Is^EW York Ageicultueal Experiment Station. 51 



before we shall be in a position to enter upon an active campaign 

 for the purpose of preventing further injury. 



Several new diseases have been studied, particularly diseases 

 of the raspberry and the currant, and while no means has been 

 discovered for preventing the blight affecting these two classes of 

 plants, a foundation knowledge has been laid for further efforts. 



For several years, the Station has consented to the inspection of 

 samples of seeds sent in by farmers. The opportunity thus 

 offered has been utilized by very many persons. The Legislature 

 of 1912 passed a seed inspection law, which throws upon the 

 Station the duty of examining all samples of seeds sent to it 

 officially by the Commissioner of Agriculture. Later may be seen 

 a summary of the work accomplished during 1911 as given in 

 Bulletin No. 345. During 1912 a larger number of samples have 

 been examined because of the legislation before mentioned. 



Seed testing. — During 1911, 1,015 samples of agricultural 

 seeds were tested for purity. Dodder was found in 12.9 per ct. 

 of the alfalfa samples and 4.74 per ct. of the red clover samples. 

 Two samples of red clover and twelve of alsike clover were found 

 to be adulterated. Many samples of alfalfa contained seeds of 

 Russian thistle and roquette, but these weeds are quite harmless 

 in New York. The bleaching of oats by means of sulphur fumes 

 injures their germination. Several failures in oat seedlings were 

 found to be due to this cause. Full details of the seed work have 

 been published in Bulletin 345. 



Potato-spraying exveriments. — The series of experiments de- 

 signed to determine the profit from spraying potatoes was closed 

 in 1911 and the results published in Bulletin 349. These experi- 

 ments demonstrate beyond doubt that the spraying of potatoes is 

 highly profitable in New York. 



In the so-called ten-year experiments, the ten-year average in- 

 crease in yield is as follows: 



At Geneva, three sprayings, 69 bushels per acre. 



At Geneva, five to seven sprayings, 97.5 bushels per acre. 



At Riverhead, three sprayings, 25 bushels per acre. 



At Riverhead, five to seven sprayings, 45.7 bushels per acre. 



