608 EXPERIMENT STATION EECORD. 



Ill the Aviiiter of 1850-51 five gentlemen from Buffalo took steps 

 toward the establishment of an agTicultiiral school, the Oakwood 

 Agricultural Institute, at Lancaster, a small village near Buffalo. 

 The school was founded on 200 shares of stock subscribed 

 by these men, who hoped after it had been brought into successful 

 operation to turn it over to the State as a nucleus for a state agri- 

 cultural college — an institution Avhich man}^ were then advocating. 

 Professor Brewer Avas empkwed to take charge of the agricultural 

 department of this new agricultural school, and just before the school 

 opened was placed in charge of it as principal. The school opened 

 early in April, 1851, using the buildings on the farm of Judge 

 Theodotus Burrell, who was the originator and chief promoter of the 

 scheme. About a dozen boys, 14 to IT j^ears of age, attended 

 until the school closed in the late fall. Professor Brewer spent 

 the winter in giving public lectures for the school on elementary and 

 agricultural chemistry. A disastrous fire in Buffalo that winter so 

 financially crippled the three main supporters of the school that it 

 never opened its doors again. 



In 1852 Professor Brewer became connected with Ovid College, an 

 institution in central New York, which had been placed in charge of 

 Rev. Amos Brown with the understanding that he was to introduce 

 instruction in agricultural science, and that the trustees were to 

 provide by subscription the salary of one teacher who was to give 

 instruction in the school in chemistry, agricultural chemistry, and 

 botany, and was to deliver lectures on these and kindred subjects to 

 which the subscribers and their families were to be admitted free of 

 charge. Professor Brewer fulfilled this mission from 1852 to 1858, 

 with the exception of two years spent in Europe ; and after teaching 

 chemistry and geology in a number of institutions he went to the 

 Sheffield Scientific School in 1864 as professor of agriculture. This 

 chair he occupied until 1003. when he retired as professor emeritus. 



Professor Brewer's career was an unusually active and varied one. 

 Aside from his teaching he held many public positions. He was con- 

 nected with the geological survey of California, the topographical 

 survey of Connecticut, and the scientific survey of the Philippine 

 Islands in 1903, and he had charge of the department of cereal 

 production in the Tenth Census. 



He was a prolific writer on a quite wide range of subjects centering 

 in agriculture, especially historical surveys, the breeding of animals, 

 and the geology of soils. For many years after the organization of the 

 Connecticut State Experiment Station he served as its secretary and 

 treasurer. He was active in connection with the state board of 

 agriculture, and from 1892 to 1909 was president of the Connecticut 

 board of health. He was an active and honored member of many 

 learned societies, at whose meetings he had until recently been a con- 

 spicuous figure. 



