60 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



The juniors and sophomores were each required to prepare an essay 

 upon some topic relating to horticulture, which was also counted as a 

 part of the work in English, and those taking landscape gardening drew 

 plans for the laying out of residence grounds of various sizes, as well as 

 school grounds, cemeteries and parks. 



In the fall term the seniors, to complete their work in pomology begun 

 in the previous year, gave particular attention to the fruits in the or- 

 chards and gardens, and a study was made of the varieties that could 

 be secured during the fall months, either from the college orchards or 

 from fairs, and attention was also paid to the characteristics of the vari- 

 ous species of fruit trees and plants in cultivation, and careful descrip- 

 tions and drawings were made of the twigs, buds and foliage, as well as 

 of the fruit. 



SPECIAL SIX WEEKS COURSES. 



During the first half of the winter term, arrangements were made for 

 instruction in fruit culture for a period of six weeks to special students 

 in that topic. The lectures were designed to cover, so far as was possible 

 in that time, the growing of trees and other fruit plants in the nursery, 

 their pruning and general care in the orchards. Considerable attention 

 was given to the use of fertilizers, cultivation, the sprayingof the trees for 

 fungous diseases, and the gathering and marketing of the crop. In addi- 

 tion to this classroom instruction, they had practical work in pruning and 

 grafting, and a study was made of some of the leading American varie- 

 ties from wax and natural specimens. In addition to the work in fruit 

 culture proper, they spent one or more hours each day in the department 

 of chemistry, botany and entomology. In this way, young men who had 

 not the time to take a full college course, or who were particularly inter- 

 ested in fruit culture, were enabled to secure in a comparatively short 

 time a large amount of useful information which would aid them in their 

 work. 



STUDENT LABOR. 



As will be seen from the foregoing, much of the time of the students 

 assigned to this department for their regular afternoon work, was de- 

 voted to laboratory or educational work, but as the amount that could 

 be furnished did not occupy the time, they were employed upon the rou- 

 tine labor of the department, which added to their proficiency. 



In addition to the required labor, quite a number of the students gave 

 additional time to the practical horticultural work, and a large number 

 whose regular work was upon the farm or in the shops worked in this 

 department during their spare hours in the school week and upon Satur- 

 day, thus obtaining a knowledge of horticultural methods, as well as 

 assisting in paying their college bills. In addition to the work performed 

 by the young men, several of the young women aided in the office work 

 in keeping books and records and in correspondence, while others helped 

 in the work of the greenhouses and forcing houses. 



