12 Agkicultukal Experiment Station, Ithaoa, N. Y. 



Two publications have been issued in former years upon the 

 " Production and Care of Farm Manures," and Bulletin No. 56 is 

 a continuation of this subject which is of so great importance. 

 That a vast waste of fertility takes place by present methods 

 has been shown in these investigations, and it is believed that 

 they have led to the practice of better methods in so many cases 

 that the value of the plant food saved by the improved practices 

 more than equals the entire cost of the station work since its 

 begmning. 



Bulletin No. 57 treats of " Raspberries and Blackberries," and 

 gives instruction in setting and caring for plantations of small 

 fruits and is valuable, especially to the beginner. 



The second bulletin of the year from the entomological 

 division of the station treats of the " four-lined leaf bug," which 

 has been so disastrous to currant and gooseberry bushes in sev- 

 eral localities of the State. The bug is somewhat difficult to 

 exterminate, but the division has succeeded in discovering insec- 

 ticides that promise good results. 



Bulletins Nos. 59 and 60 are from the horticultural division. 

 The first is an efl'ort to discover whether " mulching retards the 

 the maturing of fruit." The second is on the " Spraying of 

 Orchards." The orchards treated were near the university, and 

 I had the pleasure of seeing the results of the summer's work in 

 this direction. No illustration or description can adequately 

 show the diff'erence between the fruit produced by trees treated 

 and untreated. The fruit of the orchard, which contained less 

 than two acres, sold upon the trees for $200, or probably 100 

 per cent more than it would have had the orchard been 

 left to itself. Far more work should be done in this line 

 than the station is able to do. Many millions of dollars are lost 

 annually from neglect and from a want of knowledge as to the 

 diseases of the orchards and the remedies which may be 

 applied for preventing them. The State is certainly practicing 



