344 BOAED OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



about 200 boys a day, and they were instructed, so far as 

 practicable, in the details of practical farming. 



At a meeting of the Board, held Oct; 19, 1858, it was — 



Resolved, That it is inexpedient for the Board of Agricul- 

 ture to take any steps to renew the contract for the further 

 possession and management of the State Farm at Westborough. 



At the annual meeting of the Board, held Jan. 18, 1859, 

 a committee was appointed to transfer the State Farm to the 

 trustees of the State Reform School. 



Amherst College. 



In the Amherst College catalogue of 1843-44 we find 

 Prof. Charles U. Shepard, A.M., listed among the faculty 

 as " Lecturer on Agricultural Chemistry and Mineralogy ; " 

 also, that those subjects were made eighth in the list of 

 " Lectures," 



At a meetino; of the trustees of Amherst College, Oct. 11, 

 1852, a "Preamble and Plan for a Scientific Department" 

 was adopted.^ Statement was made that this department 

 was to be entirely independent of the regular college course ; 

 also, that "another gentleman in town will take charge of 

 any who may wish to study the elements of agriculture, the- 

 oretically and practically." In the plan, under heading " IV. 

 Agriculture," it was stated that "The elements of agricul- 

 ture will be taught theoretically and practically by the Rev. 

 J. A. Nash. Books : Nash's Elements of Agriculture, Prac- 

 tical and Theoretical, Norton's Elements of Scientific 

 Agriculture. Gimrdin and DuBreuifs Cours Elementaire 

 D'Ao^riculture. Johnston's Lectures on Practical As^ricul- 

 ture. Allen's Domestic Animals." Under "III. Chem- 

 istry," it was stated that " Instruction in experimental 

 chemistry will be given by Professor Clark. The course 

 will include practical instruction in Analytical and Applied 

 Chemistry, with special reference to Agriculture, Pharmacy 

 and Metallurgy." This " Scientific Department " appears to 

 have been discontinued after the academical year 1856-57. 



' Catalogue of the Officers and Students of Amherst College for the Academi- 

 cal Year 1852-53, pp. 24-28. 



