242 MICHIGAN AG'L COLLEGE. The Experimental Garden. By this is meant that part of the garden in which numerous varieties of any vegetable are planted under like circumstances and cultivated in the same manner, that the different kinds may thus be compared and the best selected for general use. By this means professors and students, visitors and the public may acquire valuable information without each one being obliged to repeat the same thing for himself. Onions .- There are eight varieties. The large yellow Danvers, as it is commonly called, is liked best on account of color. The red Wethersfield yields best. The soil is gravelly, deeply subsoiled, and thoroughly drained, plenty of rich manure plowed in, and leached ashes on the surface in spring. They yield at the rate of six hundred and twenty bushels to the acre. Such culture will produce large crops most certainly, be the season wet or dry. Tomatoes .- They are raising forty-one varieties this year, treated alike as far as possible. Several seeds are planted in a box, and all taken out but the best plant, which is carefully transplanted at the proper time. They are not trimmed at all. The date and weight of the first mature fruit is recorded, also the same with reference to all the later fruit during the season. They have originated several new varieties at the college. Number one, as they call it, is liked better than any other which they have ever raised. They wish to give it a thorough trial before sending it out into the world. It is most like early smooth Red. It is one of the earliest and best bearers; vine medium, compact, quality of fruit equal to any which bears well. Beets .- They have ten varieties. The best early is dark red Egyptian; best winter is new rough skinned or bark skinned. The color of the latter is not attractive on the outside, but the inside is dark red, and quality excellent, remarkably brittle. For market, likely the best is Long Smooth Blood. Potatoes .- Eighty-one varieties. The early Shaw is the earliest variety that is reliable. Early Goodrich has sometimes rotted a little, and does not always yield well. The early Rose is the first to produce potatoes of good size suitable for market, though the quality is inferior to early Shaw. They are trying a wild species from Mexico, which now does not seem to be of any value. Solanum radicans is its name. The vines are "bug proof." The striped Colorado beetle cannot live upon them. They are trying to cross it with some valuable kinds. Last year they got one ball, but for some reason the seeds were lost or did not grow. They are also raising some slender little things called "potatoes" from seeds brought from Quito, where they were collected wild. The tubers in the native state are large as robin's eggs. See what culture and human experiments have done in a few years. Peas .- Ten or twelve varieties. Best early Terry & Co's Extra early (from Detroit); later the best are "Little Gem" and " Champion of England." Sweet Corn .- Ten or twelve varieties. Farmer's Club the tenderest; the Mexican, sweetest. Lettuce .- Fifteen varieties. For early, the best is Early Curled Simpson ; for late, Persian Curled Crumpled Leaf. Some others grow larger and might suit better for market but they are tougher and coarser, as the Large India or Giant White Coss. Squashes .- Nine varieties. For fall use, Boston Marrow and American Turban; for winter, Hubbard; for late winter, Canada Crook Neck as it keeps well. Celery .- Six varieties are raised. For early, Early Wyman; for late, Seymour's Superb White. Cabbages .-- They have thirty-two varieties. For early, Early Wyman is recommended; for late, premium Flat Dutch and Winningstadt. The Stone Mason is of good quality, sure to head, and is easily managed. Beans .- Thirty-one varieties of string beans. For early string select Bagnolet. For shelling early, Royal Dwarf and Ger- man Wax; Shelling later, Winter Marrow- fat and Red Eyed China. Ten to twelve varieties of pole beans are raised, of which the best are Dutch Case Knife or Giant Wax Podded. There are, on the grounds, salsify, parsnips, carrots, radishes, currants, gooseberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, melons, cucumbers, etc., but with most of these no experiments have yet been made. The same is true of grapes, of which they have only six varieties; plums, peaches; cherries, forty varieties of apples and seventy of pears. The birds eat all the cherries. Work of the Students .- The reader can hardly imagine the care that is necessary to perform accurately so many experiments from seeding to harvest. All of these so far mentioned, are planned and looked after by Professor Tracy who has entire charge of the green house, flower gardens, lawns, vegetable gardens, small fruits and orchards, besides teaching one or two classes a day throughout the college year. Add to this the perplexity of doing most of the work in the afternoon by students many of whom must be instructed in the proper manner of handling tools and care of plants, and you have a faint idea of the importance of his position. He is obliged to study the disposition of his help. Some must work alone if they accomplish anything; others will work about as well in small companies. They are allowed fifteen minutes to get to work. At the proper time they resort to the tool house, get orders from the Professor as to what labor is to be done, select their tools, all of which are charged to them by a student who has care of the shop. As they return each day, they have credit for tools put in their places again in good order. If tools are injured through carelessness, a small charge is made for repairs. For labor they receive from one to twelve cents an hour. As a general rule it is well done; those receiving least for labor are overpaid, while those who receive most are underpaid. The price a student receives is fixed by some of the faculty according to the kind of labor performed and the skill and experience of the student. There is a very striking difference between the members of the different classes who have been here from the beginning of the course. This is the testimony of all the faculty, that the advanced classes do the same amount of work very much easier and better and are much more skillful in planning and directing. He learns to use head work and save muscle. Tools and Order .- They have in this department spades, shovels, spading forks, wheel hoes, shuffle hoes, dutch hoes, bayonet hoes, potato hooks, garden rakes, grub hoes, axes, tree scrapers, pruning knifes, pruning shears, pruning saw, grass hooks, ground trowels, weeders, scissors, baskets, garden rods, measuring sticks, water cans, manure forks, ditching spades, hay forks, hay rakes, complete set of carpenter tools, wheel barrows, garden roller, Comstock's weeder, (the best hand weeder out), seed drills, lawn mower, scythes, tools for marking rows, seed drills, harrows, cultivators, plows, wagons, carts, barn, shed, and three horses with a permanent hired man to care for and drive them. Every tool is numbered and is kept on a numbered peg or place for it. Perfect order is no where more necessary than with the farmer. He performs such a variety of work that he must have a great variety of tools; timber in form of fences and buildings are constantly going to decay, so that if not early and systematic- ally trained he will quite likely become careless and slovenly. Old Prof .- Why, so perfect is the system here that it ever effects the actions of domestic animals. An old horse now on the place has been here ten or twelve years honorably pursuing his course. We presume he entered as preparatory or Freshman, in due time became a senior, and, although we have not been shown his diploma, graduated with high' honors. At least, we infer that the honors were high, for he has been retained in connection with the college ever since that time. He now goes by the name of Prof. or Old Prof. Whether from love of flowers, the lawn, or preference for work in this department, or other reasons influenced him; whether from choice or not, he is now a faithful assistant in the department of horticulture. He is a shrewed old fellow. When driven to town, he appears stiff and feeble and unable to proceed with much velocity. After resting a few hours and turned towards home, he prances like a colt, occasionally in a harmless way elevating his heels, and showing them to the driver. When the bell rings he always starts for the barn. If tied or held he does not get far, but often shows great uneasiness and displeasure. If not secured he goes first to the shed to leave the stone boat or the cart. When attached to the latter, he turns around and backs up, the hub hits a post or the side of the shed; he looks around to see what is the matter, makes his calculations anew, turns back his ears, goes a little forward to right or left, and spitefully shoves the cart backwards as far as it will go into its proper place. At one time he got down some way about a horse power, so the driver thought from his actions that he was considerably injured-too much for use any more that day. He stripped off the harness, not sure even that Proff could get to the barn alone, when, to the great surprise of all present, he cocked up his ears, rolled his eyes, got up, elevated his heels high in the air, and started on the run for his favorite resort.