DEPARTMENT REPORTS. 49 



copied in public papers all over the country. I also sent trial packages of 

 seed to all who applied. The untimely frost in September prevented any test 

 of the uses of sorghum for this purpose. 



ADDRESS AT COUNTY PAIR. 



By invitation, I gave the address at the Midland county fair at Midland 

 City; subject. Farmers' Eights. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



1 have had an extensive and varied correspondence, and might fill many 

 pages with the questions and answers if I supposed the public would be inter- 

 ested or profited thereby. 



SPECIAL INVESTIGATION IN NITROGEN. 



The source of nitrogen in plants has been a subject which has occupied my 

 thoughts and experimental investigation. The researches on this subject were 

 interrupted by work in completing the laboratory, and work on this subject 

 had to be thrown aside for this year. It will be resumed next year with better 

 facilities. It is a subject which occupies the time and thought of agricultural 

 chemists in all countries. 



Eespectfully submitted, 



R. 0. KEDZIE, 

 December, 1883. Professor of Chemistry. 



REPORT OF THE ZOOLOGICAL DEPARTMENT. 



To the President : 



I herewith submit my report for the past year : 



During the first half of the autumn term I gave a course of lectures in Zool- 

 ogy to the senior class, which numbered thirty members. The subject was very 

 fully illustrated by use of living animals, preserved specimens from the museum, 

 and. histological preparations, of which I have now of my own preparation a 

 very complete suite. The same class, during the remainder of the term, pur- 

 sued under my instruction the science of geology. I lectured to them daily, 

 and also used Dana's text-book. The usual trip to Grand Ledge — the nearest 

 outcrop of rocks — was enjoyed and appreciated by the members of the class. 

 During the last half of the term I also gave to the junior class a course of 

 lectures in comparative anatomy. The class numbered thirty-six. Besides 

 the lectures, an hour was spent each day in laboratory work. On these occa- 

 sions the class was taken in sections of six to eight each. Each student was 

 required to examine parts minutely, and to carefully compare parts of lower 

 animals with the corresponding portions of the human body. Extensive use 

 was made of the excellent means for illustration now in our possession. In 

 this term I lecture one hour daily for the first half, and two hours each day 

 the second half. I also gave one hour each day to laboratory instruction 

 during the second half term. 



In the spring term I lectured daily to the junior class on the subject of 

 human and comparative physiology. The class numbered thirty-two. In 



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