History
1890 - Japanese maples from Mt. Fuji donated to Durfee
In nine short years, the fame of the new college went far beyond the borders of the United States. The Japanese Government, after a careful examination of various institutions in other countries, selected the Massachusetts Agricultural College as the model of choice for its own agricultural institution.
The Japanese had shown a methodical attention to the Massachusetts Agricultural College from its beginning. Plant gifts in 1870 from Mr. J. Neesima included 100 varieties of Japanese seed. Clark and Levi Stockbridge actively encouraged this relationship. Japanese exchange students (Geamon Youchi, Saitaro Naito, Tenataro Yamao) came to Massachusetts to study in 1872-73. Under the direction of Levi Stockbridge, they planted a garden outside Durfee to display selected plants of their native land. Interest in acquiring new plant varieties to identify improved or superior stock was high. Visits and overtures soon were followed by Japanese officials asking Clark to assist their efforts to establish an agricultural college on the northern temperate island of Hokkaido. They offered him the princely sum of ,200 in gold to accept the assignment. Contracts were signed by Clark and two of his recent graduates (William Wheeler, 1874, David Penhallow, 1875) and they were appointed to found the Sapporo Agricultural College (later to become Hokkaido Imperial University). During his absence, Clark's right hand man Levi Stockbridge had full charge of the college.
Clark and his assistants arrived in Japan in the summer of 1876 and in eight and a half action-packed months arranged a course of study in farming, forestry, and fishing. A plant house modeled after Durfee Conservatory was constructed along with a New England style barn which still stands. Their mission, however, was two-fold. Clark was keen to select and gather new plant material. Discovery was his main goal. He forwarded his selections to the Arnold Arboretum at Harvard University and then, after introduction, on to Durfee. Of special value were species collected from high latitudes. As a result of his efforts, new assortments of valuable plants from Japan were propagated in the United States. Gifts by appreciative Meiji Emperor Mutsuhito, (Emperor Akihito's great-grandfather) may have also been made through the Japanese Embassy. A popular legend seems to have been fostered this assumption, however, as plant labeling and written records were not a salient feature of the early campus archives. The first comprehensive list of verified campus plants did not appear until 1924 and no specific mention was ever made to plant gifts linked directly to Japanese royalty.
The campus landscape at its inception was practically free of trees and Clark was responsible for much of the early planting. The grounds around Durfee soon became an arboretum for the young trees and shrubs Clark and his associates acquired.
This is an excerpt from John Tristan's book,
A History of the Durfee Conservatory 1867-1992
Published by Sara Publishing © 1992
All rights reserved.
