650 students, should be understood as the minimum at which the physical plant and the teaching staff at Storrs can be most economically employed. It should be remembered that the Connecticut Agricultural College is both a State and Federal institution in its financial support. There is one such institution, at least, in every State in the Union and the College at Storrs is one of the smallest of these institutions. Population and wealth considered, Connecticut is carrying a relatively small burden in state-supported educational institutions. SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES COLLEGE DIVISION The Legislature of 1923 made the following appropriations for new construction and equipment: Shop and equipment for Repair Department ..... $ 22,721. 3,000. 6,000. 14,560. 980. 5,000. 4,000. 35,000. 5,629. 4,680 $101,570. The Trustees of the College with the approval of the Board of Control have authorized Mr. Tenney, in charge of our repair department, to superintend the construction of the Horticultural Storage Building, Dairy Barn and Repair Shop. The plan of erecting minor buildings with local labor and without competitive bids has proven to be satisfactory, resulting in a saving of the usual building contractors' profits. Honorary Recognition to Leaders in Agriculture:-Since time immemorial, the warrior, the statesman, the artist, the poet, the inventor, the explorer, and in later days, even the scientist, have had their halls of fame. Outstanding achievement or especial merit have received reward in formal recognition by their fellows, such recognition being usually immortalized in bronze, marble or parchment. Until recently the vocation of Agriculture has had no medium for recognition of its commanding figures. Few farmers have been memorialized in marble or bronze, none has ever achieved the Nobel Peace Prize, even though engaged in the most peaceful and useful of pursuits; and few, if any, have ever received "honorary" degrees from a college commencement platform. Sixteen years ago the College of Agriculture of the University of Wisconsin decided to memorialize those who had given of their time and thought in the interest of Agriculture, and instituted a custom of "Honorary Recognition" for outstanding farm leadership. Since that time eleven other agricultural colleges have fallen in line and this year, for the first time, Connecticut Agricultural College inaugurated a plan for similar recognition. It is the plan to confer, at intervals, Honorary Recognition upon men and women in Connecticut who have given much of their lives and effort for agricultural progress and rural welfare. The purpose is not alone for individual honor and distinction, but in addition, to present to the people of Connecticut, urban as well as rural, an idea of the dignity, the importance, and the permanence of Connecticut farming. The selections for 1924 made by a special committee of the College faculty and approved by the Board of Trustees are:* C. J. Abell, Lebanon. E. H. Jenkins, New Haven. Community Church:-Storrs Agricultural School, now the Connecticut Agricultural College, was built on the Campus of the Storrs Congregational Church. For a period of 25 years, church attendance on Sunday was required of all students. It is recognized that college students should have the opportunity not alone for religious worship but also for religious instruction. With the growth of the institution, the present church is inadequate for the accommodation of a student body of 500 and a college community consisting of possibly 300 additional persons. Under public statutes, however, existing since 1818, the State can do nothing financially toward meeting the religious and spiritual needs of the College and its community. After careful consideration on the part of the Trustees of the Storrs Church, the Executive Board of the Connecticut Federation of Churches and a Special Committee of the Congregational Conference of Connecticut, it has been decided that the time is ripe for launching a movement for providing fuller religious and social opportunity for the young people who attend the Connecticut Agricultural College at Storrs. It is proposed to raise the sum of $150,000 for a Church Building; $75,000 for a Community House and $75,000 for an endowment. A campaign is now under way with excellent prospects of the fund being raised for this most worthy undertaking. Austin C. Dunham Memorial. The proceeds from the sale of Dunham farm, amounting to $25,000, have been used by the Trustees for two purposes: the establishment of the Austin C. Dunham Scholarship Fund, and the erection of the Swimming Pool. The pool was completed in June, 1923, and is a valuable addition to the equipment of the Physical Education Department of the College. A biographical sketch of each person receiving Honorary Recognition may be found on pages 77-80 of this volume. Athletic Field. Participation in sports is now recognized as a valuable training in the development of character. Self reliance, cooperation, self restraint in victory and the humbling influence in defeat are qualities developed on the athletic field which contribute so much to good citizenship. It is the aim of the athletic director to secure 100 per cent participation in games and sport. With the growth of the student body in number, it becomes necessary to enlarge the athletic field. It is worthy of note and commendation that the students have volunteered, for the construction of an additional playing field, 21⁄2 hours per week each until completed. Student Mortality-No institution succeeds in graduating as Seniors all the students of a class who enter as Freshmen. This mortality is greatest in the first year. The withdrawal is due in many cases to financial reasons and frequently to illness. Some are dropped and others become discouraged and withdraw voluntarily through failure to maintain a satisfactory scholastic standing. In many cases, however, students on probation are the equal of the average of their class in the mental alertness tests. The faculty attributes our high mortality to the crowded condition of the dormitories and the unfavorable conditions for concentration and application to study. This year our Freshmen have been segregated in Storrs Hall and proctors appointed to preserve order and quiet during the period designated for study. It is hoped that this plan will decrease the mortality due to failure in scholarship. Enrollment of Students. The number of students enrolled has increased from 192 in 1918-19 to 484 in 1923-24. The present number of male students is approximately 385, of whom 260 are quartered in two dormitories (designed to house 132), 60 in fraternity houses, and the remainder in private families. It is evident that student population has reached the point of saturation and that additional applicants cannot be received until another dormitory is erected. Needs for a Class Room Building :-The College was established more than 40 years ago (1881) and may be considered, therefore, as an accepted State Institution. The present Real Property is valued at two million dollars of which 4.1% represents real estate; 11.3% the value of sewage, water, heating and electric lighting system; 7.8% the value of barns and sheds; 32.6% the value of dormitories and dining hall; 21.9% the value of faculty and employes cottages; 9.4% the value of the Armory and Administration Building; and 12.9% the value of buildings for academic, scientific and vocational class room and laboratory instruction. In the beginning it was necessary to provide for the housing of students and the teaching staff and to install heating, lighting, sewage and water systems. The urgent need at present is for buildings for instructional purposes. The most important item in the requests for appropriations is for a Class Room Building. STORRS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. The many unsolved problems of agriculture and the need of a scientific basis for teaching led to the setting up of a special division of the college, called the Experiment Station. Its duty is primarily research, which can only attain its highest efficiency when workers are allowed to pursue their studies and investigations without interruption or division of time and responsibility. Fortunately this principle has always been recognized at the college, and while not always possible of realization, a small group of the station staff are now able to give their entire time to this work, the results of which are becoming apparent in more rapid progress on several problems. The biennial period under consideration has been one of gratifying accomplishment. The war years and those following seriously interrupted all research work, not only through lack of funds and loss of the younger men, but also due to the fact that the immediate tasks of an extension nature took precedence. Happily, the Experiment Station is now able to take up its work with renewed vigor. PROGRESS. Progress on several of the more important investigations is discussed below. Infectious Abortion. Following a period of disappointments and setbacks, the work on this knotty problem is going forward in a most encouraging manner. New equipment was provided and several valuable experiments are now well under way. Two bulletins have been published which set forth the results recently obtained. While no simple control for the disease is announced, we have added much to our knowledge of its nature and mode of transmission, particularly as relates to the calf. The completion of the new dairy barn will provide means for testing a new theory of control. The collections from faculty for rental and from students for room rent is equivalent to 5% of the investment in Faculty Cottages and Dormitories. Blackhead of Turkeys. Not since 1917 have the prospects been as good for positive results on this, another very elusive problem. A permanent turkey field has been assigned by the Trustees, a necessary arrangement not before possible. On this a rotation system is being conducted. The results so far are very good. Comparison of Types of Corn for Silage. Bulletin 121, recently published, covers the field and feeding trials which have been under way for some years. The conclusion reached is that where the system of farming is intensive and the price of milk good, the large, late types will pay best; where these conditions do not exist, the medium maturing varieties seem to have the advantage. Methods of Cleaning Milking Machines are still being investigated. Hot water sterilization continues to give uniformly good results. Ice Cream Investigations have resulted in the development of a new Score Card for this very important dairy product. Trials of Seed Potatoes from many sources are being continued. Certified seed consistently produces higher yields than uncertified, this data being used to advantage in the extension campaign. These extensive field trials are in the nature of a "contest" to which all seed producers are invited to send stock for comparison. Pasture Improvement. After three years of preliminary trials, the treatments were applied to the nine large plots, and cattle have been grazed on them as heretofore. It is yet too soon for conclusions. The Breeding Experiments in the Poultry Department are actively going forward. The inbreeding, necessary to purify stock, results in greatly reduced vigor, and raises the problem of saving enough chicks to carry on the lines. It has, therefore, become necessary to try many new methods of growing chicks in confinement with results that are also of great value to the poultryman who wishes to hatch early. Bulletin 116, "Feeding Young Chickens in Confinement", reports some of the findings. Problems of the Mammoth Incubator have been taken up with promising results. As a possible cause of poor hatches, it has been shown that temperatures vary from top to bottom of the egg chamber; the lower portion being often too cold during the early hatches. Control of the Sheep Stomach Worm has received very extensive study. Lugol's solution in the most recent trials has given results that are superior to nicotine sulphate or copper sulphate. Agricultural Economics. During the past year, it has been possible to take up investigations in this field. Work has been started on an "Economic Description of Connecticut Agriculture." To date this has consisted of a detailed study of the agriculture of Lebanon, and a graphic and statistical study of the census data by towns. Both reports will be published soon, and will furnish information of great use to all citizens of the State. |