NEW YORK 



BOrANK:AL 



OARDEN 



ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF 



AGRICULTURE. 



The work of the Department of Agriculture during the past 

 year has been conducted along practically the same lines as dur- 

 ing the preceding year. We are able to report a good degree of 

 progress among the farmers of the State, especially in the direc- 

 tion of more efficient farm management and the applying of 

 business principles to the operations of the farm. Improved 

 methods in agriculture are steadily gaining ground. Although 

 farmers in some sections of the State have been confronted with 

 adverse conditions during the year and quite heavy losses have 

 been sustained, on the whole the year has been a fairly prosper- 

 ous one, and they are facing the future with good courage. 



We have endeavored to stimulate the farmers to increase the 

 productive capacity of their acres by a more intelligent system 

 of crop rotation and better methods of handling the soil. There 

 are many acres of tillable land in our State which might be made 

 to produce economically much larger crops than they are pro- 

 ducing at present. With the increase in population and in the 

 consumption of farm products there is a greater demand upon 

 the soil, and the need of more intensive farming becomes 

 apparent. 



FARM CROPS, 



The products of the farm during the past year as a whole have 

 been of average quantity and quality, and in most instances good 

 prices have been received. Although frequent rains interfered 

 seriously with the harvesting of the hay crop in some sections, 

 particularly in the northern part of the State, the yield was 

 generally large, and a good crop was secured. There was also 

 a good crop of small grains, the number of bushels raised 



