L922. | School of AgrioxjLturb, Cambridge University. 'Ill 



for a certain amount of research both in the laboratory and in 

 the field. The number of local experiment stations in L899 had 

 risen to over* 50, scattered widely throughout the contributing 

 counties, and plant breeding experiments had been begun in a 

 small garden behind the Cambridge Technical Institute in East 

 Road lent by the Joint Education Committees of the County and 

 Borough of Cambridge. 



Formal Foundation. — It was at this stage that the University 

 took over the control of agricultural education from the Cam- 

 bridge and Counties Agricultural Education Committee. The 

 events which brought about this important step are of some 

 interest. In 1898, Sir Walter Gilbey offered to the University 

 a second benefaction, a capital sum sufficient to maintain for 10 

 years a lectureship in some branch of technical agriculture or 

 agricultural science. The fact that this offer was accompanied 

 by the condition that the University should recognise an exami- 

 nation in agriculture or agricultural science as an avenue to a 

 degree caused somewhat prolonged negotiations. Whilst these 

 negotiations were proceeding the University received an offer of 

 a third benefaction — from the Worshipful Company of Draper^ — 

 of the endowment for 10 years of a Professorship of Agriculture, 

 on condition that the University would found and maintain a 

 Department of Agriculture and would recognise agriculture or 

 agricultural science as a subject of study for a degree. 



Both these generous offers were- accepted in the early months 

 of 1899 and the University took over the work of the Cambridge 

 and Counties Committee as a going concern, the financial 

 arrangements being greatly facilitated by the promise of an in- 

 creased annual grant from the Board of Agriculture. A "Board 

 of Agricultural Studies was created to conduct the teaching and 

 < > • mining, and both the Cambridge and Counties Committee 

 and the Agricultural Examinations Syndicate were dissolved. 

 The diploma examinations were remodelled and the University 

 recognised the first examination as a special examination for the 

 ordinary B.A. degree. 



The Drapers' Professorship of Agriculture. — In the autumn 

 of 1899 Professor Somerville was elected as the first Professor of 

 Agriculture on the Drapers' foundation, and the newly 

 constituted Department of Agriculture began work in October. 

 1899. with a full time staff consisting of Dr. Somerville 

 as Professor of Agriculture, the writer as Lecturer in Agri- 

 cultural Chemistry and Secretary, and Mr. R. H. BitTen as Lec- 

 turer in Agricultural Botany. This staff was housed in four 



