Department of Farm Mechanics. cxi 



it shall have the small room directly beneath it now occupied by 

 the Department of Farm Mechanics, thus leaving that department 

 without accommodation. 



It is possibly in order at this time to note that in his inaugural 

 address in 1892, President Schurman recommended " a museum 

 for the exhibition of all kinds of agricultural implements " as one 

 of the important departments to be housed in the new agricul- 

 tural buildings when they should be secured. The Stewart-Monroe 

 bill providing for the erection of these buildings directs that pro- 

 vision shall be made for the exhibition of machinery. It would 

 thus appear that if the changes now proposed are carried out, it 

 is absolutely necessary to make some other adequate provision for 

 the housing of the Department of Farm Mechanics. 



Two courses present themselves : either to go to the Legislature 

 at once for money for a new building or to make use for the time 

 being of quarters which may become available.. Considering the 

 needs of other departments of the college, money for which mu*t 

 be secured in the near future, it would probably be impossible to 

 secure at this time funds sufficient for a suitable building, and the 

 writer would respectfully urge that no new building be attempted 

 until such time as there can be had one of capacity and appoint- 

 ment amply sufficient for the needs of all of the engineering de- 

 partments of the college for some years to come. Furthermore, 

 owing to the youth of the Department of Farm Mechanics, its re- 

 quirements cannot now be accurately foretold, and as this De- 

 partment would occupy the largest part of an engineering building 

 this constitutes another argument against the construction of a new 

 one at this time. 



The old university barn as soon as it is vacated, following the 

 completion of the new barns now under construction, will be avail- 

 able for- some purpose and with moderate alterations could be made 

 suitable for the use of the Department of Farm Mechanics, for say 

 five years to come. In the basement could be located the shops 

 and a steam engine, the exhaust steam from which could be used 

 for heating the shops, the offices and the one or two laboratory 

 rooms on the floor above. All the remainder of the building 

 would be unheated and used mainly for exhibition and storage of 

 machinery, the present haymows being floored over for the pur- 

 pose. Implements to be studied would be run into the heated 

 rooms when required. In order to reduce the fire risk it would be 

 highly desirable to use as a separate gasoline engine room the two 



