birthday, a year ago, was spoken of as "the oldest merchant in Exeter." Susan, the second daughter, married Capt. Charles Emery, of Dorchester, lately deceased. Caroline E., author of several popular Sunday school books, married Rev. William Davis, and resides in Chelsea, Mass., where also her sister, Miss Charlotte Kelly, has her home.

Warner, April 30, 1891.

THE NEW HAMPSHIRE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND THE MECHANIC ARTS.

BY PROF. C. H. PETTEE.

The State College was established by the legislature in 1866, on the basis of the Congressional Land Grant Act of Congress of July, 1862, and was located at Hanover in connection with Dartmouth College. It is an interesting fact, and attests the broad and advanced views of the common people of the state, that before the passage of the act aforesaid two farmers, Culver of Lyme and Thompson of Durham, had already made provision by will for the advancement of agricultural education. These wills, modified later, have since resulted in the building of Culver Hall at Hanover and the more recent benefaction at Durham. The act of 1862 gave to New Hampshire $80,000, the income from which has been the mainstay of the college until within a few years.

We have no time to dwell on the past, but there is in the history of the institution an intensely interesting story of struggle with poverty and adverse criticism and of experiments to adapt the new education to the wants of the people. In the early days, President Smith of Dartmouth labored, in season and out, to place the college on a substantial foundation. Later, for long years, Judge Nesmith kept a steady hand at the helm, and, refusing all remuneration for his own services, looked after the expenditure of every dollar of its funds until he saw a debt of over $10,000 wiped out, and the college, through the renewed munificence of the National government, enter upon an era of prosperity and usefulness. The people of New Hamp

shire can never afford to forget such faithful and efficient service, and it would be an appropriate and fitting tribute to the memory of Judge Nesmith to cut in stone, over the entrance to the proposed main building at Durham, the name of "Nesmith Hall,"-the building itself the gift of the state; the name that of a noble son who labored unselfishly for her interests.

As early as 1876, notwithstanding poverty, the policy of experiment work in agriculture was systematically entered upon. Jeremiah W. Sanborn, now president of the Utah State College, was elected farm superintendent. For six years he labored zealously with small means, until his work attracted wide-spread attention abroad, and he was called from us to a larger field.

In the last year of Prof. Sanborn's stay, 1881-82, with his earnest coöperation, the writer organized a short winter course in agriculture, which awakened much interest and promised well for the future. When Prof. Sanborn left, circumstances compelled the abandonment of the project, though similar work has since been carried on in the form of Institutes. After a short interregnum George H. Whitcher, a graduate of the college, who had become interested in agricultural experiment work under Prof. Sanborn, was elected farm superintendent, and later he became Professor of Agriculture. His zeal, ability and success were so marked that when, in 1887, the Hatch Experiment Station Bill was passed by Congress, Prof. Whitcher was naturally selected as the head of the New Hampshire station, and he still remains its director. The Hatch bill provides $15,000 per year for each state, to be wholly devoted to experiment work in agriculture. The advent of the station marked a long step forward in the work of the college. It secured in agriculture, chemistry and allied branches the services of trained specialists, a part of whose time could be devoted to teaching, provided a proportional part of their salaries was paid from the teaching funds of the college.

It would require a separate article to treat of the work of the Experiment Station. By common consent, it has been successful from the start, and has paid and is paying back to our farmers many times its cost in practical results.

A little earlier, in 1886, the college secured the detail for two years of Thomas W. Kincaid, assistant engineer

U. S. Navy, and under his direction a small work-shop was erected, and a regular mechanical engineering course established.

Within ten years public feeling toward the Land Grant Colleges has been almost revolutionized. This is attested by increased attendance, increased state appropriations, and large benefactions. Congress, recognizing the drift of public sentiment, provided, by act of August, 1890, liberally for each state. This bounty began with $15,000 in 1890, and is to be increased $1,000 each year for ten years, after which time it will remain at $25,000 per year. None of this money can be used for building.

In January, 1890, there died in Durham, N. H., at a ripe old age, a man whose life had been given to the saving of money for the endowment of industrial education in his native town and state. Benjamin Thompson left an estate valued at about $400,000. This the state is to hold intact till 1910, and compound at four per cent. each year. After that time the whole amount, which will be over $800,000, may be used for all college purposes except building and repairs. As a condition of the gift, the state must provide $3,000 per year for twenty years, compounded at four per cent., as a building fund. The legislature of 1891 accepted the conditions of the Thompson will, and voted to appropriate at once $100,000 for buildings, in order that the existing college might be moved to the new site at an early date.

It appears to be very fortunate for the state that at this juncture the affairs of the institution were in experienced hands. The Board of Trustees is essentially a farmers' board. About the only serious cause for complaint in its make-up is, that it does not contain a single representative of the mechanical pursuits. This is evidently wrong, as these equally with agriculture are to be fostered.

Upon the decision to remove the college, the wise method was adopted of studying other institutions and improving upon their work when possible. Surveys of the Thompson farm and adjoining region were early made by the students of the college, under the supervision of the professor of civil engineering. Then a landscape architect of established reputation was employed to lay out the grounds and assist in locating buildings. After this, four architects were invited to prepare plans for a main building and a science

building. The plans of Dow & Randlett, of Concord, N. H., were approved, and it is expected that contractors will be prepared to push work upon these buildings and a shop as soon as spring opens. It was evident from the start that the first building needed at Durham would be a barn, as farm operations must commence at once. This matter, as well as the building of an Experiment Station building, was placed in the hands of the Board of Control. The station building will be built in the spring, and a large barn is already up and covered in, and will be completed the present winter. Without doubt it will be the delight of every practical farmer in the state. It is so arranged that its four floors, including basement, are entered by practically level . drives, and the interior arrangements will be equally convenient. It was early recognized that water, under pressure, was a necessity to the college. Preliminary surveys were made with reference to various projects. A leading hydraulic engineer was then consulted, and the plan he recommended adopted. About forty acres of land have been secured, including a storage basin of some thirteen acres, from which the water will flow by gravity to the shop, there to be pumped by water or steam power to a high tank. This supply will be ample, and can in time be extended to supply the whole town.

Opposite the site of the proposed main building are a number of small, unsightly structures. At some trouble and expense the college has secured these, and at an early day they will be removed and the area changed into a residence section.

Plans are nearly perfected for a central heating station, from which steam will be conveyed by underground conduits to the various buildings for both power and heating. Ventilation will also be thoroughly provided for. In these matters leading authorities have been consulted, to avoid all possibility of mistake. It will thus be seen that much thought and time has been given to the subject of removal, and that steady progress has been made.

It has been fully realized that the proper founding of a college such as this is to become requires a broad and liberal policy. The essentials must be amply and wisely provided, that future growth may not unnecessarily be cramped. At a trustee meeting in April last, after careful consid

eration, it was decided to be inexpedient to fill the office of president of the college with a resident and permanent incumbent until the severance of relations with Dartmouth College and removal to Durham; that then a man of high executive ability as well as scholarly attainments should be secured, who would be the head of the institution and its active chief executive officer.

The proper expenditure of the funds of the college demands not only wisdom and fidelity on the part of trustees and Faculty, but also a proper appreciation by the public of the purposes of the grants and the plans for promoting the ends sought. A concise statement of these purposes and plans is, therefore, in order. The act of Congress, by virtue of which the college was established, provides that its "leading object shall be, without excluding other scientific and classical studies, and including military tactics, to teach such branches of learning as are related to agriculture and the mechanic arts, in order to promote the liberal and practical education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions of life."

It is thus evident that its object is neither to ape nor to supplant the classical college, but to supplement its work.

The general catalogue of Dartmouth College shows that only four per cent. of its graduates, for the ten years ending in 1885, are engaged in those pursuits which require a special technical training, and only two per cent. in agriculture. Doubtless a somewhat similar ratio will be found in other classical institutions. The state college must then supply this training.

Its purpose is not to take a secondary position, but to attract to itself, first, those who have the maturity, natural ability and inclination to prepare for some special industrial pursuit connected with the material development of the country; second, those whose natural inclinations, though not fixed or specialized, are of a scientific turn.

To properly educate such requires a far more expensive plant, in the way of shops and laboratories, than is needed for classical work, while instruction must be of the highest grade. On the part of students there can be no boys' play. Steady, persistent and careful labor is essential to progress in manual training and scientific studies; and the steadying influence of special preparation for a life work should be as