No. 4.] AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. 371 



instructors and students, to the end that each year may make 

 the college more worthy of the patronage of the State. 



The wants brought specially to our notice are : First, a 

 new plant-house, to take the place of one now going to 

 decay. We think it wiser to build new, perhaps a part this 

 year, upon a plan to which additions can be easily made 

 from year to year, as needed. Second, a tool-house and 

 workshop, where repairs can be made. Third, a sufficient 

 supply of manure and fertilizers for the orchards, vineyards, 

 and all the cultivated grounds. 



We are urged to recommend the release from the require- 

 ment to make the departments, by their sales, in a degree 

 self-sustaining. We think the more nearly self-sustaining 

 they may be made, the better object lesson they give to the 

 students in those methods which every New England farmer 

 holds to be important, though a proper sum may be wisely 

 set aside for experiments and for collections of rare plants. 

 We would make the same rule apply to the farm, so far as 

 possible, leaving to the Hatch Experiment Station the 

 nicer details of many experiments which can only be carried 

 out by nicely separated plots, and continued for a long series 

 of years ; and yet we would make the farm valuable to the 

 students and to the State, in confirming the results of these 

 experiments applied to field culture. Such, we understand, 

 is the purpose of the management. 



Of the Hatch Experiment Station we are prepared to 

 speak in high terms, — of its comprehensive plans, of the 

 many series of experiments continued through successive 

 years and reaching results which are accurate for the given 

 conditions and which are valuable in general application. 

 Of the experiments made and results reached, the bulletins 

 give full details. We are sure that a visit to the college 

 will well repay any practical farmer, and that the course of 

 instruction there will be very valuable to any of his sons. 



The examination of the Class of '91 was conducted in the 

 way that has been the custom from the first. A topic was 

 given the class by the professor of agriculture, and each 

 member required to write what he could. These papers were 

 examined by your committee. The class was also examined 



