Some facts concerning the New York State College of Agriculture at Cornell University. Presented to a hearing of legislative committees. Albany, April 5, 1910/Comparisons with other Colleges of Agriculture
II. COMPARISONS WITH OTHER COLLEGES OF AGRICULTURE
The buildings of the College of Agriculture devoted to purposes of instruction, for laboratories, class rooms and offices, cost the State for construction and equipment $340,000, and furnish 120,662 feet of floor space. With the present attendance of 968 students, this gives a floor space per student of 125 sq. feet. This is much less floor space per student than is provided in any of the other State Colleges of Agriculture that rank with the New York State College. As an illustration of the space per student furnished in other State Colleges, the following may be given, computed from statements given to the writer on a recent visit to these colleges : Wisconsin, 208 sq. ft. ; Illinois, 305 sq. ft.; Minnesota, 223 sq. ft.; Iowa, 350 sq. ft.
The cost of the agricultural buildings and barns in all of the institutions mentioned in the preceding paragraph exceeds the cost of those of the New York State College of Agriculture.
In the New York State College of Agriculture the number of regular long-course students and post-graduate students exceeds considerably that of any of the above institutions, except Illinois, which has only a slightly less number than New York. The higher grades of students would naturally be expected to require more space for their work than the lower grades.
The faculty of the New York State College of Agriculture, now numbering 83 professors, instructors and assistants of all grades, exclusive of student assistants, stenographers and workmen, is larger than that of any other institution.
The Empire State should give more liberal support in the development of its State College of Agriculture. Other Colleges of Agriculture are forging ahead, and if New York is to keep pace with the institutions in other states, and if it is to meet its own need for agricultural education, greatly increased facilities will have to be provided for the College of Agriculture, particularly in buildings for laboratory, class room, and experimental work.