On the first day of September, 1880, I reached Madison to take up my work at the university. I had been chosen by President Bascom to relieve Professor Daniells of the care of the University Farm, and Doctor Birge of the work of instruction in botany: then I was to spend my winter in visiting the farmers and holding farmers' meetings. To give some idea of the scope of my efforts, as indicated by the title I was given, I was made professor of botany and agriculture. That was a pretty broad title for one person to wear. The farm at that time was under the direct management of Mr. E. G. Hayden, farm superintendent. There were some good Shorthorn cattle, two or three fair Holsteins, half a dozen pigs, one or two good horses and three or four very poor ones. The buildings consisted of the farm house, the homely old horse barn and the present little red barn, which we are hoping to move and rehabilitate before long. All other buildings have been put up since my coming. The farm was well kept by Mr. Hayden, as old settlers will remember. Much good had been done by Professor Daniells in introducing improved varieties of farm plants. The Manshury barley (a variety obtained from the mountains of Mantchooria, Asia) which he disseminated, was alone worth millions of dollars to the farmers of this state and the Northwest.