The Portland daily press., 1886-02-01
STATE COLLEGE.
Abstract Of the Annual Reports of the
Officers.

From the annual reports of the trustees,
| president, farm superintendent and treas
urer of the State College of Agriculture and
the Mechanic Arts at OrOno, for 1885. ii is
learned that the appropriations made have
been expended with careful discrimination
| as to what was first and most needed. The
| farm management discloses fresh improve
ments each year. The grounds Immediately
around the farm buildings have been much
improved since our last report, and the
buildings have been repaired and painted.
Eighteen acres of land having been reclaim
| ed from bushes and barrenness and relieved
Of much of its surplus moisture by drain
age. will be added to the productive area OF
| the farm next season. The stock has been
| improved in quality and increased in num-
\ bers and value.
| The agricultural course for students at the
| college is very highly spoken of. The ex-
| pertinent station is referred to as very valu-
| able to the students in the agricultural
course. The need of more room is urged. If
/ the pent up departments of Natural History
! and Agriculture, and of the library could be
| supplied with rooms, cases and cabinets, the
| books and specimens which have accumula-
ted now concealed in hooks and corners
| could be brought forth and made useful.
| i. The trustees commend the spirit and use
fulness of THE Cadet" the issue of which
was commenced by the students last Septem-
ber 1t has continued to improve.
The present morale of the college is in
| high degree encouraging.
President Fernald in his report says val
| liable and much needed apparatus has beeh
| provided for the departments of chemistry,
agriculture, natural history, physics, civil
| engineering and mechanical engineering
| Under the instruction of Lieut.. Charles l..
| Phillips, the military system of the college
has been fully maintained. In all the de-
| garments, the effort has been constant to
| maintain high standard of instruction and
| to render the courses of study of real value.
| In this instruction the practical element has
been marked feature. In the laboratory,
in the shop in the drawing-rooms and in
the field, the lessons of the class room are
practically applied
President Fernald regards the Experiment
tai Station as very valuable to the college,
supplementing the work of the institution on
fairly liberal scale.
The erection of a building for the Depart
ments of Agriculture and Natural History is
regarded as very necessary,
Meetings by the branch OF the I Young Mems
Christian Association established at the
| college have been maintained regularly
| throughout the year.
A good degree of study and work has been
manifested on the part of the students, and
eommendable progress in the several lines OF
/ study has been made
| The librarian, Mr. A. E. Rogers, extends
thanks to our congressman for contribu-
tions and urges the necessity of better libra
! ry accommodations.
| Mr.. G. III. Benjamin makes report of the
| improvements made in the facilities for
| teaching mechanical engineering. A recita-
| tion room, drawing room, and Office have
| been finished in the second story of the shop
| building and equipped.
| Prof. Walter Balentine, professor of agri-
| culture, in his report states that three stu
| dents graduated from the course in agricul-
| ture. of whom one is engaged in farming,
oneis taking course in Veterinary Science
| in the American Veterinary College in New
York City, and the third is at present en-
gagged in teaching. Instruction in practical
agriculture has been added To the theoretical
work of the the course. Students in agricul-
ture will, in the future, spend four hours
per week. for at least one year, studying the
details of farm management under the direc-
| ton OF the farm superintendent. More at
| tention to horticulture is recommended, and
| Prof Balentlne thinks profess0rship OF
| horticulture desirable as soon as circumstan-
| ces will admit.
| The farm superintendent reports the net
| earnings of the farm the past year were
| $60S.34. The areas Of crops and their yields
| were Grass, SO acres, ,127 tons; mensury bar
| ley, acres, 143 bushels; hulless barley, o
| acres, 12S; oats, q acres, 513; oats without
manure, 10a acres, 41S; potatoes, acre, 154.
| There are upon the farm forty-six cattle,
| forty of them being thoroughbred. The
average number in milk during the year was
| twenty-three From these, 126, 7S4 lbs. of
| milk were produced. OF this amount 11O,636
| lbs. were manufactured into butter, producing
| 5,730 lbs. ; an average of 10 5-16 lbs. of milk
| for each pound of butter. The calls for
| Shropshire sheep by farmers have been such
| that the flock is reduced in number to fifteen
| animals. As in previous years, Chester pig
| breeding has received attention, young ami
| mails for breeding purposes having been sent
| into many sections of the State.
| Considerable space is devoted to expert
| ments. The results of experiments relat-
| ing to 'The feeding value of purple hulless
| barley" Difference between weight of live
and dressed pigs" ''Oat seedlings" and
Beef production" are included.
| The catalogue of the Institution for 1856
| 1885, is connected with the reports. A sum
| mary of the list of students is as follows:
| Post graduates, / Seniors, II; Juniors, 90;
| Sophomores, %; Freshman, Is; Special, Z.
| Total number of students, 92.
Arrangements have been made by which
| applicants accommodated by the plan may
| pass examination for admission without in
| gentlemen named below have been appoint
| ed examiners for the sections of the State in
| which they severally reside: G. p. Allen, b.
! S., Presque Isle; H. M. Estabrooke, B. S.,
| Gorham; E. S. Danforth, b. S., Skowhegan;
| S. w. Gould, B. S., Skowhegan; Principal +.
| E. Parlin, Greeley Institute, Cumberland
| O.. C. Harrington, B. s., Cape Elizabeth; S.
K. Hitehings, b. S., Biddeford; Henry X.
White, A. NJ, Newcastle; VIM. W. Allen, A.
b. Dexter; Charles A. Black, A. NJ, East
Machias: Rev. w. r. Cross, Milltown, N. B.;
Henry w. johnson, A. B., Bethel; /. c. Phil
| lips, A. B., Wilton; Hon. N. A. Luce, Angus
ia; W. r. Whittle, A. B., Ellsworth; W. E.
| Sargent, A. NJ, Freeport.