No. 4.] AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. 191 



shrubs, which will be of great value to the students in land- 

 scape gardening and to all lovers of choice trees and shrubs. 



Important changes have been made in the greenhouses on 

 the college grounds. The roof of the lower octagon has 

 been raised and altered to the same size as the upper octagon, 

 and the low roofs of the two Hatch greenhouses have been 

 replaced by one large roof, which is a great improvement. 



In 1876 the Massachusetts Agricultural College was in an 

 embryonic state. Gov. Alexander H. Bullock, in his ad- 

 dress to the Massachusetts Legislature, said: " By an act 

 of the Legislature approved May 2G, 1866, an immediate 

 connection is created between these two institutions [refer- 

 ring to the State Board and the college] ; and there seems 

 to be no doubt that, with the influence of the Board binding 

 it to every agricultural society in the State, and thus to 

 almost every farm, the college may bec(^me not only the re- 

 ceptacle of a great amount of useful practical knowledge, 

 but also the source whence the highest light of science may 

 be shed to guide the farmer in his calling. For more than 

 three-quarters of a century Massachusetts has been awaken- 

 ing to the necessity of agricultural education, by the thought 

 and eftbrt of some of her ablest thinkers and wisest states- 

 men ; and she is entitled to a well-organized agricultural col- 

 lege, which shall form a part of her great system of university 

 education, which shall combine and direct all her efforts for 

 agricultural improvement, and shall l)e the special object of 

 her kindest and most generous care as an important instru- 

 ment in the work of popular cultivation. Under its present 

 management, which is pervaded with harmony, earnestness 

 and a wise spirit of economy, I predict the success of the 

 institution." 



These words were uttered as a prophecy. To-day it is 

 different, — the success of the Massachusetts Agricultural 

 Colleo;e is an established fact. Yet its work needs to be 

 carried to the people by every representative of the State 

 Board. A large proportion of the soil of our Commonwealth 

 is not used for profitable purposes to-day. It has been ex- 

 hausted and become useless under old methods. In former 

 days the soil yielded her increase with a generous hand. 

 Now it is different. The successful farmer must study the 



