70 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE 



Tlioro is a dcniand for a course of study founded upon and consist inj; 

 lar<rely of the same general elements as our present mechanical course, 

 hut nlhtwinj; s<tme litth^ sjiecializat ion ah)nj;- ci\il engineerinj; lines. 

 You are aware that every year a nuniher of j)rospective students ask if 

 our mechanical course affords ach^juate i)re])arati()n for future work in 

 city and railroad surveyinji", structural enj;"ineering and the like. A 

 considerable nund)er of evei-y entering class take up their work here 

 with the expressed intention of making civil engineering their profession. 

 Some of these graduate here and complete their study elsewhere, more 

 leave us before graduation, and a few of our graduates have done suc- 

 cessful work in civil engineering without studying in any other college. 



Believing that a course could easily be arranged to satisfy the apparent 

 demand mentioned, a course that would keep with us until graduation 

 many of those who will otherwise leave us at an earlier time, and one 

 that would even attract students on account of its desirability and 

 merits, I would urge that you use your good offices in causing the 

 college to otter instruction in a few more civil engineering studies. I 

 submit that the best way to do this would be to offer options of the 

 studies desired in place of the machin(^ design of the mechanical course. 

 The time is favorable for the beginning of such options, even if it haj)- 

 pens that those who elect to take advantage of them are among those 

 who would otherwise com])lete the mechanical course. I am told that 

 classes in technical mechanical subjects have reached the limit beyond 

 which additional teaching force will be required to care for them. The 

 probable result of offering these oj)tions would be to relieve somewhat 

 the overcrowding of classes in macliine design; and if they should i)rove 

 popular, scarcely any more teaching force will be necessary for both 

 courses than for the same number of students all in the old course. 



EQUIPMENT. 



There have been added to our instrumental equipment a plane-table 

 with accessories, two new surveyors' comi)asses, a range finder, a 

 Thacher comjjuting instrument, a large slide rule, a machinist's rod, a 

 telescoping rod, a Philadelphia rod, a binocular hand level and a split- 

 second timer. Supplies of hand axes, baskets, plumb-bobs and the like, 

 which were low at the beginning of the year, have been replenished. 

 The total expenditure by the department during the year for the above 

 items and for stationery, postage, etc., is $447. 



The inventory of department property, including instrumental equip- 

 ment, class-room and office fuiniture, observatory apparatus and tools 

 shows an aggregate of f4,53(>.53 on June 30, 1901, as against |4,065.52 

 last year. 



SLIIVEYS, ETC. 



We have surveyed the athletic field jicquired by purchase last summer, 

 have revised the general campus ma]t from which was made an engrav- 

 ing for the college directory, and have referenced extensions of the 

 sewer, water and steam lines when these have come to our knowledge. 



In addition to the regular departmental work, this year I have been 

 required to assume part of the functions of college registrar, classifying 

 students of the freshman mechanical classes at the beginning of each 



