206 GENERAL HISTORY. 



Egypt, which were suitably planted. He remarks: "This wonderful aquatic 

 plant has produced leaves over two feet in diameter, aud delicate pink flowers 

 ten inches in diameter. The flowers are, in shape, much like a tulip, and 

 are very fragrant, often attracting half a dozen or more bees to each flower. 

 Although the plant is from the tropics, it is perfectly hardy in mud which 

 docs not freeze, and is much more vigoroas and prolific of flowers than our 

 native lotus {X. Inteum-writer). There is no reason why they should not be 

 introduced into any of our native ponds where the bottom is soft and rich, 

 and where the surface is not too much exposed to strong winds." 



Although the zoological department is radically distinct from horticulture, 

 there are few others, some knowledge of which is more essential to success in 

 this. 



The report of Prof. A. J. Cook, like that of Prof. Beal, shows a great 

 amount of professional work, both with classes and by lectures, essays, and 

 correspondence, the satisfactory performance of which, unless with expert 

 aid, he finds impossible. Professors Beal and Cook have done a vast amount 

 of gratuitous and highly valuable work for horticulture, not in this State 

 only, but also in other States. Their reputation as scientists has long since 

 come to be national if not even broader still. 



Secretary Sanford Howard, of the Board of Agriculture, died at Lansing on 

 March 10th. 1871, having held the position since February, 1864, Robert J. 

 Baird became his successor, continuing in that position till his decease, which 

 occurred in 1885. He was succeeded by the present incumbent, Henry Gr. 

 Reynolds, of Grand Traverse. 



With his annual report for the year 1 884, President Abbot tendered his 

 resignation of the presidency of the college, retaining only his professorship. 

 The position was thereupon tendered to Hon. Edwin Willits, of Monroe, for- 

 merly a member of Congress from this State, and more recently priucijoal of 

 the State Normal School at Ypsilanti, who accepted and entered upon his 

 duties on July 1st, 1885. 



The sympathies of the horticulturists with the idea and plan of a Michigan 

 agricultural college have ever been more decided than have those of the great 

 body of agriculturists; notwithstanding the fact that its practice has not been 

 altogether commensurate with what they have genenilly deemed to be reason- 

 able expectations. That this has been the case is doubtless, at least in part, 

 due to the unfavorable character of the farm, on which there is alleged to be 

 very little land suited to general orchard purposes. Beyond this, however, 

 the fact seems obvious, that the authorities who were influential in the loca- 

 tion of the orchard, together with the selection of trees for the same, could 

 have had little acquaintance with, or interest in, such matters, since the 

 ground chosen is notoriously unfit for such purpose, at least until thoroughly 

 and deeply underdrained ; while the trees, instead of having been grown upon 

 the place, as a means of education, are reported to have been purchased, 

 without name, of " tree peddlers." 



The jDlea has been entered that the legislative appropriations were inade- 

 quate; but such plea is untenable, since the cost of the few seedling stocks 

 or fruit tree seeds requisite for such purpose would have been far less than 

 that of the trees purchased, while, beyond this, only student labor and the 

 use of a few square feet of ground would have been required, and abundant 

 time would have been allowed for the selection and proper preparation of the 

 orchard grounds. 



