100 HENRY HILL GOODELL 



thorough practical knowledge of agriculture and horticul- 

 ture and at the same time liberally educate the man." More 

 time is to be devoted "to the study of one's mother tongue " ; 

 and in this connection he adds: "Too much value cannot 

 be placed upon the Library. It is now only the nucleus of 

 what it ought to be, and a thousand dollars should be ex- 

 pended at once in furnishing the latest scientific works in 

 the several departments." 



In his next report we have a new feature. A list is given 

 of some thirty lectures by experts, not connected with the 

 College, on various subjects, ranging from the nebular hy- 

 pothesis and evolution to the various breeds of cattle and 

 the culture of bees. The labor fund is again presented, with 

 such force and cogency of reasoning that it did not escape 

 the attention of the legislators^ The culture of "one's 

 mother tongue" is again emphasized: "A knowledge of 

 English composition, the power of adequately expressing 

 thought in words, lies at the base of all education." An- 

 other appeal is made for the library: "'Gyf to ye foke ye 

 beste and muche of it and they will stomak no thing else,* 

 is as true now as when penned well nigh two hundred and 

 fifty years ago." 



These annual reports are a striking illustration of the 

 practical nature of the man and his growing breadth of 

 view. With one or two exceptions they were accepted and 

 adopted, without change, as the report of the Board of 

 Trustees. 



This may be a fit place to introduce some account of 

 President Goodell's ideas of the functions of an agricult- 

 ural college. It will be remembered that the mechanic arts, 

 as provided for in the Morrill Act, were taught in the Massa- 



