238 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



May 



three were undecided as to their future busi- 

 ness. Their average age was nearly eighteen 

 years. The general conduct of the students 

 has been all that could be desired, and it is 

 especially worthy of remark that there was no 

 case of "hazing" during the past year. 



The health of the students has been most 

 excellent. No death has occurred, nor any 

 case of alarming illness. The average ab- 

 sence from duty, on account of sickness or 

 wounds, has amounted to less than one day for 

 each student during the entire year. The 

 average for the summer term, ending August 

 6th, was less than one-half day for each person. 



Nearly all the agricultural societies of the 

 State have shown their interest in the College 

 by voting to pay the term bills of one or more 

 students, the amount per annum for each be- 

 ing $54. 



At the present time the following societies 

 maintain scholarships, viz. : The Massachu- 

 setts Society supports three ; Essex and Ply- 

 mouth two each ; Barnstable, Bristol, Bristol 

 Central, Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, 

 Hampshire, Hampshire, Franklin and Hamp- 

 den, HIngham, Highland, Middlesex South, 

 Norfolk, Worcester, Worcester North, Wor- 

 cester South-East, and Worcester West, one 

 each. 



Although there are as yet but two classes, 

 Freshman and Sophomore, a full course of 

 study occupies four years, and there will be 

 two other classes. Juniors and Seniors, as in 

 other colleges, in due time. 



From the sale of 360,000 acres of land 

 given to Massachusetts, for the endowment of 

 one or more coF.eges for the promotion of ed- 

 ucation in agriculture and the mechanic arts, 

 $236,307.40 were received. Two- thirds of 

 of the annual income from this fund is to be 

 paid to the treasurer of the Agricultural Col- 

 lege, and one-third to the treasurer of the In- 

 stitute of Technology, an institution in the 

 city of Boston, which is designed to afford to 

 mechanics advantages similar to those which 

 the Agricultural College affords to farmers. 



From this fund the Agricultural College re- 

 ceives an income of $8,296.99, besides which 

 it derives an income of $580 from the Hill 

 fund for the maintenance of the Botanic Gar- 

 den. The college farm contains 383 acres, 

 and cost $37,000. The buildings are put 

 down as costing $125,000 ; farm stock, $4000 ; 



implements $2000 ; farm produce on hand, 

 $3000. Donations have been received from 

 various sources. The town of Amherst gave 

 $75,000, the Legislature has appropriated 

 $70,000, and $100,000 is now asked for the 

 erection of additional buildings, for a supply 

 of water, tools, books, apparatus, &c. In 

 closing his appeal for this appropriation. Pres- 

 ident Clark says, "the public confidence and 

 interest in the People's College will thus be 

 increased, and will appear in the large number 

 of students applying for admission, and in the 

 donations which will assuredly come for spe- 

 cial objects from wealthy friends, as soon as 

 they are convinced that its foundation is se- 

 cure. 'For unto him that hath shall be given, 

 and he shall have abundance.'" 



NEW PUBLICATIONS. 



Anncal of Scientific Discovery: or, Year-book of 

 Facts In B'ience and Ait for 1869, exhibiting the niost 

 important D scovi ries ar d ItnprovenafentB in Mechan- 

 ics, Ueeful Arts, Natural Philosophy, Chrmistry, As- 

 tr>)nomy, Ueology, Biology, Botmy, Mintrjlotjy, 

 Meteorology, Geography, Ant'quities, etc., togelht-r 

 with Notes on thd progrets ot Science during the 

 year 1868, a List of recent Soienlific Publications, 

 Obituaries of eminent sci-ntilio men, etc. Edi ed by 

 Samuel Kneelaud, A. M., M. D., Professor in the 

 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, &c. Boston ; 

 Gould and Lincoln. 1869. 



To those who have read the successive volumes 

 of this annual, the announcement of the issue for 

 1869, is sufficient. But many of the readers of the 

 Farmek have probably never seen a copy of the 

 work, although it has been published about twenty 

 years, having been commenced by Prof. D. A. 

 Wells, at present employed by the treasury de- 

 partment as special revenue commissioner. The 

 character of the Annual of Scientific Discovery is 

 indicated by its title-page, and is simply an ac- 

 count of the discoveries and improvements that 

 have been made in the various departments of Sci- 

 ence and Arts in all parts of the world during the 

 past year. 



In looking over the volume we noticed among 

 the statements of facts indicating the progress of 

 chemistry, an account of "Dry-earth Disinfection." 

 We are told that "this system is destined soon to 

 attract a large share of attention throughout the 

 world from physicians, and from sanitarians gen- 

 erally," and it is pronounced by Dr. Mouatt, the 

 Inspector General of gaols in England, to be 

 "without exception, the greatest public benefit con- 

 ferred by a private individual, in a matter so es- 

 sential to public health, that he is acquainted 

 with." Now what is this wonderful scientific dis- 

 covery ? Simply the application to "closets" and 

 the vessels of the sick room, of a very unscien- 

 tific material, known as dry earth, or muck, so 

 long used by our best farmers for deodorizing, — no 

 that is a scientific word — for preserving the manu- 



