226 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
‘‘As to our school work, perhaps it was never so successful as 
the past year. There were 200 in attendance at one time, 
with a total enrollment of 365. Seven years ago when you met 
here, there was just one student in the department of agriculture. 
The girls’ department was introduced a year ago. This year a 
dressmaking department was added which bids fair to be very 
popular. The instruction to girls comprises lessons in domestic 
economy, physiology and hygiene. ‘There was not so large an 
attendance this year as last, but we think the work more of a 
success, as while there were fewer from the Park, there were 
more from the agricultural district surrounding. The course 
lasts but six weeks. We think this will eventually result in 
admitting girls to the regular school. 
“The last legislature made an appropriation of $65,000 for new 
buildings. One building is already started to be used as a dor- 
mitory and for cooking. We shall now be able to get along 
some time, but, if the school continues to grow as it has in the 
past, it will not be so very long before further room will be 
needed. The capacities of the dairy building will be nearly 
doubled; other buildings will be sheep pens and barns, and 
there will be minor improvements about the place. 
‘Tt is not so good a time to show off the place when there are 
so many people. There is not time to go over halfofit. I 
have 16,000 plants. Prof. Hays has a great many thousands in 
his department. 'Then the work is so scattered that it is diffi- 
cult to show it in ashort time. We shall be glad to have you 
come at any time and study the work.” 
Mr. F. H. Nutter was called upon to respond to ‘‘Should the 
Useful always Be Made Beautiful?” He spoke as follows: 
When my attention was first called to this question I understood, 
of course, that I was expected to maintain the affirmative side, but, 
as I farther considered the matter, [encountered a dilemma of mag - 
nificent proportions; my inner consciousness said to me—‘ You 
claim to be useful as occasion may offer, therefore—’; so you see 
the difficulties which ensue when we attempt to carry the simplest 
proposition to a logical conclusion. Fortunately, however, the 
question has an impersonal side which may be pursued with safety, 
and to that we will turn for a few moments. 
It is often insinuated that this land of ours extends but a chilling 
reception to the fine arts, and there, doubtless, is good reason for the 
charge toa certain extent, but we may plead in defense that in the 
hurly-burly of building up a new world many things are neglected 
that when we have time to stop and take breath will probably re- 
ceive different treatment. 
Every one who is interested in machinery has often taken pride in 
