University of Delaware - Blue Hen Yearbook (Newark, DE)

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JUDGING S8TOCK tract students. Furthermore, at that time all the other voeations open to a col- lege graduate offered greater indueements, In consequence, the better equipped departments, which led to a so-ecalled learned profession, drew all the men en- tering college, In spite of the fact, however, that there were no students in this subject, there was always a Professdr of Agriculture. The first incumbent of this chair was Edward D, Porter, A. M. Prof, Porter was evidently a man of parts, as he was not only Professor of Agrieulture, but of Physies and Civil Engineering as well. He was also, at least during a part of the time that he held this chair, Prineipal of the Newark Aecademy, an institution that was perhaps better known at that time than the College itself, Prof. Porter furnished the College with a farm, which offered practical work for students and was used for demon- stration and experiment, as well as for an agrieultural laboratory. In the eatalogne of 1877, Prof. Porter published the results of his experiments in growing sugar beets, which was the first scientific experimental work done in Delaware. Prof. Porter was a great organizer, and it was not long before he was called to the University of Minnesota, where he was for some time the Director of the Ex- periment Station of that state. From there he went to the University of Mis. souri, and directed for a number of years the Experiment Station in connection with the University of Missouri. His sueeessor in Delaware was Prof. Reinhart, who was in turn followed by Prof. Farrington, now Assistant Chief of the Bureau of Animal Husbandry in the - 21 e

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ON THE COLLEGE FARM The Agricultural Bepartment INCE the reorganization of the College on the Land Grant foundation, Agriculture has always been a prominent feature of the Clollege catalogues, The conrses, as deseribed, have been excellent and, in print, wonld compare favorably with those in other land grant institutions. At the beginning, there was offered only a three year eourse which did not lead to a degree, as did those in the other seiences and the elassics, A study of the early records reveals the fact that, from the time of the reorganization of the College in 1870 until 1892, no students were enrolled in this department. It is evident, however, that from the beginning the trustees were anxious to make Agriculture popular. This is shown by the fact that in 1873 it was made a preseribed study in the first two years of the Scientific Course, In 1883 a Btanding Committes of the Trustees on Agrieulture was appointed, and this has been one of the Standing Committees ever since. Those who are familiar with the system of agrienltural edueation today ean readily appreciate the difficulties that obtained in popularizing this work in the early seventies. With no text books, but few trained teachers, no apparatus or other equipment really adapted to the subject, it was ntterly impossible to at- 20

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U. 8 Department of Agriculture, Prof. Farrington was followed by Wesley Webb, now Corresponding Secretary of the Delaware State Board of Agrienl- ture. Like his predecessors, Prof. Webb also held the chair of Physics and Civil Engineering, and in addition was, for a part of this time at least, instructor in Military Tactics, The College opened in 1886 with Prof, Frederick D, Chester, B. 8., an early Cornell graduate, oceupying the chair of Geology and Agriculture. Under Prof. Chester's regime a Bureau of Information for farmers was established. The catalogue states in this connection: 'Letters of inquiry with stamp for answer ghould be addressed to the Agrienltural Department of Delaware College. A feature which would be considered rather unusual today is a statement in the eatalogne for 1886 under the heading, Agrieultural Society of Delaware Col- lege. All students in the Agricultural Course will, npon entrance, become members of the above society, and all duties eonneeted with it will be strictly en- foreed. The objects of the society are the reading of papers upon agrieultural topies, and the diseussion of matters relating to husbandry. The society will en- deavor to secure lecturers from among our best farmers, and thus practical views from practical men may have their full representation. In the eatalogue for 1886, Dr. Wolfe, as State Chemist, published the tabu- lated analyses of commercial fertilizers sold in the state, thus giving a little ag- rieultural tone to the catalogne in lien of stndents. In the College announcement of 1888, the Chair of Agriculture was vacant, but a new Chair of Horticulture and Entomology was established, with M. 5. Beckwith as Professor. The Experiment Station was organized during that year, with a Director, not yet appointed, Prof. Chester as Botanist, Prof. Har- ter as Meteorologist, Prof. Beekwith as Horticulturist and Entomologist, Prof. Penny as Assistant Chemist, and a Veterinarian not then appointed. The next eatalogue , for 1888-89, shows that the Chair of Agriculture was still vacant, but that Dr. Neale had been appointed Director of the Experiment Station. In the eatalogue for 1890, under the heading of Admission, it is stated that, The Agrienltural Course is a three-year special course established in accord- ance with the Aet of Congress, July 7, 1862, and an Act of the General Assem- bly of the State of Delaware, passed March 14, 1867, in whieh it is required that the leading object of the Agricultural College is to teach such branches of learn- ing as are related to Agriculture and to Mechanieal Arts, without excluoding other seientific and elassical studies, and including Military Tacties. 1t wonld seem from this quotation of the statute that the Agrieultural Course was at that time considered a sort of necessary evil. Under the heading of Degrees we find that, while all of the other courses led to a degree and were four years in length, the Agrienltural Course was still only three years long, and, at its completion the student was rewarded by a certificate of graduate in Agrienlture. In 1891 Dr. H. P. Eves, D. V. 8., of Wilmington, was made Professor of