E.—7

10

" Farm. —-The farm is in good order, but the fences, owing to the gorse dying, are somewhat ragged in appearance. The autumn cereals look well, and promise an abundant harvest; the spring-sown cereals are somewhat stunted, and betoken a poor result. The area in cereals comprises 93 acres wheat, 68 acres oats, and 12 acres barley. About sixty different kinds of wheat are being grown for experimental purposes. The root-crops are all sown, and the mangels and carrots look exceedingly well. About thirty-two kinds of potatoes are planted. The experiments with mangels and carrots consist of the different sorts of these roots grown with the same manure. There are 9 acres of experimental clovers, and the other crops of the year's rotation consist of 11 acres beans, 11 acres peas, 15 acres rape, and about 45 acres turnips. With the turnips the experiments are— (a) Same kind of turnip with different manures ; (b) same kind of manure with different kinds of turnips. The live-stock are looking well, but should the drought continue the younger ones will undoubtedly suffer, as the grass is fast disappearing. The breeds of sheep are as in my report for the 30th June, and comprise Border Leicesters, English Leicesters, Shropshires, Eomney Marsh, and Lincoln. Two draught horses have been bought to take the place of older ones. No additions have been made to the cattle, sheep, or pigs since the 30th June, though two Jersey heifers and two Hereford heifers for educational purposes have already been bought, and will soon be sent to the College farm. The dairy plant is as at the 30th June ;so also the farm plant, excepting a reaper-and-binder and a grass-mower, which have been procured. The numbers of stock on the 31st December stand as follows : Sheep, 1,292 ; cattle, 81 ; horses, 20 ; pigs, 79. The valuation of stock and plant was made as at the 31st December by Messrs. Boag, McMillan, and Overton, and the schedule accompanying this report gives the exact inventory and valuation of same as made by these gentlemen. The Board of Advice has held its monthly meetings, and to it and your Board I would desire to express my best thanks for the deep interest taken in all matters connected with the working of the institution and management of the farm.—John Bayne, Director."

APPENDICES.

APPENDIX I. , ■ Historical Notice. Canterbury College was created by an ordinance of the Provincial Council of Canterbury passed in the year 1873. Before that time a body called the Canterbury Collegiate Union had been in existence, which had given instruction in classics, mathematics, modern languages, and certain branches of science, and one of the objects for which the College was incorporated was the carryingon of the work which had been begun by the Collegiate Union. The Otago University had been created by a Provincial Ordinance of the Province of Otago of the year 1869, and in the year 1870 professors had been appointed and University teaching had been begun. The University Act of 1870 had also originated the University of New Zealand, conferring on it powers to grant degrees in arts, law, medicine, and music, but the University had no direct means of teaching. Negotiations between the Otago University and Canterbury College in 1873 led to the passing of "The New Zealand University Act, 1874," constituting that body an examining body solely, and to the affiliation to it of the Otago University and Canterbury College. The government of Canterbury College was vested in a Board of Governors, consisting of twenty-three members, who were named in clause 4 of the Canterbury College Ordinance. They were appointed for life, and vacancies which occurred in the Board were at first filled up by the Board itself. It was provided, however, by clause 18 of the ordinance that when the number of graduates of the University of New Zealand who were members of the College should reach thirty the graduates should fill up vacancies in the Board of Governors. Under this clause the graduates have filled up all the vacancies which have occurred since June, 1884. The preamble of " The Canterbury College Ordinance, 1873," sets out the object for which the College was established—viz., for enabling all classes and denominations of Her Majesty's subjects resident in the Province of Canterbury and elsewhere in the Colony of New Zealand to pursue a regular and liberal course of education. With this object three professors were appointed in England in the year 1874, whose duties were to teach in Canterbury College the subjects of classics and English, mathematics and natural philosophy, physics and chemistry. The professors appointed began their work in Christchurch in the year 1875, and the lecturers in modern languages, biology, and jurisprudence who had been working under the Collegiate Union became lecturers on the staff of the newly-established College. There were at first no College buildings; the lectures were held in two rooms belonging to the Public Library, and in a small hall at some distance, to which was attached the chemical laboratory. The Provincial Council,- however, voted various amounts of money for the purchase of a site and the erection of buildings. These were