AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. 527 



DEPARTMENT OF PRACTICAL AGRI- 

 CULTURE. 



President James C. Greenough. 



Sir : — The following report on the course of instruction 

 in Practical Agriculture for the year 1884 is respectfully sub- 

 mitted : 



Twent3^-two of the Freshmen of last year, twenty of the 

 present Sophomores and all of the Juniors and Seniors have 

 taken the course in agriculture. The general plan of instruc- 

 tion in this department, as given in outline in my report of 

 last year, has been followed in the class-room, so that all of 

 the classes in agriculture are now in their regular place in 

 the course. 



From the interest manifested by the students in the sev- 

 eral topics presented, the course of instruction for the year 

 has been, on the whole, satisfactory, notwithstanding the 

 serious disadvantaofes arisinor from the want of suitable facili- 

 ties for illustration. 



During the past term the senior class have had a course of 

 lectures on biology in its relations to agriculture, illustrated 

 by work and experiments with culture apparatus and the 

 microscope, performed by the students themselves, which 

 has not only served to train them in exact methods of inves- 

 tigation, but enabled them to make actual demonstrations of 

 the practical applications of the principles taught. 



The rapid development of biological science within the 

 past few years, and the many direct applications of the latest 

 discoveries in almost every departmeni of practical agricul- 

 ture seem to indicate that the course of instruction may be 

 profitably extended in this direction. 



