246 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan. 



classes, many of which otherwise could not afford a liberal 

 education ; our other colleges being more upon the English 

 plan of providing an education suitable for young men 

 anticipating entering upon professional life. One of the 

 provisions of this act of Congress was, that it must be 

 accepted by the various States, and the Legislature of 

 Massachusetts passed an act in conformity therewith April 

 18, 18 63. The act of incorporation was approved April 29, 

 1863 ; which provided for a Board of Trustees. A sub- 

 sequent act made the Board of Agriculture a Board of 

 Overseers, whose duties were to be defined by the Governor. 



The College Located. 



After all other necessary preliminaries had been disposed 

 of, the question as to where the college should be located 

 became somewhat interesting. Applications were made by 

 various towns, but Amherst came down with a $75,000 

 argument, and took the prize. This mbney was to be used 

 towards the erection of buildings and other expenses in aid 

 of the enterprise. 



Farm Purchased and Buildings Erected. 



After it was voted to locate the college at Amherst, a 

 farm was purchased containing nearly four hundred acres, 

 from several separate and distinct estates ; and buildings 

 were erected, such as were suitable for a beginning, and the 

 college opened for practical work Oct. 2, 1867, with a class 

 of forty-six students ; and the students, for several years 

 in the early history of the college, were trained in practical 

 as well as theoretical agriculture. 



The college farm is situated about a mile north of the 

 central village, and is well adapted to purposes for which it 

 is used. The work of improvement has been constantly 

 going on, such as underdraining, cleaning and improving 

 unsightly and waste portions, removing old walls and fences, 

 and placing long-neglected pastures under cultivation ; until 

 at the present time we have an estate worthy of being 

 called the State agricultural farm, though there are still 

 many improvements that might be made, and doubtless will 

 be in time. 



