No. 4.] WORK OF COLLEGE AXD STATION. 209 



upon specific subjects, I think it will be better for you to 

 transmit them to the professor in writing, to him at the 

 college, and you will get your answers. We have not time 

 to go into the matter of experiments. 



Mr A. C. Varnu3I (of Lowell). Mr. Chairman, will the 

 professor explain a little more fully the oljject and the 

 advantages of the labor fund? I find a good many of the 

 farmers do not quite understand it. 



Professor Brooks. This is an appropriation of $5,000 

 per year, made by the State for the purpose of giving 

 assistance to students who are desirous of working their 

 own way through the college. It is not charity, but money 

 that the State appropriates for the employment of these 

 young men ; and a very large share of the students now 

 there avail themselves of the privilege of the labor fund. 

 They can be given employment, the object of which is 

 largely the improvement of the estate. As one consequence 

 of the labor fund, two years ago we built in one single year 

 about five miles of tile drains. 



Mr. Varnum. All done by the students ? 



Professor Brooks. Very largely done l?y the students. 

 This labor fund has two important advantages : it enal)les 

 the young men to earn their own way, and those are the 

 ones we want to help ; and it enaliles us to carry out the 

 work of improving the estate much more rapidly than w^e 

 could otherwise do. The labor fund is not sufficient ; we 

 are obliged to refuse young men work simply because the 

 money is all expended. The money was entirely expended 

 early in November of this year. It ought to be double that. 

 Sometimes a young man comes to me and says, " I have got 

 to leave the college. I am dependent on what I earn. I 

 must earn enough to pay my own board. If I can't do that, 

 I must leave." I have suggested to the faculty that they be 

 aHowed to work, and it be credited to them on the books 

 and carried over ; but you will see where that will land us 

 another year. 



Mr. McIntosh. I think we ought to send a representa- 

 tive to the Legislature to put this matter before them. I 

 believe in employing every student there that wants to 

 work. It is the man that does not want to work that most 



