The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-04-05
AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE
 AND ITS MANY NEEDS
Appropriations Committee Hears
 Testimony at Capitol Hearing
 Prof. Jenkins Argument

Hartford, April 5.-The hall of the House yesterday afternoon was given r2 to hearings on bills dealing with appropriations for the Connecticut Pcmoiog1cal society, making defcien cy appropriations for agricultural fairs, for rebuilding and equipping a chemical laboratory for Connecticut Agricultural Experiment station, for G dormitory and iufirmary, new build lngs at Agricultural college and all other matters concerning the Agrlcul- tural college.
 The desk of the appropriations committee was decorated with ruddy- checked apples, the offering of the Pomological society. People promin- -ex2 in the agricultural interests of the state were present
 Professor Jenkins.
 Professor Jenkins of the experi- nlent station was heard on the appro- priation bills for the agricultural col iege and for the chemical laboratory and experiment station. The com naittee announced an allowance Of eS follows:
 The object of the station is to pro- mote agriculture by scientific investi- gsticn and experiment.
 What one institution is doing is. in some sort, a promise; what It mas cone is performance.
 What then has the station done during the last year with one-half of its biennial appropriation.
 We have analysed every brand of fertilizer sold in the state, 660 sam ples in all, and have published the results. pointing out the inferior brands. and have put that report, in an edition of 10000 copies. into the hands of every citizen who asked for it.
 We have examined the feeds sold in the state, 270 of them, and pub- iished the results.
 We have collected and tested 700 samples of foods and drugs and have tested over 700 others sent by the dairy commissioners; have published the results and reported to the com mission all cases of adulterations or rnisbra nding. The results of this work have also been published.
 Where the commissioner has pros ecuted we have given the expert testl- mony required
 We have tested over 700 samples of field and garden seeds to determine their vitality and to detect adultera- tions and the presence of dangerous weed seeds.
 We have tested all the commercial sprays now extensively used by or chardists. and made full report on them.
 We have continued our study of peach yellows on a block of 300 trees in commercial orchard.
 All the large pine plantations in the state have been inspected to eradi, cate an imported fungus disease of the pine. We have prepared Tor printing a report of five years care full experimenting in spraying pota- toes to protect from blight and an- other report on five years work in corn breeding.
 We have nearly exterminated the gypsy moth plague at Stonington and at Walhngford, where it was much more threatening, we have checked it and have a fair chance Of exter- minating 1t.
 Every nursery in the state has been inspected to destroy dangerous pests and prevent their distributions
 We have examined TOT boxes of inn ported nursery stock and destroyed the brown-tail moth which was brought in with it.
 The station owns an experiment farm of twenty acres, where we are carrying on experiments with ferti- lizers with crops and on the breeding of them
 We have carried on experiments in forest planting and management on our experiment forest land of more than 100 acres in Windsor and En- field and have given owners of wood land help and advice in making the most of the farm wood lot.
 Now this is no complete catalogue of our work, but a mere mention of some items of immediate practical value.
 Has not this station made good? :? Has not this work, accurately and honestly done, been fully worth to this state the annual sum of S15, ,500 which has paid for a part of the work and has made it possible to secure the funds required for the rest of it?
 The staff of u station has no other occupation or duties or allegiance but to the station alone
 If you agree that we have made good'' we ask you:
 Ffrst-To recommend that we re- ceive for the next biennial period:
 For general support, $20,000.
 For food and drug work, s5,000.
 For the state entomolOgiSt, S6.OO0.
 For suppression of the gypsy moth S10,O00.
 Being the same amounts appro- priated in past years.
 Second-To recommend that s4,000 he appropriated for the state forester, being s2,0OO more than was hereto fore appropriated, which is necessary for the increasing work of his office.
 Third-To recommend an appro- priation of $6,5o0 to replace our fire loss in January, 1910.
 Our laboratory was completely burned out, leaving us without facili- ties for going on with our work. Through the courtesy of the Sheffield Scientific school and the family of Professor Johnson, formerly director Of the station, who put rooms at our disposal we managed to go on.
 We had s11, 1000 of insurance and the board ordered the burned build ing replaced and to borrow the neces- sary money. as year and half must elapse before the state could take action. This seemed to be what common business prudence required.
 The building was therefore finished and equipped and for the first time in our history of thirty-four years we have a commodious well-equipped and essentially fireproof building to pro tect our very valuable collections and apparatus and to enable us to work conveniently.
 may add that the total amount we ask for Is less than the sums ap- propriated last year by 21,500.
 This states our case as conc1Sely as l can state it. l. it did not seer to me so perfectly reasonable I should do more than merely state it.
 Senator AlSOp.
 Senator AlsOp spoke for the trus- tees He said the trustees had given close attention to the wants of the state They felt that they must have A plant that would educate 250 stu dents in agricultural conditions in the