IIS EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



which he worked out included experiments by the pupils and corre- 

 spondence with the "director" of the course, and was probably the 

 first correspondence course in agriculture undertaken in this country. 



Major Alvord was greatly interested in the cooperative creamery 

 system of butter making, which was attracting attention at that time, 

 and became an ardent advocate of the cooperative system of dairying 

 throughout New England. He established the first creamery east of 

 the Hudson River, and was a leading spirit in the organizing of 

 many others in Massachusetts, Vermont, and Maine. 



On the establishment of the Houghton Farm Experiment Station in 

 1880 Major Alvord became general manager, remaining at its head 

 until the project had to be abandoned in 1885 for lack of funds. 

 In that year he was appointed professor of agriculture at the Massa- 

 chusetts Agricultural College, where he remained for two years, 

 resigning in 1887. He was elected director of the experiment station 

 at Cornell University, upon its establishment under the Hatch Act, 

 but declined the position to accept the presidency of the Maryland 

 Agricultural College. He reorganized that institution and established 

 the experiment station, occupying the position of president and director 

 until 1892. He w T as afterwards temporarily in charge of the Oklahoma 

 Agricultural College and Experiment Station, and went from there to 

 the New Hampshire Agricultural College in 1894 as professor of agri- 

 culture, where he remained for a short time. 



Few men were more prominently identified with the Federal legis- 

 lation relating to the agricultural colleges and experiment stations 

 than Major Alvord. He was prominent in the meetings preceding 

 the formation of the Association of American Agricultural Colleges 

 and Experiment Stations, and on the organization of that association 

 he became chairman of its executive committee, discharging that office 

 for eight years. During this time his judgment as a man of affairs, 

 and his familiarity with methods of securing legislation, made him of 

 great service in promoting the movements which resulted in the 

 national endowment of the agricultural colleges and the experiment 

 stations. He had what may be called the military habit or cast of 

 mind. He made clear and detailed plans of work, was quick and firm 

 in decision, and authoritative in manner and speech. He was thus 

 qualified for leadership, and exerted a considerable influence in what- 

 ever enterprise he was engaged. 



He was president of the Association of American Agricultural Col- 

 leges and Experiment Stations in 1894, wdiich marked the termination 

 of his connection with that bod}^ and with the institutions represented 

 b} r it. In 1895 he was appointed Chief of the Dairy Division, which 

 Congress had authorized to be established in the Bureau of Animal 

 Industry of this Department. He organized this division and its work, 



