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

Page 30 text:

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

Page 29 text:

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

Page 31 text:

1j LIt o 1y L L Y LTy Veterinary Science, and W, H. Bishop, B, 8., a graduate of the Amherst Agri- eultural College, was appointed Professor of Agriculture. In 1895 Biology was also taught by him. The year 1891 marked a new era in the history of the College. In the fall of that year Delaware obtained her first regular student in Agrieulture. The eourse had been extended to four years, and led to the degree of Bachelor of Agriculture. The distinetion of being the first student to be graduated in Ag- rieulture at Delaware College belongs to Mr. Brooks Ross of Seaford, who, hav- ing eompleted the Freshman and Sophomore years of the Secientific Course, changed to the course in Agrieulture in his junior year. Mr. Ross was gradu- ated in June, 1893, with the degree of B. Agr., the first one to reeeive this honor in the history of Delaware College, In 1893 the Winter Short Course was established, five students availing themselves of this opportunity offered by Delaware College, This course seemed to be adapted to the conditions obtaining in Delaware, and those interested were much pleased by the way it was aceepted by the constituents of the College. The next year this course was attended by five students, two of whom had taken it the winter previous. In the winter of 1895-96 but three attended the winter eourse. This number, however, was inereased to six in 1896-97, but went to three again in 189798, and numbered four in 1898-99, and two in 1899-1900, and pone in 1901, In 1901, however, William P. Naudin of Marshallton, Del., com- pleted the four year couse in Agrieulture, and was graduated with the degree of B. 8, Agricultural Course. During a period of 31 years this was the second time this degree had been conferred at Delaware College, In 190203 there were four students enrolled in the four year eourse in Ag- rieulture, and one in the short course. In 1903 the late Lmeien Green was grad- uated from the four vear course in Agriculture, making the third student npon whom this honor had been eonferred. During these years, for various reasons, the equipment for the eonrse in Agriculture had not been inereased to any ex- tent. The College was unable to provide a farm with modern equipment, or modern laboratory facilities for instruction in this important subjeet, No de- mand had been made upon the conrse in Agrieulture offered by the College, and, as the resources were limited, the trustees felt justified in strengthening the other department of the College upon which there had been a strong demand. In spite of the fact that in other states the Agrienltural ecourses were hegin- ning to attraet hundreds of students, it was the opinion of many, some of whom were trustees, that, owing to the close proximity of our large cities and the de- mand for men trained in the engineering courses, voung men of Delaware could not be attracted to the Agricultural Course in Delaware College. In 1903 Prof. Bishop resigned, and James A, Foord, B. S, M. 8, A, was eleeted to the Chair of Agrienlture. Prof. Foord was a young man who had re- ceived his Bachelor's degree from the Agrieultural Department of the N. H. College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, and his Master's degree from Cor-