No. 4.] AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. 221 



five hundred unnamed seedling strawberries, most of which 

 have fruited once ; from five hundred to six hundred seed- 

 ling grapevines, many of which will fruit the coming season ; 

 and about three hundred seedling raspberries from carefully 

 selected seed of the Shafier, a purple cap noted for its great 

 productiveness, but of poor color and not quite hardy in 

 New England. These plants are large enough to produce 

 fruit the coming season, and present a great many difierent 

 forms of foliage, habits of growth and color of stems. The 

 raspberry plants and grapevines are left fully exposed to the 

 weather, so that their hardiness may be determined. A 

 series of vegetable seed tests were made from seeds obtained 

 from seven of the largest dealers in the country. The test 

 was made in the greenhouse and in the open ground for ger- 

 mination, all under the same conditions, and a careful record 

 made of the result. The purity of the variety or strain was 

 determined in the field at harvesting. The leading varieties 

 of beets, cabbage, cucumbers, celery, lettuce, onions, pars- 

 nips, squashes and tomatoes were tested in this way. Full 

 reports of this work, with the results, will be published be- 

 fore spring. Fruit growing is taught by first giving the 

 student a full knowledge of the structure of the plants to be 

 grown, the methods of propagating, pruning, training, culti- 

 vating, gathering, packing, storing and selling the same. In 

 market gardening, floriculture and ornamental gardening the 

 same course is pursued. "The main object of the govern- 

 ment endowments for these institutions was to foster and 

 build up the science and art of agriculture, the calling which 

 is the basis of all prosperity, and without which the people 

 of the earth would cease to exist." 



Physical Features. 



In conclusion, we would bring to your attention some 

 physical features of the State college and its attractions. 

 On the easterly side of the Connecticut River, sloping to 

 the westward, lies the farm of the Agricultural College at 

 Amherst, Mass. Its lower part is flat and level, like a 

 river bottom; its central portion is an upland basin. Upon 

 one crest are the agricultural college buildings, upon the 



