692 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Oct. 



tion of farmers is so hopefully turned as to 

 Dr. NitiiOLS. We trust that he will dole out 

 the results of his experiments to us gradually, 

 and in a light so clear that he who runs may 

 read and understand. 



CONVENTION" OF AG'L COLLEGES. 



A^'ithin a few j-ears past institutions have been 

 established in most of tlic States of this Union for 

 the purpose of "teaching sueli brandies of learning 

 as are related to agriculture and the mechanic 

 arts, without excluding other scientific and classi- 

 cal studies, and including military tactics." The 

 details of the organization of these institutions 

 were left to the ditt'erent States. Massachusetts 

 divided tJie fund approjiriated to this purpose, 

 between an institution in Amherst, known as the 

 Agricultural College, and one in Boston known as 

 the Institute of Technology. Maine established a 

 single institution, called the State College of Agri- 

 culture and the Mechanic Arts. Vermont, New 

 Hampshire and Connecticut, established industrial 

 departments in colleges previously existing in 

 those States. A similar divei-sity characterizes 

 these institutions in other parts of the Union. 

 Difierent individuals among the managers of these 

 institutions have had different theories as to the 

 kind of education needed by those for whom these 

 schools were founded, and different ideas were en- 

 tertained as to the means of accomplishing even 

 those objects which all regarded as desirable. In 

 fact, these several institutions have been com- 

 menced as experiments, and each one is naturally 

 •anxious to know whereia others have succeeded 

 or failed. 



Hence those interested in the management of 

 these colleges met at Chicago, August 24, for the 

 purpose of comparing results, and for devising 

 some plan liy which the experience and labors of 

 each can be nuide available to all, and more use- 

 ful to the industrial classes generally. 



We have seen a report of only a part of the pro- 



ceedings of the convention. The officers are as 

 follows : — 



J'rf>iUJent—T>T. J. M. Gregory, LL. D., Regent of the 

 IllinoiH Iiidustriiil University. 



Vire PrexiJcntx-DT. M. Miles, Prof, of AscricuUnre 

 in ^[i(.•lli^fHIl vgricultural College; Prof. li. C. Oilman, 

 (il\-^!n Oi. I<1 Scieiitifi« kjcliool, >iew Ilaveii, Conn.; Uev. 

 .loKcph Deniston, President Kansas AgriculUiral Col- 

 lei;e. 



Sirretaries — Prof. A. N. Prentiss, of Cornell Uni- 

 vei-fity; Prof. John Hamilton, Pennsylvania Agricul- 

 tural College. 



The question of experiments in crops, stock 

 raising, &c., by the agricultural colleges was one 

 of the first that was considered by the convention, 

 and a great variety of opinions was found to exist 

 on the subject. The labor question was also dis- 

 cussed. But we are unable this week to attempt 

 even a brief synopsis of the proceedings. 



ROOFS AND SHINGLES. 

 Twenty years' experience in building has 

 taught us that extra shaved pine shingles, 

 made of largji timber, will outlast all other 

 kinds. We stripped a roof covered with this 

 kind, and on inquiry, learned it had been in 

 use forty yyars, and there were no very bad 

 leaks then. Extra sha.ved cedar shingles are 

 next best. Shaved shingles are more dur- 

 able than those of any other manufacture. 

 Spruce, if the timber be large and the sap 

 all taken off, will last fifteen or twenty years, 

 but shingles made of small spruce or fir 

 timber with sap on, such as are imposed 

 upon the market, are comparatively worthless, 

 especially the extras, and so are poyilar, al- 

 though much depends on the condition of the 

 timber when it is cut. Some kinds of ash 

 shingles last well, but they warp and crack 

 badly. I have used hackmatack shingles, but 

 never observed as to their din-ability. Con- 

 cerning the best pitch of roof, my observa- 

 tion has been that the steeper the roof the 

 longer it will last. The fact that shingles will 

 last nmch longer on perpendicular walls than 

 on any pitch of roof, is evidence in favor of 

 steep roofs. — A. W. Clark, in Maine Farmer. 







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