LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL To His Excellency, Marcus H. Holcomb, Governor of the State of Connecticut: I have the honor to submit herewith the report of the board of trustees of the Connecticut Agricultural College for the two fiscal years ended September 30, 1918, and for the two years in other matters ended November 30, 1918. Very respectfully, OLCOTT F. KING, Secretary of the Board of Trustees. J. W. ALSOP, C. M. JARVIS, H. G. MANCHESTER, I. C. FANTON Experiment Station Committee C. M. JARVIS, E. S. HENRY, EVERETT E. BROWN Extension Committee O. F. KING, C. E. LYMAN, EVERETT E. BROWN Administration Committee H. G. MANCHESTER, O. F. KING, E. K. HUBBARD HISTORICAL SKETCH Storrs Agricultural School was established by an Act of the General Assembly in January, 1881. The State at this time accepted the gift of a farm and $5,000 in money from Charles and Augustus Storrs. An appropriation of $5,000 was made for the maintenance of the institution. The object of the School, as stated in the Act establishing it, was "the education of the boys whose parents are citizens of this State in such branches of scientific knowledge as shall tend to increase their proficiency in the business of agriculture." The name was subsequently changed to Storrs Agricultural College and later to the Connecticut Agricultural College. The Board of Trustees admitted young women, providing for them education in such branches of knowledge as tend to increase proficiency in the art of housekeeping and homemaking. As a college, the institution fell heir to the federal income from the Land-Grant Act of 1862 and the Morrill Act of 1890 and became responsible for half the Experimental Station work in the state, for which annual provision had been made by the Hatch Act of 1887. In July, 1914, the college became the recipient of the federal appropriation for Extension work. In the acceptance of Federal support, the state is under moral and legal obligations to maintain the scope of education appropriate to land-grant colleges. SUPPORT OF THE COLLEGE From the State the Trustees receive for the college proper, $52,500 for the Storrs Experiment Station, $7,500, and for Extension work, $15,000 annually. From the National government it now has the following fixed annual income: under the Land-Grant Act, $6,750; under the Morrill and Nelson Acts, $50,000; under the Hatch and Adams Acts, providing for Agricultural Experiment Stations, $15,000, and under the Smith-Lever Act, approximately $15,000 for Extension work. The use of federal funds is limited to certain specified objects-none of the first two amounts and only a small percentage of the last two amounts can be used for construction and repair of buildings or for the purchase of land. The State is required to cooperate by providing a suitable home for the college. Accordingly, from time to time, special appropriations have been made for the purchase of land and for the erection of buildings. From the federal funds are paid practically all the salaries of instruction and administration. The annual income regularly received from the State is devoted to the support and improvement of the college plant as a whole. SYSTEM OF CONTROL The control of the institution is vested in a Board of Trustees consisting of ten members, including the Governor,-six appointed by the Senate* for periods of four years each, two elected by the alumni of the college for four years each, and one elected annually by the Board of Agriculture. The Governor is ex-officio president of the Board. The Trustees elect their own officers with the exception of their president. They also elect the college officers. ACTIVITIES OF THE INSTITUTION EXPERIMENT STATION:-The Experiment Station is a research department of the college. It is supported, however, by separ ate and distinct funds. The principal lines of investigation at the Storrs Station are in Dairy Husbandry, Poultry Husbandry, Horticul ture, Dairy and Soil Bacteriology. EXTENSION DEPARTMENT:-Agricultural Extension is an ac tivity that aims to extend to the farmer the results of scientific research and experiments. The farmer cannot come to the College but information can be taken to him. The Federal Government and the several States have expended large sums of money in developing knowledge relating to agriculture. It is the function of the Extension Division through its leaders and experts and in cooperation with the Farm Bureaus to disseminate in the various communities of the State to persons not attending the Agricultural College the latest scientific knowledge relating to Agriculture and Home Economics. COLLEGE:-The function of the College is to train young people for leadership in country life. The College offers to resident students, courses in agriculture designed to train young men as farmers, teachers, investigators and agricultural experts. Courses are offered in Home Economics designed to train young women in science and the art of household management for use in home making and as teachers. LAND, BUILDINGS AND EQUIPMENT COLLEGE LAND:-The lands owned by the college comprise about 1339 acres, of which 164 acres are tillable, 22 acres are orchard land, 491 acres are pasture land, 555 acres are wood land, and 107 acres are campus or reserved for buildings. The tillage and orchard land is apportioned to the farm, horticultural department and Experiment Station, and is manipulated in such manner as to illustrate the principles and processes of both general and specialized agriculture, including crop rotation, vegetable production and fruit growing. The campus and wooded reservations furnish good facilities for scientific instruction in landscape gardening, floriculture, road making, and forestry. BUILDINGS:-The College comprises 73 main buildings, including Administration Building, Horticultural Hall and Greenhouses, Armory and Auditorium, two dormitories for young men, two dormitories for young women, Dairy Building, Dining Hall, Poultry Building, Whitney Hall, Central Heating Plant, 34 Dwelling Houses, 16 Barns and Store Houses, 4 Garages and 5 other small buildings. WATER AND SEWAGE SYSTEMS:-Water from two bored wells, 800 and 1100 feet in depth is supplied to all buildings. The sewage is purified on sand filters, eight in number, each 20 feet by 30 feet in size and four feet deep. The beds are used in rotation. The effluent is practically odorless and non-putrescible. *Beginning July 1, 1919, appointment of Trustees to be made by the Governor instead of the Senate. |