74 HISTORICAL SKETCH

land, dated March 6th, 1856, which contained the following general
provisions for the establishment of a college of agriculture and a model
farm: That as soon as two thousand shares of stock, of the value of
$25 a share, should be subscribed for the purpose, the subscribers
should be incorporated into a company to be known as The Maryland
Agricultural College. The direction of the corporation was to be
placed in the hands of twenty-two trustees, to be selected from the
stockholders, which trustees should purchase land and cause the neces-
sary buildings to be erected, should select a president and faculty, and
generally control and direct the affairs of the institution. The express
purpose of the college was defined to be: " To instruct the youthful
student in those arts and sciences indispensable to successful agricul-
tural pursuit. "

The corner-stone of the first college building was laid on August
24th, 1857, at its present site in Prince George's county. While the
building was still in process of construction, work was begun upon the
farm, looking to its preparation for the experimental work required
by the charter to be conducted upon it. The building was completed
in the following year, and the College was formally opened in October,
1859. Each trustee was empowered to designate students for admis-
sion from his own county. Students were to be required to perform
practical farm work. The College thus began its career auspiciously.

Three years after its opening—in 1862—the Congress of the United
States passed the first act providing for the endowment of agricultural
colleges. The fact is worthy of being emphasized here that Maryland
did not wait for Federal aid in the establishment of such an institution,
but before the passage of the act of 1862, by the generosity and public
spirit of her private citizens, and the wisdom and foresight of her
Legislature, had established and put into practical operation a college
whose primary object was to develop her agricultural interests by
training young men in those departments of science " which should
fit them for the successful pursuit of agriculture. " Thus the Mary-
land Agricultural College is not, strictly speaking, a " Land-grant Col-
lege " in its origin, but rather a beneficiary of the land grant of 1862.

In 1865 the hard times, and unsettled state of affairs in Maryland,