THE CALL TO AMHERST 31 



to determine for what purposes and at what prices the 

 farmers of the State should employ them.' x 



*I know of his work as a scientific chemist,' said 

 Professor Agassiz, * and I do not believe that you could 

 have had a better appointment. I believe that the 

 gentleman is not only fully competent to fulfil his 

 duties with honour to the institution and credit to him- 

 self, but I believe he is one of those men who will 

 advance his science also, if he is not overburdened with 

 local duties and with teaching. He is a foreigner. . . . 

 It is not a very dangerous thing to take professors from 

 foreign parts. I am such an one, and I have in a measure 

 succeeded in making myself a native American.' 



The duties of the new professorship included teach- 

 ing 'four hours per day five days in the week during 

 39 weeks of the year. Also, to render assistance by 

 chemical analysis or consultation, as required, to the 

 amount of about one hour per day, if needed.' 'I 

 shall expect of course,' says President Clark, 'to do 

 what I can to render your duties agreeable and shall 

 rely much upon you for advice and assistance in the 

 most important enterprise with which I am entrusted. 

 I intend to have the chemical department of the Col- 

 lege equal to any in the country.' 



The College had but just started. It was, moreover, 

 an experiment and was feeling its way. A department 

 of chemistry could hardly be said to exist. There was, 

 to be sure, a modest building called the Chemical 

 Laboratory, but it possessed neither apparatus nor 



1 Sixth Annual Report of the Maisachutettt Agricultural College, Janu- 

 ary i860. 



