Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y., Fehniary 8, 1896. 



HonoraMe Commissioner of Afiricnlture, Albany : 



Sir, — This account of our cultivation of chrysanthemums in 1895, is sub- 

 mitted for publication under Chapter 230, of the Laws of 1895. 



In our former report (Bulletin 91) of chrysanthemums, made nearly a 

 year ago, we took the opportunity of a fly-leaf to explain our position upon 

 the vexed question of the testing of novelties. We made the following 

 statement: " We refuse to test varieties simply because they are new. 

 Our basis of study is the monograph — the investigation of a particular 

 subject, rather than the indiscriminate growing of things which chance 

 to be put upon the market in a given year, and which have no relationship 

 to each other aside from a coincidence in date. AVhen we take up a cer- 

 tain group of plants for study, we endeavor to secure every variety of it, 

 old or new. These varieties are studied not only in the field, but botanical 

 specimens are invariably made of every one, so that the experimenter has 

 specimens before him for leisurely study when the hurry of field work 

 and the excitement of bug-catching are done. We are always glad to 

 receive the seed novelties of any year, but we do not agree to report upon 

 them or even to grow them. If we were to attempt to grow them all, we 

 should simply be making a museum of curiosities, and we should have no 

 time left for investigation and experiment." 



This seems to be plain enough to allow of no mistake as to our position, 

 yet we have been half accused of an unwillingness to aid dealers and buy- 

 ers in the determining of synonyms and the discarding of duplicate and 

 unworthy varieties. This is exactly the opposite of the truth. We are 

 so desirous of aiding in this direction that we have refused toi make any 

 effort except when we believed that we could really accomplish the pur- 

 pose. We are free tO' say that we have no sympathy with the ordinary 

 " variety test," which simply grows a lot of things and then sets down a 

 few unrelated measurements of them. One must make a comprehensive 

 and detailed and prolonged study of his subject, with all the factors before 

 him, before he is able to judge of such an apparently simple thing as the 

 merits of varieties. All estimates of varieties must be comparative. One 

 can not grow an onion, and then say that it is or is not the same as others, 

 nor can he likely give any accurate measure of its comparative merits, 

 for he has no other varieties with which to compare; and he can not 

 carry even such emphatic subjects as onions in his mind from year to 

 year. One can not file away specimens of all garden varieties, as they 

 grow in all soils and all seasons, as he can dried plants and bugs. If the 

 station officer is to be able to identify and to judge all varieties sent to 

 him, he must attempt to grow every variety of plant every year. And 

 even if he should grow them all, he would likely gain little, save exper- 

 ience, from his effort, for the subject is too large for instant study. In 

 1896 we expect to make a study of Brussels sprouts, dahlias, sweet corn, 

 chrysanthemums, cannas and tuberous begonias, and any person who has 

 varieties of these things which he wants tested may send them to us. Of 

 these things, especially the ornamentals, -M^e should receive the novelties 

 in advance of their general introduction, if possible. 



In this chrysanthemum study, I have been fortunate in my associates. 

 Mr. Miller is a special student in horticulture, a graduate of the University 

 of Michigan, and has given most enthusiastic attention to our chrysan- 

 themum test, Mr, Hunn is a gardener of much experience, well known, 

 for his long and earnest connection with experiment station work, 



L. H. BAILEY. 



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