STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 381 



•HORTICULTURE ON TFIE STATE UNIVERSITY FARM.* 

 By PuoF. Edward D. Porter, Minneapolis. 

 Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Horticultural Society: 



Before beginning my remariis upon the department of horticulture at th& 

 University Farm, perhaps it might not be out of place to give a short outline of 

 the University in all its branches, and that necessitates a biief review of its organ- 

 ization and work. 



The University of Mimesota, like every other institution that aspires to be a 

 university in fact as well as in name, is made up of a group of colleges or sep irate 

 institutions, each having a spacified object, each distinct from the other, but all 

 arranged under one general management, andcoliectively known as the University 

 of Minnesota. In its ultimate design, it embraces the departments of literature, 

 science, the arts, law, medicine, theol )gy and agriculture. Our State is new, its 

 institutions are ail in a formative condition. It was impossible in this State to 

 create at once an agricultural college fully equipped, law and medical colleges, 

 and all the other departments of a complete university, and have them spring 

 forth perfect and complete like Minerva from the head of Jove, but the develop- 

 ment must necessarily be slow and gradual. The finances of the State of Minne- 

 sota, and the wants of the State did not warrant the establishment of all these 

 different depxrtments at once. The Board of Regents wisely began at the founda- 

 tion, and organized the academic department, commencing with what might be 

 termed a high school. This was the nucleus around which in time they hoped to 

 build up as grand a university as any in the Imd. After this came the establish- 

 ment of the classical department, then came the departments of literature and 

 science, and these came al mg, one following the other so rapidly that in the course 

 of five years the full organization of an ordinary college was obtained. This work 

 was carried on step by step, keeping distinctly in view the ultimate organization 

 of a complete university. At a very early stage in the organization of the 

 university, it became necessary, in order to meet the demands of the farmers of 

 the State, and in accordance with the provision of appropriating public lands for 

 the organization of a college of agriculture and the mechanic arts, the act of con- 

 gress, to organize the college of agriculture, but I may say that the organization of 

 this college was in advance of public sentiment and demands. The people of the 

 country did not require it, because they had not been educated to see the necessity 

 of it, but Its organization was forced, and like all hot-bed growths, the progress 

 has been slower than it should be and would be, were the conditions more favor- 

 able. But the college of agriculture of the State of Minnesota was established 

 as contemplated by the act of congress, and was organized by the Board of Regents 

 as authorized by th« legisliture of the State. 



This college of agriculture is made up of two depirtments, in reality; the 

 theoretical and the practical. Agriculture, for its successful prosecution and in 

 its scieniific researches, makes demands upon every department of human knowl- 

 edge. There is no trade, business or occupation followed by the human race that 



♦The address of Prof. Porter was delivered extemporaneously before the Society on Thursday after- 

 noon, and appears at this place on account of a delay in returning the manuscript to the Secretary, 

 after its revision. 



