Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-01-13
THE STATE COLLEGE.
Annual Reports of the Trustees, Pfesi-
dent and other Officers,


Hon. Abner COburn, in behalf of the Trustee
of the State College of Agriculture and Mechanic
Arts, has prepared his annual report 10 th'
Legislature, showing the condition Of the College
The Trustees have been more than ever before
impressed with the usefulness Of the College and
its importance to the State.
4 change has been made in the College terms
reducing the number from three to two. The
FIRST term will commence early in August and
continue until the last week in November. The
second term will commence early in February
and close towards the last of June BY this
change the students will be relieved from study
during the warmest part of the summer and left
at liberty 10 assist their friends at home or 10
work for wages, as many of them desire to do,
through the season Of haying. A revision Of the
courses Of study, suggested by the experience OF
the past has also been authorized by the Trus
tees. The object sought Is 10 equalize the amount
of study ana OF educational work between the
dlffeyent courses Opportunities are Afforded the
students far il has been possible, for putting
into practice the knowledge acquired in the Class
room. Students IN the agricultural course are
required to perform educational work upon the
farm, and in the garden and orchard They are
laugh to conduct experiments and carefully TO
note results. students in chemistry have three
hours work in the laboratory several times each
WICK. luOsG IN civil enSlLC eiiDR are plOFldcu
with necessary instruments, and by several hours
practice, each afternoon in summer and autumn,
are made familiar with the details OF railroad
But for students in mechanical en-
gineeling, 10 corresponding opportunities have
been stforde !, and it is recommended that 4 sys-
TEN of workshop instruction be introduced, on
the Russian plan, as it can be done at small
expense. Additional buildings are needed TO ex-
tend the usefulness of the college, and more APP
paratus for the school-room is called for
The sum asked from the Legislature, last year,
for various purposes, was S23, 300. la response,
the Legislature appropriated $4,000. OF this
sum, $500 was required to pay the debt. More
than the remaining 81 500 would be rcQuited for
the payment OF salaries Of the professors, in ad-
dition to the revenue Of the Congressional Fund.
Nothing would be left 10 pay the current run
ming expenses of the college. There no
way 10 bring the expenditures of the year within
the appropriation but to discharge the present
excellent and able Board Of Instruction and hire
che aper 10 fill their places, to suspend two
o. the departments. AS either course would
have irnperilled the prosperity of The institution,
both we've rejected. The result is, small debt.
The report of the Treasurer shows that the
Treasury has been overdfawn by the amount Of
81 ,5l5.76 The unpaid bills against the college,
adGed to the above amount, make It's indebted
ness at this date IS 600.
Rev. c. f. Allen, u. D., Presilen. Of the Col
lege reports that the failure to secure the needed
appropriation for the college, has interfered with
the Accomplishment Of much that is desirable in
the deveorme at of the institution. The practical
experiments conducted have not been so extensive
as they would otherwise have been.
! he short period in which the Institution has
been in operation has been an incessant struggle
for existence and yet under these uuiavoraUle
circumstances, the Work accom- p.ished las not
been discreditable to the State.
At the exercises of the graduating class last
July, nineteen students received the degree of
Bachelor of Science, ten the degree Of Civil En-
gineer, aud four the degree of Mechanical Eugi-
neer. part of the work of the President the
past year has been instruction in Rhetoric, Eng
fish Literature aud History, Elocution and Com
position.
The department Of Mathematics and Physics
has continued in charge Of Prof NJ. c. Fernald.
Satisfactory progress has been made by the sew
eral classes. new building for laboratory and
additions to the apparatus are earnestly called for.
1t is hoped that speedy provisions may be made
for the construction OF a building which may in
clude chapel, library, engineering rooms, cabinet.
rooms for the department of agriculture, physical
laboratory, and rooms giving enlarged sCcommo-
dstions for recitations and for other purposes.
Prof. ALDER, Il. Aubert has had charge of the
department of Chemistry. Among the expert
men,s that have been made, the most interesting
are those 10 connection with the growth CT sugar
beets, demonst aing that their culture for the pur
pose of producing sugar may be made successful
IN Maine, as suggested by Gov. Conner in his ad
dress.
The department Of Natural History has been in
charge OF Prof &. H. Fernald, who has given in.
struction in physical geography, human anatomy.
physiology aud hygiene, by means of text books
aud lectures; in botany and horticulture, by text
book, lectures and excursions; in zoology, ento
mology and comparative anatomy, by lectures, ex-
curslons ard objective work in the cabinet; in
determinative mineralogy, by lectures and labor
atory practice; and IN geology, by lectures and eS-
cursions.
The interesting and important department Of
Mechanical Engineering has been in charge of
Prof. W. A. Pike, who makes a detailed report Of
progress in that department. Beside the regular
text book work, the students spend two hours and
a half day in the drawing room, where they re
ceive thorough instruction in machine, isome1ic
and perspective drawing. The usual trips have been
made TO Bangor, whS re the students take sketches
and measurements Of actual machines, from
which they afterwards make working drawings.
The class which graduated last April, spent the
last term Of their course in designing engines and
boilers, Of which they made the necessary draw
ings and calculations.
The great necessity OF afording some practical
instruction for the students of this department to
correspond TO the field practice of the students in
civil engineering, is felt more than ever, and the
establishment OF machine shop, for practical in
structiou, is recommended.
Prof. W. 5. Chaplin has charge of the depart
ment Of Modern Languages ar Military Instruc-
ZION. The military instruction has been somewhat
changed in character, but the hours devoted to ii
have remained the same-hiteen minutes five DAYS
in the week and one hour extra one day each
week. This arrangement has proved beneficial.
Early in the spring the State authorities furnished
the Cadets with one hundred breech-oading
muskets and proper equipments. These have
been in daily use during the summer and autumn
terms.
The several studies in the Agricultural course
that are more Immediately connected with piacti-
cal farming, are assigned to the care of j. K. Far
rington, the farm superintendent. Various tests
and experiments are recorded in his report.