402 :exPEEiMENT station record. 



The Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station was established 

 in the summer of 1885 and Professor Scovell was elected as director, 

 assuming his duties in November of that year. His continuous period 

 of service as director for twenty-seven years is exceeded by only one 

 case, that of Dr. E. W. Hilgard of California. It places the Ken- 

 tucky Station in the unique position of having suffered no change in 

 its administrative head since its establishment, a fact which is the 

 more remarkable when the frequent change at most of these institu- 

 tions in the early days is considered. 



The beginning of the station was a meager one, and its resources 

 were very limited. There were no special funds for its maintenance, 

 and little in the way of facilities and equipment. One large room 

 in the basement of the college building was assigned to the station, 

 and this by subdivision was made to serve as office, chemical labora- 

 tory, and balance room. About twelve acres of land, all the tillable 

 land the college then had, was assigned to the station for field ex- 

 periments. The director was the only person whose time was de- 

 voted exclusively to the station work, and upon him devolved in large 

 measure both the planning and the execution of the work. 



In 1886 the legislature so modified the existing law relating to 

 the sale of commercial fertilizers as to place the station in charge of 

 the fertilizer control and give it the benefit of the fees. This was 

 the first formal recognition of the station as a state institution. The 

 following year a farm of about forty-eight acres was added, and a 

 station building was provided in 1888. A second farm of sixty-four 

 acres was acquired in 1898, to provide increased facilities for the 

 field and feedmg experiments, and subsequently other additions were 

 made until the station fields assumed their present generous pro- 

 portions. 



To the fertilizer control was later added the state food control 

 and the feeding stuff, nursery stock, and seed inspection, which pro- 

 vided a steadily increasing revenue. While these inspection duties 

 made large demands upon the station, the work was so organized 

 as not to interfere seriously with the experimental work, and new 

 departments were added as the funds permitted. In 1905, the sta- 

 tion having outgrown its quarters a new building, thoroughly modern 

 and complete in all its appointments, was erected. This in time also 

 became inadequate, and the past year an addition, larger than the 

 original structure and costing about $50,000, was begun. 



During these years much of the time and effort of Professor Scovell 

 were occupied in securing and preparing for use the buildings and 

 land which he felt were required for the proper equipment of the 

 station. These were provided in verj'^ large measure out of the earn- 

 ings of the station, without specific state appropriation. This called 

 for a high order of executive ability and business management. 



