DEPARTMExNT REPORTS. 65 



During the year fines to the amount of $36.23 have been collected. The 

 library hours remain unchanged. 



To the lil)rary of the experiment station, 87 books have been added, 10 

 of which were i)urcha.sed, 17 were presented, and 60 from the bindery. This 

 library now numbers 2,192 volumes. The college library contains 23,630 

 volumes; total in both libraries, 25,822 volumes. 



i«^-The work in the library has gone on about as usual. The assistant, Miss 

 Balbach, has been untiring in her efforts to further the interests of the 

 library. We take pleasure in commending her, and regret that she finds 

 it necessary to sever her connection with the college. We wish for her all 

 possible success in whatever work she may engage. 



Respectfully submitted, 



LINDA E. LANDON, 



Librarian. 

 Agricultural College, Mich., June 30, 1905. 



REPORT OF THE MILITARY DEPARTMENT. 



President J. L. Snyder, Michigan Agricultural College : 



Sir — I have the honor to submit the following: The oustide w^ork in 

 this department closed June 9th, 1905. During the Spring term the weather 

 has been such that the work has been very much retarded. 



Captain Francis E. Lacy, Jr., U. S. Army, inspected the department, 

 May 22, 1905. These inspections are entirely too early so far as this col- 

 lege is concerned to make a proper showing. On this occasion the men 

 did fairly well, much better than I expected to see when it is taken into 

 consideration how little practice they had during the term, yet they did 

 not come up to my ideas of what a Battalion of College Cadets should be. 



I desire to call your attention to the fact that in my opinion the hour 

 for Military instruction is too late in the da}'. Students who have been 

 . at their studies or in the shops all day, when they report for drill are tired 

 and worn out, and do not feel much like drilling for an hour. Cadet Offi- 

 •cers have informed me that they believe if the instruction was held at an 

 earlier hour there would be much more interest taken in the drill. The 

 present hour is especially bad in the Fall. The Companies have to enter 

 the Armory too early on account of darkness w^hile there is fine weather 

 on the outside, in consequence each company has but one hour during 

 the week for this instruction. 



General Orders No. 57, dated War Department, April 7, 1905, amending 

 G. O. No. 65, series of 1904, with reference to Colleges of this class is a change 

 that has been much desired. As it was heretofore it was impossible to carry 

 out the War Department orders, as it covered so much and there was not 

 sufficient time to do it. As it is at present the orders require but three 

 hours per week, two-thirds of which at least must be practical. This is a 

 much better arrangement both for the Faculty and the Commandant. 



The burning of Well's Hall during the past year was disastrous to the 

 Military Department, forty-seven men lost their uniforms, and it was con- 

 sidered to be a hardship to require these men to purchase new uniforms 

 9 



