Samuel Cushman, of Pawtucket, and the work during the season has been of much interest to many. Mr. H. F. Adams, as farmer, has faithfully discharged his duties in a manner satisfactory to the Board of Managers.

The work of the year has been in a great measure preparatory and in the line of permanent improvements. The farm, as purchased, contained about one and seven-eighths miles of interior stone walls, and was approached over a cart-path, which in spring and during rainy weather was very muddy. The first work after cutting several acres of brush in the pastures was to lay out a graded road-way, fifteen feet in width, along the avenue and across the pasture to and around the farm-house. The earth was thrown out sufficiently deep to allow of filling in stone to average one foot in depth, crowned six inches at the center, finely broken on the top and covered six inches deep with the sub-soil. Over one mile of the interior walls have been thus used with the exception of a few large foundation stone, which will be otherwise disposed of. Allowing a stone wall to cover five feet in width, over half an acre of good land has been uncovered, and at the same time a good road-way constructed. During the summer the Town Council of South Kingstown laid out a highway, commencing near the bridge over the Chipuxet river on the highway leading to the railroad station and extending north-easterly across the plain to the Exeter line. The highway crosses the station farm in a diagonal direction, near the depression in the plain, and runs toward the east along the north boundary line 1,355 feet, then turns toward the north and off the farm. As soon as time and means will permit, the road-way already built to the farm-house will be continued toward the west to meet the new highway, thus shortening the distance from the farm-house to the railroad station 1,584 feet, or 96 rods.

During the January Session of 1889 the General Assembly

appropriated the sum of $10,000 for the purpose of building a Chemical Laboratory on the Farm in accordance with plans then adopted, but upon receiving bids for construction from several responsible parties it was found that the appropriation was insufficient and an additional appropriation of $4,000 was asked and granted at the May Session. As soon thereafter as possible the contract for constructing the building was let to Mr. William Gosling of Newport. Mr. William Weeden, having the contract for excavating the cellar, began work June 4th. On August 8th a cornerstone was laid at the north west corner of the building, with a brief ceremony and in the presence of the Board of Managers and about fifty people who had gathered from the vicinity. The assembly was called to order by the President of the Board, who invited Rev. E. F. Watson, of Matunuck, to offer prayer. The laying of the corner-stone followed. In a pocket made for the purpose, under the corner-stone, was placed a carefully sealed glass jar in which had been placed a copy of the Report of the Joint Special Committee appointed by the General Assembly to purchase a site for the State Agricultural School; a copy of the First Annual Report of the Board of Managers to the General Assembly; a copy of the Rhode Island Manual for 1888-9; a roll of the Rhode Island House of Representatives, May session, 1889; a roll of the Rhode Island Senate, special session, July, 1889; a list of the town officers of the Town of South Kingstown; a list of the Experiment Station working staff; name of the architect, E. A. Ellsworth, Holyoke, Mass. ; name of the builder and others engaged in the work; a copy of the Providence Journal for July 14, '89, containing an illustrative article descriptive of the station and farm, and five pennies of this year's coinage. Mr. J. G. Peckham, of Kingston, in a few words, characterized the occasion as an auspi cious one for the farmers of the State and of the South County in particular. The sympathy of the community in the work and

prosperity of the institution was expressed by Rev. Mr. Clark, pastor of the Kingston Church, who closed the brief and impromptu ceremony with prayer and benediction.

From the Congressional appropriation the Board of Managers have been able to use this year $3,000 for building purposes. Of this sum $177.72 was used in enlarging and repairing the old barn on the plain and $133.08 in the construction of the "Bee-house." The balance, $2,689.20 has been used in the construction of stables and sheds for the teams and tools.

Just twelve feet from the south-west corner of the farm barn, and extending toward the south, has been built a structure 20 × 48 feet, with 14 foot posts. This gives two high, open sheds for loads of hay or grain, and at the south end a room 20 × 20 fect, provided with a chimney, for use as a work-shop, over which is a pleasant room with bay-window for a farmer's office and seed room. Extending east and west across the north side of the barn the new stable has been built; this is 118×20 feet. At the west end is a manure shed 20×20 feet, with concrete bottom, about 4 feet below the stable floor and easy of access through doors on a level with the surface at the west end. The stable is concreted throughout, and stalls are provided for eight horses and seven cattle, besides two good box-stalls. On a line with the east end of the stable a shed 80×20 feet extends toward the south, and that end is finished to correspond with the south end of the first mentioned shed, and the room 20 × 20 can be used for a work-shop, occasional slaughtering of beef or pork, etc., with a small office up stairs. A chimney is provided so that the rooms can be heated. A low shed 23×20 feet is next the slaughter room, with loft for storage purposes, then a high shed 14× 20 feet and a tool-room 23 x 20 feet, with loft over it, take up the entire space. These are all built of wood, shingled and stand on good stone foundations, well drained. A feed-room, under which is a cistern for water supply, and a

harness-room will occupy a part of the space in the old barn and the balance will be used for tools and light wagons, and the entire upper part for the storage of hay. These sheds make ample provisions for our teams and tools, but a stock barn to accommodate a select herd of cows for experimental feeding and to convert the products of the farm into milk and butter for the use of the school is one need of the near future. A second is a suitable greenhouse and work-rooms for the Horticultural Division, to which allusion is made in another part of this report. For various reasons the publications of the station have not been issued as promptly as dėsirable, a failing we trust a further division of labor will entirely obviate in the future.

The Board have held fourteen meetings during the year, ten of which have been at the Farm, and the other four at the State House in Providence. While the many difficulties incident to the organization of a new work in a new locality have been consecutively arising, and the exceptionally rainy season has caused corresponding interruptions and delays in the accomplishment of the work in hand, the Board feel that the progress of the year is encouraging, and look to the coming year for results of more decided benefit to the agricultural interests of the State.

Respectfully submitted by the Board of Managers,

CHARLES O. FLAGG, President.

ORGANIZATION.

BULLETIN No. 1.

CHARLES 0. FLAGG.

KINGSTON, March, 1889.

The object of this first Bulletin is to give information regarding the creation and organization of this institution.

National aid for agricultural and mechanical education dates from the passage by Congress of the "Agricultural Land Grant Act," signed by President Lincoln, July 2, 1862.

Hon. Justin S. Morrill, National Representative from Vermont, was the author of the bill, having labored persistently for nearly five years for its passage in one form or another, and once succeeding, only to have the bill vetoed by President Buchanan. The General Assembly of this State in 1863 passed resolutions authorizing the Governor on behalf of the State to accept and receive the landscript (120,000 acres-30,000 acres for each United States Senator or Representative), and transfer the same to Brown University, that institution agreeing to assume all responsibilities and faithfully discharge all obligations imposed upon and assumed by the State in the Land Grant Act. Section 6 of the agreement on the part of the University with the State was "to educate scholars each at the rate of $100 per annum (reduced to $75 per annum at the January session, 1884), to the extent of the entire annual income from said proceeds, subject to the proviso as aforesaid-the Governor and Secretary of State to have the right, on or before