The times were propitious. The decade beginning 1851 was the golden era in the material prosperity of Virginia. The spirit of improvement in lands, building railroads, and plank roads, and other roads was at its height. Most of the great lines throughout the State were built during this decade--the Richmond and Danville, the Southside (Petersburg and Lynchburg), the Virginia and Tennessee (Lynchburg to Bristol), the Orange and Alexandria (Lynchburg and Alexandria), and the Roanoke Valley (Clarksville and Ridgway, N. C.), and others were built or projected. The last named brought railway communication within twelve miles of the College, and Keysville, on the Richmond and Danville, was within thirty-five miles of the College. Besides these improvements, a plank road was built from Petersburg to Clarksville, which was, as long as it lasted, a great improvement. Another plank road from Blacks and Whites, on the Southside Railroad, was built through Lunenburg in the direction of Boydton, but its terminus was twenty miles short of reaching it. The Crimean war, involving the great Powers of Europe, raised the price of wheat to a price seldom, if ever, reached previously. It sold in 1853-'54 for $2.35 per bushel, and good prices were maintained for the balance of the decade. Lands in the State, which had been low in price, were increased in value one hundred per cent. and other property in something like the same ratio. All this made people more ready to contribute as well as more able. COLLEGE YEAR 1854-'55. This College year was marked by no special change or event. The President's report notes: matriculates in College during the session, 134, 72 of whom were on scholarships. [Illustration: DAVID R. DUNCAN, _Major C. S. A.; Senator S. C. Legislature._] Professor Samuel Lander, A. M., entered upon his duties as Adjunct Professor of Languages, and W. A. Shepard was Assistant in the Laboratory. At the annual meeting, June, 1855, degrees were conferred: A. B. GEORGE E. BOOKER, Va. JAMES B. DUGGER, Va. WILLIAM N. CARTER, Va. JOHN E. CHRISTIAN, Va. THOMAS A. GATCH, Va. JAMES C. HANES, Va. PETER A. MOSES, Va. ROBERT N. SLEDD, Va. DAVID R. DUNCAN, S. C. OLIVER G. SMITH, N. C. A. M. THOMAS E. MASSIE, Va. SAMUEL LANDER, N. C. ROWLAND DOGGETT, Va. JOHN F. DANCE, Va. JOHN F. OGBURN, Va. ROBERT M. MALLORY, Va. HENRY W. WINGFIELD, Va. BENJAMIN W. OGBURN, Va. SAM'L B. PAUL (Honorary) Va. COLLEGE YEAR 1855-'56. The celebrated trial of Deems vs. Smith took place at the Virginia Conference held in Petersburg, November, 1855. The charges were presented by Dr. C. F. Deems in person, and defence made by Dr. Smith. The verdict was almost unanimous, finding Dr. Smith not guilty. The result of this unfortunate affair was the resignation of quite a number of the Trustees from the North Conference, that Conference having espoused the cause of Dr. Deems by a very large majority.