President-Prof. H. L. Wayland; Vice President-Wm. H. Davis; Cor. Secretary-S. P. Hicks; Rec. Secretary-J. S. Lane. Treasurer-L B Dibble. EDGAR A. BLACKMAN, 140th Ind. GEO. W. BROWN, 2d Mich. JNO. L. MAILE, 28th U. S. C. T. HENRY B. CHEENEY, 13th Mich. V. V. THEO. NELSON, 26th Mich. J. N. CRITTENDEN, 1st Mich. Eng'rs. S. A. OSBORNE, 13th Mich. V. V. The Fall term will begin September 19th, 1866. The friends of the College are encouraged by good providences of God thus far vouchsafed, and are full of pious hope for the future. Very respectfully, J. M. GREGORY, President of Trustees. STATE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. REPORT OF PRESIDENT. STATE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE} HON. O. HOSFORD, Supt. Public Instruction: DEAR SIR-The term of College just closed has been a prosperous one. STUDENTS. The total number of students has been one hundred and eight; filling our rooms completely full, and obliging us to turn away over thirty applicants, besides giving out word before the middle of the term, that we could accommodate no more. Of the students of the College, two were Seniors, five were Juniors, twelve Sophomores, twenty-eight Freshmen, fifty-one preparatory students and ten of the Select Course. None are admitted to the Select Course except those who pursue suchstudies as Chemistry, Botany, Zoology, Agriculture, and the like, and who pass examinations showing them to be fitted to pursue those studies with the advanced classes which study them. The average age of the students is between nineteen and twenty. Of these students, Massachusetts sent 1, Connecticut 1, New York 1, Ohio 7, Wisconsin 3, Illinois 4, Minnesota 1, Missouri 2, Pennsylvania 2, Calhoun County 13, Ingham 12, Kalamazoo 7, Eaton 7, Wayne 6, Ionia 5, Lenawee 4, Genesee 4, Shiawassee 4, Clinton 3, Cass 2, Montcalm 2, Ottawa 2, Van Buren 2, Allegan 1, Grand Traverse 1, Gratiot 1, Hillsdale 1, Jackson 1, Livingston 1, Muskegon 1, St. Clair 1, St. Joseph 1, Benzie 1, Midland 1, Keweenaw 1. The College at this time loses the services of Professor Clute. He was graduated at this College. After serving some time in the army, and pursuing the studies of Calculus and Industrial Drawing at the University of Michigan, he was elected rofes sor of Mathematics in this College, where he has given the best of satisfaction. Albert J. Cook, another graduate, supplies his place. Four of the graduates of the College are employed in the College. Mr. S. S, Rockwell, the Steward during 1864 and 1865, returns to take charge of the Boarding Hall. Letters are received frequently from New England, New York, and the West, from persons interested in the organization of Agricultural Colleges, some asking for our plans and others for the opinions of the President or the Faculty on various points; indeed, we have been urged from both East and West to publish what would serve as replies to very many questions regarding our Agricultural College. It would be hardly possible to answer all the queries in this Report. LOCATION. The College is three and a half miles east of Lansing, the Capital of the State. The law under which it was located expressly required that it should be within ten miles of the city of Lansing. It is therefore just where the people of the State, through their Representatives, placed it. Efforts have since been made to have the College removed to a more accessible location. At the time the College was placed here, Lansing could be reached only by a tedious coach ride. Now, two trains of cars pass through the city daily, connecting Owosso, on the Detroit and Milwaukee Railroad, with Jackson, on the Michigan Central Railroad. THE FARM. The Farm, Gardens and Lawns cover an area of 676 acres, about 160 acres of which are north of the Red Cedar River, which runs through the Farm. The soil is very various, although the most of it is an excellent loam, from land either still or recently covered with a fine growth of timber. The buildings and part of the garden is on sand or sandy loam with clay subsoil. There is a considerable tract of clay loam. Some portions are stiff clay, others are rich bottom lands. A fine muck bed is just east of the cattle barn, furnishing an excellent absorbent for water from sewers, stables, piggery, &c. The College was placed in thick woods, and the earlier photographs of it show stumps and unlogged land all about the College building. Some tamarack swamps came close upon the buildings. It has doubtless been a costly work to clear off and dress up such land, especially as much of the work has been done by students. It was only the present summer that many of the stumps were removed from the immediate vicinity of the Boarding Hall, and the grubbing done between the College Hall and the main road, from a portion of the grounds directly under the eye of the passer by. It was left thus long in order to devote the more attention to improving fields for meadow and culture. The original timber of the garden tract and the lawn was oak. Most of the farm was, or is, covered with a various growth, consisting mostly of maple, beech, oak, elm, ash, basswood, whitewood, blackwalnut, and some hickory and poplar. The first cost of the Farm was $15 an acre. BUILDINGS. The Farm has now a good cattle barn, built in 1862. It is erected on a solid stone basement, used for stables; is 42 feet by 64, with 22 feet posts. It has a root cellar and granary, and is furnished with two large ventilators, which serve also for the hay to pass from mow to basement. In 1864 a shed 90 by 24 feet was added to this barn. There is brick barn, the basement of which is used as a horse barn, and the upper part, (excepting the mow for hay,) for a tool room and work shop. There are also a piggery, tool house, waggon sheds, and was, until near the present month, wood-shed and ice-house, all of which should give way to better ones. SHEEP BARN. It was not, I think, the intention of the Board of Agriculture, in giving their last estimates to the Legislature, to erect the sheep barn which has been built in 1865. But it was found impossible to take proper care of valuable sheep which the College possessed, or to experiment in breeding, or in feeding, with such accommodations as the College could command without it. A fine barn was therefere made, of which plans will be given in the Report of the Board of Agriculture for the present year. If some of the arrangements, such as lighting, ceiling, &c., seem expensive, it must be remembered that the barns and yards of the College serve very frequently as lecture rooms for professors and students, and must be so made as to serve the prime purpose for which they all exist-to impart instruction. The cottage which has stood near the apple orchard on the plank road, has been removed this summer to a position east of the barns, and fitted up with cellar, &c. It is now occupied by the Foreman of the Farm, who boards the men hired for farm and garden work. STOCK. The College owned no good stock, except swine, until 1863. It embraces now Galleway, Ayrshire, Devon and Short Horn cattle; Essex, Suffolk and Chester White Swine; Southdown, Cotswold, Spanish Merino, and Black-faced Highland Sheep. A pretty full description of the animals will appear in the Report of the Board. CULTIVATED LAND. About 300 acres of the Farm is under cultivation. The fields are regularly laid out, and the fences (except along the plank road) are high and well made. The portion north of the river, is sufficiently clear of stumps to admit of the use of mowers, drilling machines, horse rakes, and the like, in almost every field, and begins to present the attractive appearance of broad fields unmarred with stumps. Willis' Stump Machine was used in the first years of the College. Very efficient work has been done the present season on both sides of the river, by the new stump puller, patented by N. Parish, of this State. The |