CHAPTER XXXVII.

AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGES.1

CHANGES IN THE COURSE OR IN THE METHODS OF INSTRUCTION (FROM PRESIDENTS' REPORTS).

Alabama Polytechnic Institute.-In the junior year students are permitted to elect any one of the following degree courses of study: Chemistry and agriculture, mechanical and civil engineering, electrical and mechanical engineering, or general course, including the Latin, French, and German languages, and pharmacy.

Arkansas Industrial University.-Mineralogy has been grouped with geology, and the two made a separate department with a full professor. Civil and electrical engineering have each been made independent departments. The legislature has made appropriations for enlarging the equipment in mechanical, electrical, and civil engineering, and horticulture; also for the equipment and maintenance of a department of art, to be conducted with special reference to instruction in the practical branches of art as applied to the useful industries.

Colorado State Agricultural College.-During the year covered by this report (1896–97) all the regular courses of instruction have been strengthened by the addition of another year's work. The change was found necessary in order the better to prepare students for the technical and scientific courses, for which the college makes provision. The scholastic standing of a graduate of the college at the present time is almost midway between that of a graduate of one of our best high schools and that of a graduate of one of our best universities. It is the purpose of the college management to maintain this standard. Efforts will be put forth to improve our methods of instruction and to make more efficient than ever before the literary, scientific, and technical work already provided for. Of course it must be understood that in fixing the standard of the college its work is widely differentiated from that both of the high school and the university.

Delaware College.-The system of departmental libraries referred to in a former report has been maintained and a large well-lighted reading room established. The reading room contains a valuable collection of journals and periodicals and reference books upon the subjects of history, political and economic science, English language and literature, and science proper. These additional facilities, together with the increase in teaching force gained by a redistribution of work, have greatly enlarged our instruction in English and economics. Special attention has been given to the winter course of thirteen weeks in agriculture, with gratifying results. University of Idaho.-A ten weeks' course of instruction in dairying and another of ten weeks in domestic science have been added.

University of Illinois.—A school of law has been established and a school of library economy.

Purdue University.-We have greatly enlarged our courses in railway engineering. The number of students has increased, but it is our settled policy to use our efforts in the line of improving the quality of our work rather than in the line of increasing our attendance. More attention has been and will be paid to post-graduate work. It is worthy of note that we have enrolled 50 post-graduate students during the present year. Beginning with the next school year the degrees of bachelor of civil, of electrical, and of mechanical engineering will be abolished and we shall substitute in their places bachelor of science in civil engineering, etc.

Iowa State College for agriculture and the mechanic arts.-An entire year has been added to the courses of study, excepting those of agriculture and veterinary medicine.

1 Compiled by Mr. Wellford Addis, specialist for obtaining and collating information regarding colleges of agriculture and the mechanic arts.

Kansas State Agricultural College.-On the whole the past year has been the most successful in the history of the college. A new board of regents has undertaken a reorganization of the college along lines yet to be developed, but especially fostering sociological study in the curriculum. The majority of the faculty retire at the close of this college year, Prof. Thomas E. Will being president elect.

Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentucky.-The most notable growth has been in the course of mechanical engineering. The board of trustees, dissatisfied with the want of progress in civil engineering, have reorganized that course of study. The good results which are expected to follow the change I hope I shall have the pleasure of noting in my next report. The rapid growth of the departments of botany, biology, anatomy, physiology, geology, and physics made additional accommodations necessary for these and their equipment. A new building has been placed under contract for this purpose.

University of Maine.-The most important changes of the year have been the appropriation by the State of $20,000 annually, over a period of ten years, to be used for current expenses, and the change of name from the "Trustees of the State College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts" to the "University of Maine."

Maryland Agricultural College.-The departments of farmers' institutes and State entomologist are engaged in the university extension movement, and I am convinced are doing a good work in diffusing agricultural information, especially among the more mature and thinking members of the rural communities.

Massachusetts Agricultural College.-In the regular course descriptive geometry has been dropped and practical work in laboratory physics substituted. In the elective studies courses on geology and modern history are offered. The dairy and short winter courses were opened for the first time this year, 17 persons availing themselves of the advantages thus offered. The 20 acres purchased by the State (see p. 1276 of 1895-96 Report of Bureau of Education) have been broken up and prepared for orchard and nurseries. This year closes the thirtieth of the existence of the college. Excluding those at present pursuing their studies, 1,093 have been admitted. Of these 1,001 are living, and of these there are pursuing the vocations named: Agriculture and the mechanic arts, 503; business and the various professions of life, 498.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology.-[The loss sustained by this great engineering school by the death of its late president, Gen. Francis E. Walker, is more particularly referred to in the first volume of the Commissioner's report, p. 695.]

Michigan State Agricultural College. The past year brought three important changes to the college. During the past forty years of the existence of this institution the long vacation occurred in the winter, from November to March. Last winter the college changed to the plan followed by most other schools, a change that promises to add much to the usefulness of the college. A course of study for women was added to the curriculum, and 45 young women entered upon the work. This course is strongly characterized by the study of English, modern languages, natural science, art, domestic science, and music. Its period is four years, and its degree that of bachelor of science. The college also offered, during the past winter, four courses, each of six weeks, in fruit culture, floriculture, winter-vegetable gardening, home dairying, and live-stock husbandry. These were well patronized and will be continued in the future.

The University of Minnesota.—The legislature having increased the tax for the benefit of the university from 0.15 of a mill to 0.23 of a mill, an increase of $40,000, the college and school of agriculture will be benefited as one of its departments. The legislature also provided for coeducation at the school of agriculture.

Mississippi Agricultural and Mechanical College.-Instruction in electricity has been added to the course.

School of Mines of the University of Missouri.-The year has been divided into three terms, and the courses reorganized so as to produce greater concentration; thus the student, having fewer subjects, has more time to devote to the more important ones. College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts (Montana).-Several important changes have been made in the courses: The elective system has been introduced, thus giving students the privilege of electing a part of their studies during the latter years of the course. Full four-year courses have been arranged in general science, agriculture, domestic science, and art on the elective system, and four-year courses in chemistry, mechanical and electrical engineering without electives.

University of Nebraska. Our agricultural group of studies has been adopted to prepare for the work of the divisions in the United States Department of Agriculture. New Hampshire College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts.-The only significant change in the course of instruction has been the gradual development of the preparatory department, resulting from the attempt to place the instruction upon a strictly collegiate plan. The possible constituency of the college represents the city high school on the one hand, and the district school of the rural village on the other hand. The grade of the college has been too low for the one and too high for the

other. By raising the standard and offering a preparatory year, it is hoped that this difficulty will be overcome. During the year preparatory studies were introduced into the two-year course in agriculture.

Rutgers Scientific School.-By a rearrangement of the recitation schedule, the full time of the instructor in mathematics, electricity, and physics is now devoted to the course in electricity.

New Mexico College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts.-The course of study has been enlarged and made to conform as nearly as possible to the requirements of the law establishing agricultural colleges, and to meet the needs and requirements of the locality in which it is situated. The requirements for admission into the freshman class have been slightly raised and are about in accordance with those recommended by the committee of the Association of Agricultural Colleges as a standard. Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College.-By Territorial law students are admitted to the freshman class on passing a satisfactory examination in the commonschool branches. As the funds for instruction are exclusively from the act of August 30, 1890, the nature of the course is strictly determined, but lack of facilities prevents us from offering a course in mechanic arts. An extension of the privilege of electing studies during the junior and senior years is the only change to be noted.

Rhode Island College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts.-We anticipate raising the standard of the college during the coming year and starting an agricultural high school, which will also prepare students for the collegiate department.

South Dakota State Agricultural College.-All courses have been carefully revised during the year and new ones added. The following indicate the most important of these changes: A subfreshman year is provided, with two terms' work in physics and one in botany, and includes elementary algebra, plane geometry, and rhetoric, thus raising the standard of admission for freshmen about one year. Chemistry, botany, and elementary geology are now studied in the freshman year, thus laying a good foundation for taking up technical agriculture early in the course. Many electives are offered in the junior and senior years, enabling students to specialize in agriculture, agricultural engineering, architecture, electrical, hydraulic, or sanitary engineering, and to pursue advanced work in art, domestic science, music, botany, chemistry, physics, materia medica, and shorthand. German and Latin are offered for two years, and may be carried further. Music is also provided, and may be pursued exclusively or in connection with other studies. The course in pharmacy is greatly strengthened; advanced work offered for two years after druggist's course, and leads to B. S. degree. The short course in agriculture is extended to twelve weeks, and is enlarged by shopwork and other subjects. Both the business and the amanuensis courses are restricted to one year.

University of Tennessee.-Instruction in domestic arts, introduced tentatively, has proven a success and will be permanently established next year. The most gratifying improvement of the year is the increase in the number of graduate students. Agricultural College of Utah.—The preparatory department has been strengthened and a class of students has been excluded which has hitherto been admitted, though it was found to be a hindrance rather than an advantage to the college. Perhaps as many as fifty persons were excluded during the year. The average age of the students, 1896-97, is 19.4 years.

Agricultural College, Experiment Station, and School of Science of the State of Washington.-During the past year the work, other than collegiate, has been arranged under the name of schools as follows: School of farming, being a course of two years (each of six months) in practical horticulture and agriculture; school of dairying, being a ten weeks' course in butter and cheese making; school of pharmacy, a course of two full years in pharmacy; school of veterinary science, being a course of two years in veterinary medicine; school of business, being a course of two years in bookkeeping with allied branches, or of one year in stenography with allied branches; school of mining, being a course of two years in mining, the requirements for admission being the same as for freshmen and the work purely technical; and preparatory school, two years' course (formerly three years). The departments of geology and modern languages have been enlarged and strengthened; also the department of mining engineering.

University of Wyoming.-A preparatory course of a year has been created for the agricultural course.

Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical College (for colored citizens).—The normal course is now preparatory to a college course in agriculture.

Southern University and Agricultural and Mechanical College. This is a colored school, and we have been able to secure annually some of the best talent to be had to address large audiences on economic and other live questions. With the mass of the colored people this is the only opportunity they have for hearing addresses from educated men on such topics. We have, however, recently inaugurated in the university a system which we are trying to make self-sustaining, and by which we secure professional lecturers to lecture, not only to the pupils, but to the colored people generally.

We put on a nominal admission fee of 15 cents to the public to help pay expenses in connection with our own individual contributions. We pay the lecturers (white), and have been quite successful so far and expect to reduce the admission fee to as near zero as we can safely go. We have established a scientific dairy on the most modern plan this session with a class of twenty, and it is working successfully.

North Carolina Agricultural and Mechanical College for the Colored Race.-We have enlarged the preparatory department in order to raise the standard of the regular classes. A department of domestic science has been added.

Colored Normal, Industrial, Agricultural, and Mechanical College of South Carolina.— Previous to March, 1896, this institution was know as Claflin College and was under the control and management of Claflin University.

Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute.-Work in the department of agricul ture as compared with that of last year has been characterized by better methods of instruction, a wider range of topics taught, and an increased and growing interest on the part of our students in the subject of agriculture. A new feature of our work is the introduction of field practice for its educational value alone, no wages being paid for this work. This was successful beyond expectation, and will be repeated another season. Our courses of study in agriculture have been thoroughly revised, and the time required for some of the academic classes for agriculture has been doubled. We are now offering six courses in the agricultural department, as follows: A course in elementary agriculture, required of the academic students; a three years' course in agriculture, a one year's course in agriculture, a one year's course in horticulture, a one year's course in dairying, a summer course in agriculture. Our facil ities for teaching agriculture are to be greatly increased during the coming year. We are now constructing a two-story brick building, in which about 10,000 square feet of floor space will be used for agricultural purposes. In this space will be arranged a museum and a lecture room, a chemical and physical laboratory, a botanical and horticultural laboratory, a farm laboratory, a dairy, and a farm-implement and machine room. The ground used for practice work and experiment by the students has been extended this year and will be further enlarged during the coming season. In this field work we are not trying to make discoveries of unknown facts, but simply to use the soil as a laboratory for the students to work out as far as possible the principles taught in the class room.

West Virginia Colored Institute.-We have formulated an academic course which is preparatory to a scientific department, and hope in the near future to have students sufficiently advanced to justify the formation of a B. S. course. The students in the academic course are some of those who entered the school four years ago in its lowest department, using the Third Reader, etc. We shall develop course courses as rapidly as we are able to develop the minds of the students. The machine shop of this institution is as well equipped as any in the State, and we have a graduate course in practical mechanics at which each boy or young man is required to work at least one and a half hours five days in each week. The equipment and the maintenance of the machine shop, coupled with the pro rata yet small amount of Federal aid, has prevented our engaging in agricultural instruction to the extent desirable, or even constructing a propagating house.

NEW BUILDINGS (FROM REPORTS OF THE PRESIDENTS).

Alabama Polytechnic Institute.-An annex to the chemical laboratory has been constructed, at a cost of $3,895. The building is of brick, three stories high, and contains five rooms, to be used by the departments of pharmacy, chemistry, and mechanical engineering. A stable for the veterinary department was also constructed, at a cost of $500.

University of California.—In the spring of 1897 the agricultural building and a portion of its equipment were consumed by fire. A larger and better building is now in process of erection. The loss to be made up is about $12,600, but this does not include the loss of collections, which may be estimated at $5,000 or more, nor printed matter, not easily valued, but placed at $2,500.

Storrs Agricultural College.-We have erected one new building which is the begining of a dairy. The structure is of brick, costing $1,700.

Florida Agricultural College.--A propagating house 28 by 63 feet has been erected. A barn has also been built.

Georgia State College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts.-One brick and stone building 140 by 60 feet, three stories high, with basement, is in course of construction. The cost will be $25,000. The building is to be occupied by the schools of chemistry and biology.

Iowa State Agricultural College.-A forge shop and foundry has been erected for the mechanical engineering department, at a cost of $5,000; other improvements of a structural nature also cost about $25,000.

Kansas State Agricultural College.-An appropriation of $16,000 has been made for

a domestic science hall 80 by 100 feet, two stories in height. The first floor and basement will be devoted to classes in household economy and hygiene, and the second story will be given entirely to the sewing department.

Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College.-The central building mentioned in last report has not yet been begun, as the funds which are to cover its cost are not yet available.

Michigan State Agricultural College.-One story was added to the rear of Abbot Hall, and fitted up as a cooking laboratory, at a cost of $1,500.

University of Minnesota.—The legislature provided for coeducation at the School of Agriculture by appropriating $25,000 for a girls' hall, and $3,000 for the first and $1,000 for the second year's expenses. It also voted $18,000 for a heating and lighting plant.

Mississippi Agricultural and Mechanical College.—The chemical laboratory has been enlarged by an addition for "State chemist's work," at a cost of $6,000; a complete system of waterworks, at a cost of $7,500, has been added, and $5,000 have been expended for repairs.

The

College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, Montana.-The buildings in process of erection are as follows: (a) Main building, which is situated in the center of the college campus, and is a substantial structure of brick and stone, fireproof, 128 feet long by 90 feet wide, and three stories with basement, in which last is placed the mechanical laboratory, domestic science department, and two class rooms. remaining floors will be occupied by the library, art department, business department, offices, and class rooms; (b) chemical and physical laboratory, 90 by 60 feet, built of pressed brick, in two stories and a basement; (e) shop building, being a one-storied frame structure 60 by 100 feet, to contain the machine shop, forge, office, tool room, wash room, engine, blower, and boilers; (d) drill hall, being a one-storied frame structure 60 by 100 feet, designed for military purposes and for a gymnasium. University of Nebraska.-A dairy building 44 by 40 feet and two stories high has been erected. On the first floor is the dairy room proper. A miniature astronomical observatory for instructional purposes was completed September, 1896. An agricultural chemistry building has been made out of an old stone house for the use of the experiment station. The cost of these additions was about $3,900, which does not include certain additions to the walls of the electrical laboratory, which cost $1,100.

Nevada State University.-The mechanical building has been completed. The annex to this building, 50 by 60 feet, one story, built of brick and stone, containing forging room and foundry, was built last year. The main building, just completed, is built of brick and stone, two stories, 48 by 90 feet, and unites architecturally every desirable feature of a first class shop of wood and machine work. The cost of the building, with the annex, was $9,000. Between $3,000 and $4,000 have been expended in the purchase of machinery and tools. Within three years the university has erected and equipped six new buildings, at a cost of about $72,000, and has enlarged the university campus by purchase of additional land to 36 acres.

New Hampshire College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts.-The only important addition to the buildings of the college has been a large greenhouse; cost, $1,500. New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts.-The issue of $15,000 of Territorial bonds having been approved by Congress and the bonds having been sold, a part of the proceeds is now being used in putting up an experiment station building, in which will be located the college laboratories as well as those of the station. A part of the fund is also being used in building a girls' dormitory.

North Dakota Agricultural College and Experiment Station.-A drill hall and gymnasium of wood, 40 by 94 feet, has been erected during the year, as also one wing of a proposed chemical laboratory. The wing is 26 by 40 feet, of brick, one story and basement.

Ohio State University.-Seventy-five thousand dollars have been spent in repairs and conveniences. Three new buildings have been erected, costing $190,000. The buildings are described as follows:

Townshend Hall.-This building is 260 feet long, and varies in width from 64 to 78 feet. It consists of two stories and a basement which is 14 feet high. The walls above the basement line are of gray pressed brick, The basement walls are of cut stone, and the trimmings are of terra cotta of the same color as the brick. The roof is covered with tile. The building is of slow-burning construction throughout, with painted interior brick walls, exposed beams, maple floors, and hard-pine finish. Throughout the dairy department, which has about 6,000 square feet floor space, the floors are of tile and the walls are wainscoted with enameled brick.

On the left of the entrance, which is 28 feet wide, is the office of the department of agriculture, and a private office, a stenographer's room, and fireproof vault. Connected with the office on the south is an assistant's room, opening into a laboratory for advanced students. At the extreme south end of this floor is a large laboratory for student work in soils and farm crops. Connected with this laboratory is a balance room, a storeroom, and an instructor's laboratory. On the west side of the main corridor and connected with the instructor's room is a large class room opening into a preparation room with a dark room. This class room is fitted with all appliances for showing lantern slides of live stock, buildings, machinery, etc. On the same side of the corridor and on the right of the stairway ED 97-111