Commissioner of Agriculture 253 



The school has rented a registered, imported Percheron stallion 

 with a view to buying one, and inaugurating in this part of the 

 state the movement for improving farm horses so successfully 

 initiated in New Jersey, Wisconsin and Minnesota. 



In the furtherance of this policy, it is planned to stock the farm 

 with a small number of pure-bred Jersey and Ayreshire cattle, and 

 with other pure-bred farm animals. It is felt that the state funds 

 cannot be better invested, on the farm side of the State School of 

 Agriculture, than in emphasizing the value of pure-bred farm 

 animals and in all possible ways encouraging farmers to improve 

 the grade of their farm animals. 



Commercial fertilizers have been used to a great extent this year 

 on the farm. The unfavorable season will probably give rather 

 neutral results. Two carloads of quick line, 5 tons of nitrate of 

 soda, 8 1 /-* tons of acid phosphate, 2% tons of muriate of potash, 

 1,300 pounds of dried blood, 1,200 pounds of " floats," and 100 

 pounds of sulphate of potash constituted the spring fertilizers. 



Next year, it is planned to introduce as great an amount of 

 humus into the soil as possible. Therefore, stable manure will be 

 the fertilizer most largely used. Thereby plant foods and soil 

 amendments will be used, thus improving the soil texture, water 

 holding power, as well as increasing the amount of available plant 

 food. The improvement of the soil on the two sides, physical con- 

 dition and chemical content, is the great factor in successful farm 

 management in this section of the state. 



In most parts of southwestern New York, the crops do not 

 promise well this year. The spring was late and wet. The 

 general elevation of this country lies between 1,000 feet and 2,000 

 feet ; much of the land is hilly and the soil predominates in silt 

 underlaid with hard-pan, all of which conspires to accentuate 

 the ill effects of a late spring. Severe drought prevailed through 

 July and August, seriously affecting the cereal crops and the pas- 

 ture. Under these adverse conditions, the crop that promises best 

 on the farm is mangels. A yield of over 3,000 bushels of mangels 

 from 31/& acres is expected. Mangels have not been grown in this 

 locality and this crop is a valuable demonstration. 



The young orchard of 268 fruit trees, on a northeast exposure, 

 has made a fair start. Ten have died. The standard varieties 



