Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-04-04
EXPERIMENTS STATION.
An Interesting description OF the
InstitutiOn and FITS Purposes.

Insiitntion and FITS Purposes.
Special Correspondence Of Gazette and Journal
NEWARK, March 2g.- Beyond the mere
knowledge OF the existence In this town for
the use OF farmers OF an experimental station
established by Congress and connected
with Delaware College, most DelHwareans
know comparatively little OF the Delaware
Agricultural Experimental Station. de-
seription OF the only purely scientific lnsti.
tutlon in the state viii be Of interest TO the
general public as well as to the intelligent
class OF farmers for whose interests 1t Ia
conducted.
The station as Is well known was estab-
lished by Congress aud under the pro-
visions OF the Hatch Agricultural bill which
became law March ID, 1887, carrying with
1t a large appropriation to be divided
among those colleges established In the
several states under the government land
grant OF 1869. Delaware College, although
In operation many years prior to this aud
known as Newark Academy, became the
beneficiary OF this grant by reliDquishing,
through Its board Of trustees, its private
ownership aud vestinR In the State of Del.
aware an equal interest IA the grounds,
buildings. equipment and government OF
the institution so TINT 1t became q State
the college. For this sacrifice of "birthright'
college was decided $4,000 acres OF govern
"
be paid annually to the college, which
should also be compelled by the provisions
Of the grant to establish an agricultural
course and to teneh agriculture In all Its
branches, not to the exclusion, however, oil
science and the classics.
Delaware's share OF the annual appro-
priation was therefore $4,000 and steps
were at once taken by the trustees Of the
college TO secure the benefits Of the bill.
lsap
and personal nature the money was not
paid 10 the college. This, however, was
through no fault of the trustees. as body,
for It worked indefatigably for the inter-
ests OF tho institution, but the State Legls-
lature being not then In session, It de-
volved upon tho governor to designate
Delaware College as the proper beneficiary
OF the bill. This was not done as expedi-
tiously as the trustees would have liked and
a bitter eight was preclpitatei at almost
every meeting OF the board for year.
Soon afterwards the executive approval
allowed the comptroller OF the United
States treasury to pay 10 Delaware College
but another exaspeTating delay occurred
when that official decided that through
some technicality no money was available
to Distribute under the provisions Of tho
Hatch. Congress by special act IN, Febrn-
airy, 1888, remedled this aud short time
afterwards George G.. Evans OF this
town, and treasurer of tho college,
received $500 for ihe establishment oil
the station. This money was for the year
ending June SOth, 1855, and by a clause Of
the Hatch bill any portion OF the SIS ono
remaining unexpended at the end of the
fiscal year must be deducted from the nexi
year's appropriation. So daring the four
Intervening months there was the usual
scramble, where government money Is eou,
carned, to run through ths appropriation
and thus save a deduction from tho budget
OF 1889. The station building was CON.
meneed and finished In about three months.
y is situated just east OF the right wing OF
the main college building and In the lalg
and beautifully foliaRed campus, for which
the college IL famous. ~ Is very atirac,
tive building OF pressed brick aud black
mortar, brick trimmings, French dotmer
windows and slate roof. Ii Is 43xl7 feet,
two stories In height and was planned and
erected especially for carrying on lnvasti-
CATIONS In the lines prescribed by above
mentioned act. The entrance is on the
west side, opening Into halfway, with the
directors otliee to the right aud the
chemical laboratory 20 the loft
Stairs lead TO the second naor which
contains the botanical, chronological
and meteorological department which, not
withstanding their cumbersome and unIu
Nllluk uhIntA uIt very tOUtIOlIhUih AllU
cherry rooms. The cellar Is we'll lighted
aud dry and contains a Two horse boiler
and engine and benches and tools needed
Tor ordinary repairs. pipe fitting, Nc.
second room In the cellar is occupied with
2 F'ith 0s lsnl ia44. ii eonslsts o,
NHt74t hgilnl and u,.ea comic IA II tBp
Atas H.9H ~ Eltb tttiators, aial r 4um-
DER. III tine upper stories. II rs operated on
the low pressure system; all condensed
water llOwe bnck TO the boiler Ia which a
constant Level Is automatically maintained.
An attachment connected with the boiler
and controlled by steam automatically
opens or closes the hampers and regulates
the fire perfectly. la moderate weather the
building cal be heated all over BY one
pound OF steam. Everything Is automatic
except the hauling away OF the ashes,
Another room IL devoted to the mauufac.
ture OF gas Tor Illuminating aud blowing
purposes. This IL obtained from gasolene
by rotary air pump. A winter tight tank
for gasolene is buried four feet deep under
ground at q point 80 feet from the building.
Afr forced through this tank IL charged with
iuliainmable vapor9 ind then conhuctei
to tine building. The water supply for this
and all other apparatus In the station Is
furnished by the Newark water works.
The office OF the director, DIR. A. T. Eenle.
on the first or main floor IL a very costly
furnished apartment, with handsome All.
tilue oak desk, chairs, nc. There Is also n
largo fire proof safe, type writer and other
office apputteuances, This room is aJs0
used at present AS library. The rest n
the floor Is given up TO the chemical labg.
ratOviGa.
The Hatch bill prescrlbes ths line OF WORK
which the Experiment Stations must fol
low. The chemists OF these stations must
therefore devote themselves to inye;ti1a.
tlons falling within the following fields,
VIZ Studies OF tho chemical cpnl0ositl0n
OF useful plants IN their different stages Of
growth; soil and water analyses; the chpin.
lcal composition OF m0nuras and fertilizers
with experiments 10 test thelr comparatiya
effects on different crops; the composition
and dlgestloilty OF ths different kinds OF
food for domestic animals; prohoml In
v0lyed In tho production Of butter; and
such other chemical researches and EXPORT
ments bearing directly upon tho agrleul.
turl interests ot the State. The station ma
been equipped with special reference q
this llpe of work.
A loDk at the financial accounts Of thu
station will also, no doubt, be very Interest.
Ing. Roughly they are as follows: Build
inGs, S2,9S0; general fittings. s27OO; fur.
nltnrn, 1887; apparatus, 81 OIL library
III ,42S; other expenses, 81 ,515. Work ia
going on 10 all the departments aud the re
suit Will In time be Of iuestimabls value 70
the farmers OF Delaware.
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