MICHIGAN AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE.

In a recent lecture, before the faculty and
students, Professor A. J Cook, spoke of the
refining power of well tended gardens and
lawns and trees. The great outlay of labor
to beautify the college grounds, is more than
paying its way by means of its esthetic influence 

upon the students and visitors. We
should study to make ourselves, our houses
and surroundings agreeable. Contrast the
effect upon young people of & well managed
home, where there are beautiful trees and
gardens, with a bleak yard abounding in
weeds, briars, dead grass, mustard and a few
poppies and sunflowers. Birds are an additional attraction; besides their monied worth
as insect eaters, their study and care beget in
children, habits of mercy, kindness and purity.
Birds in our yards at the college, are very
abundant, for they enjoy undisturbed freedom
and become so tame that it is often a matter
of surprise to visitors. The students feel an
ownership and are interested in their protection. The docility of cattle, sheep and other
domestic animals, belonging to the college,
has often been admired.

A large part of the lecture consisted in a
plea for the birds. Even the robin, which
strips our currant bushes, pilfers our straw-
berries and takes nearly all of our cherries,
for three months of the year, feeds itself and

young upon insects and worms exclusively. |
Numerous authorities were cited and facts
given to prove that we should protect the
cedar-bird, black-bird, jay, crow, sparrow and
all other birds without exception. We have
no birds which do not more than pay for
the fruit they cat, by eating worms and slugs
and insects.

It may be added that some members of
the faculty differ with Professor Cook, on
the wholesale approval of all birds.
The members of the chemistry class are
jubilant over the passage of the bill by the
legislature, granting money for a new laboratory. It is very much needed.

The present freshman class numbers over
eighty members, and still they come. They
are unusually well prepared. Over seventy-
five per cent. of them are sons of farmers or
mechanics. The largest freshman class of
any former year, we are told, consisted of
thirty six students. On account of the peculiarity of the course of study, the faculty- some of them at any rate-do not wish to

see over two hundred students at a time in
the college. Should the number become
very large, they fear the labor system would
not be as successful as at present.

Mr. Richard Haigh, Jr., a former graduate
of the college, has been appointed Secretary
pro tempore, with full power to act in the
place of the late Sanford Howard, Secretary
of the Michigan State Board of Agriculture.
For several years, Mr. Haigh has filled the
position of assistant secretary with eminent success.
W. J. B.