216 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Report to the Legislature of the State 

 Board of Agriculture, acting as Over- 

 seers OF THE Massachusetts Agricul- 

 tural College. 



[Revised Laws, chapter 89, section 10, adopted by the Board, Jan. 12, 1904.] 



To the Slate Board of Agriculture, Overseers of the Massachusetts Agri- 

 cultural College. 



Your committee attended the commencement exercises in 

 June, and awarded the Grinnell prizes for excellence in agri- 

 culture as follows : the first to Paul Nerses Nersessian of 

 Marash, Turkey ; the second to Elmer Myron Poole of North 

 Dartmouth, Mass. 



We visited the college again in October, and found that 

 the peculiar season had affected the crops upon the college 

 property as elsewhere ; still, the reports from nearly every 

 department were favorable. The presence of larger fresh- 

 men and sophomore classes would indicate that our people 

 are beginning to realize the opportunities offered for a good 

 practical education at small expense in this institution. It 

 is a pleasure to note that a larger percentage of students are 

 electing agricultural and horticultural courses, seventy-five 

 per cent of the junior class and ninety-two per cent of the 

 senior class taking these studies. 



While some of the stock upon the farm may not be above 

 criticism, we are pleased to notice an improvement in recent 

 years ; and that still greater improvement may be made, we 

 would suggest that an appropriation be asked for sufficient 

 to equip the institution with pure-bred herds of the leading 

 breeds . 



Other lines of agricultural industry must also be liberally 

 provided for, and to that end your committee would recom- 



