The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-01-22
Report of the Trustees of the College OF
Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. aL-

The most important points in the report OF
the Trustees of the Agricultural College at
Orono, prepared by Hon. Abner Coburn, are
as tollows: m ls - sssaso4as
The present Board of Trustees held their
first meeting Immediately alter their appoint
ment, April "a, 1867. ~ l9r
The plan of Mr.. +. l.. Olmstead, of New
York, indicating the general location, size and
use OF the buildings needed for the College, as
well as the division OF the farm into fields.
was not received until June Goth.
The Trustees were entirely unanimous in
their opinion that a thorough repair of the
Frost house for the future use of the Farm
Superintendent, was a matter OF immediate
necessity. A glance at this building showed
that thorough repair would cost almost as
much as to build a new building. The L
was worthless, and the old cellar, which was
merely an almost inaccessible and contracted
cavity under part of the house, was also
worthless. . ~ t-.f
They voted to build new L two stories
high, and carriage house, and have new
cellar under the whole house and l.. This
work has been done. .a
At the White house, cstcrn with ca
pacity OF no hossheads has been built for
stock, and a furnace put in the cellar which
warns three rooms AMI the ball, at an ex-
peDse OF about 1856. ~. g5-.r sss =.
In considering the plan for the other build
ings, entire unanimity OF opinion was almost
impossible. .--.r.s ...1 RI
The main question OF perplexty was,
What shall We build? The act OF the Legis-
latme limited as to ttoo buildings, while the
Plan OF 0lmsted contemplated the erection OF
three buildings to each class of forty students,
making twelve buildings necessary Tor a
course OF tour years, and even then the lab
Oratory. and lecture rooms, the rooms for the
cabinets, library and armory, and the chapel
would be wanting. A part OF the Board be
lieyed that plain, brick buildings alter the col
leee plan ol accommodating either iorty-eicht
or sixty iour students, according TO the height.
really the most economical. Two such build
ings, or at most three, together with build
ing for the laboratory and lecture room, might
accommodate all the stduents, and in the in
fancy OF the institution, some of the rooms
might be used for general purposes. Those
In favor OF such buildings believed that the
materials or style OF architecture made use
of in building, would not necessarily deteIm-
inc either the course OF study to be pursued
or the industrial character of the institution.
But the sum given by the legislature would
not, at present prices, build even one Of these
buildings. At our meeting the 10th OF June
we were assisted in our deliberations and es-
Inmates by two practical mechanics of Bangor,
and subsequently by Mr.. Stead, an architect,
of the firm OF Anderson, Bonnell & Co., oi
Portland, and it was finally decided that we
would build a laboratory building of brick
and dormitory building of wood, and by
providing temporary boarding accommoda-
tions, start class of students.
The Board, therefore. instructed the Ex
ecutiye Committee to urge forward the cree
ton OF these two buildings as rapidly as posi-
Bile. The dormitory building is now progress
| ing towards completion, but owing to the con.
| tinued wet weather of the past season the
bricks for the laboratory building could moi
| be got ready for use this year. II .1.sf. .
The dormitory building is 63x47 feet, witt
| q veranda 23x10 feet. 1t has two stories
| each containing six rooms. The first story i.
| II feet high, and the second 10 1-2 feet The
| smallest room in the attic is 18x13 feet, anC
the largest sized rooms in the lower storie.
| are 19x15 feet. 49,.
FARM. The farm has been under the care
| of the Hon. J. II. Gilman, who with his tami
| ly have exhibited great apparent interest ant
industry in all matters pertaining to it. The
soil OF the farm is generally rich clay loan
and with undertaking and care would b,
very productive. During the past wet Sc asoI
the need of better drainage has been very ap
parent ,n' n 'i--Ai
CRoPs. Hay about 100 tons straw abou
10 tons beans about bushels; barley abou
$50 bushels on IA acres; potatoes about 60t
bushels on 8 acres.
ORCHARDS. There are 80 apple trees il
vigorous growth which have yielded about =
bushels this y,ar. The nursery OF about 81
l-sauale Iods contains about 5000 trees.
4 s.Of the 400 trees set out in the pear nurser,
last year in the fall, about 800 are alive ant
growing well. About 500 maple, elm and ev
erureen shade trees have been set out th
past season. s5 1-=
SroCK. Three horses; cows, 2 cow
purchased this year; steers years old