186 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



observe and assist in practising what is taught them in the 

 class room. 



A hasty examination of the dormitories was made, and we 

 note that new bath-rooms and closets have been constructed 

 at North College, and that the rooms in both North and 

 South colleges were -generally comfortably furnished. As a 

 few students may suffer from lack of means, it is suggested 

 that, if certain necessary articles were provided for each 

 room, the pupils of limited means would be better able to 

 compete Avith their more fortunate companions. The read- 

 ing room at North College is furnished by the students with 

 the leading periodicals and newspapers at a trifling cost. 

 The drill hall and armory next claimed our attention, where 

 everything was found bright and shining. 



The Hatch Experiment Station of the Massachusetts 

 Agricultural College. 

 The field work in the several departments has suffered, 

 like the farm crops, from the excessive rainfall during the 

 summer months. This has demonstrated the necessity of 

 more underdraius, which have been put in during the late 

 autumn. The laboratory connected with the chemists' de- 

 partment has been completed, and several changes and im- 

 provements made in connection with the same. It would 

 seem advisable that an appropriation be made for the con- 

 struction of a small vegetation house, to be used in conduct- 

 ing fertilizer experiments. Electric lights have been intro- 

 duced in the barn used by the director in charge of the 

 department of foods and feeding. Experiments have here 

 been carried on in feeding milch cows and pigs, to determine 

 the comparative value of the various feeds which are by- 

 products from the cereal factories. Here also digestion 

 experiments have been conducted with sheep, to determine 

 the amount of protein it is advisable to feed. 



Veterinary Department. 

 In view of the fact that at the present time so much veter- 

 inary science is required to keep our farm animals up to the 

 required standard, we recommend that more attention be 

 paid to this department, it now being taught in the senior 

 year only. 



