suprise. People who 

 have not visited the College and have not noticed from year to year the 

 reports as to its development, have very imperfect ideas as to its rapid growth 

 and its present advanced condition. The superior vegetables in great variety ; 

 the fruit ; the farm products ; the stock ; the tools, machines and steam 

 engines made by the students in their regular shop-work ; the beautiful dis- 

 play of hot-house plants ; the few very attractive cases of insects that were 

 shown from the McMillan collection, so rich in rare specimens ; the suggest- 

 ive exhibit of skeletons and models of animals from the Veterinary depart- 

 ment; the singular appearance of the apparatus from the chemical and 

 physical laboratory ; and the instructive specimens from the botanical depart- 

 ment drew a constant and curious crowd. As much of the College exhibit 

 as could be easily and safely transported was exhibited at the Detroit Exposi- 

 tion. Here, too, it was examined and admired by very large numbers, who 

 kept the attendants busy from morning until night. The authorities of the 

 Exposition were most courteous in assigning space, and in affording facilities 

 for our display. So also were the officers of the State Fair in Lansing, who 

 did all that they were asked to do. By special request the exhibit of the 

 Veterinary department was taken to the Grand Rapids Fair, where it had 

 generous treatment from the managers and appreciation from the public. 

 Much good could be done by College exhibits at many different fairs. But 

 the labor, expense, absence of material from the lecture rooms, and absence 

 of students and professors from college duties in order to care for the exhibits 

 will probably preclude us from attempting to exhibit except at the State 

 Fair and the Detroit Exposition. At the Exposition in Detroit the advantage 

 of having the exhibits from all the departments of the College adjacent to 

 each other was apparent. In this way the varied character and extent of 

 our study and work are clearly shown, and the trouble of caring for the 

 exhibit is much reduced. It is hoped that a similar arrangement can be 

 made for the exhibit at the State Fair in future years. 



THE M'MILLAN COLLECTIONS. 



The College is greatly indebted to Senator James McMillan, of Detroit, 

 for the most generous gift of a large collection of butterflies and of beetles. 

 The butterflies include 8,000 species and 12,000 specimens. The beetles 

 include 8,000 species and 40,000 specimens. This gift is more fully 

 described in the report of Prof. Cook, through whose interest in his depart- 

 ment the gift was inspired. It is hoped that this kindly act of Senator 



