98 EDUCATION IN DAIRY FARMING, AND 



sence of a large assemblage of farmers, their mves and daughters, 

 and, strange to say, some of the newspapers called this gathering 

 a "dairy school." The State appropriated £400, which was 

 handed to the Dairy Association for the year. It also granted 

 £1200 for the purpose of holding twenty farmers' institutes 

 during the season. These institutes lasted two days each, and 

 were held in various counties ; the most experienced and best- 

 informed farmers gave addresses. Instruction in dairying and 

 the feeding of cattle is given at the Cornell University, Ithaca. 

 There is no direct subvention to the university, but some years 

 ago the General Government made a land grant in which Cornell 

 participated. Perhaps the most important institution as regards 

 dairy farming in New York State is the experiment station. 

 This was instituted, and £4000 was granted two years in suc- 

 cession, for the purchase of a farm and the equipment of a 

 laboratory. The station now receives £4000 a year, and is in 

 full working order, issuing its report, which is of the most com- 

 prehensive character, and furnishmg scientific details with re- 

 gard to dairy matters, which are perhaps of greater value than 

 anything of the kind which has been published. The director 

 of the station, Dr Sturtevant, has on two or three occasions 

 very kindly sent us a copy of his report, and it may be men- 

 tioned that that of 1886, published last year, contains voluminous 

 details with regard to the feeding of cattle and the manure they 

 pass, to the production of milk from various foods^ and to chemi- 

 cal investigations in milk, analysis of butter, and of butter con- 

 stituents ; in a word, the reports of the station, prepared by Dr 

 Sturtevant and Dr Badcock, the chemist, are amongst the most 

 valuable records with regard to dairy literature which exist at 

 this moment. The station is under a board of control of ten 

 gentlemen ; there is an assistant-director, a botanist, chemist, 

 and assistant chemists, two horticulturists, a farmer, and a steno- 

 grapher. In 1866 the money spent was £4400, including the 

 portion of a balance brought over from the previous year. The 

 salaries amounted to about £1870, labour to £900 odd, per- 

 manent improvements to £350, supplies £230, printing £180, 

 repairs £160, the laboratory £125, and the board of control 

 expenses were £120 ; whereas the balance was divided between 

 the botanical department, farm implements, cartage and freight, 

 fuel, manures, postage, printing, and travelling expenses, and 

 certainly no sum has been better spent. The establishment of 

 an experiment station in this countr}- could scarcely be made upon 

 better lines than that of New York, to which English agricul- 

 turists already owe a very great deal, for appropriate extracts of 

 the reports have contantly been published in this country. The 

 New York State also grants an annual sum of £5000 for agri- 

 cultviral purposes, of which £1600 goes to the State Society, 

 and the balance to several counties on the basis of a fail' ratio. 



