162 Seventeenth Annual Eepokt of the 



There is no question whatever that the attention of agricultural 

 home-seekers in this country and abroad is being attracted by the 

 information which the department has been giving out for the 

 last four years of New York State's advantages. 



The success already attained, through the work of the depart- 

 ment, in rehabilitating run down farms and in securing the pur- 

 chase of almost all classes of farms and improving unfavorable 

 conditions is most gratifying and calls upon the department for a 

 much larger effort in continuing the work. The force which is 

 employed in the bureau is inadequate to do the work that is 

 demanded and to accomplish the best results. More personal 

 investigation should be given to the farm conditions of the state, 

 in order that a more accurate knowledge may be obtained. A very 

 much larger line of advertising New York State's advantages 

 throughout the West, Canada and abroad should be undertaken. 

 Lajos Steiner, who was assigned to the work of this bureau about 

 two years ago and who has the work of interesting people of 

 foreign tongues in buying farms in New York State, complains 

 strongly of his lack of literature giving the required information. 

 He has succeeded in placing several good families during the last 

 year. These families, he claims, will be instrumental in getting 

 other families from abroad. 



The large correspondence which is coming to this office from 

 all over the United States, Canada and abroad expressing interest 

 in New York State lands and a determination to make an early 

 investigation of the opportunities and advantages for farming is 

 encouraging, indicative, as it is, of the fact that there is nothing 

 in the situation which calls for anything but gratification. 



AGRICULTURAL LABOR (Article 12) 

 The bureau of agricultural labor has during the past year 

 secured and sent to the farmers of the state 3,883 persons, 3,635 

 of them single farm hands and 82 families of 248 persons, and 

 has indirectly been the means of furnishing information that has 

 led to the employment of many others who had not applied directly 

 to the bureau for positions. That the men sent out during the 

 past year were of a much better class in every respect and gave 



