Ixxii Department of Plant-Breeding 



creased, but care needs to be exercised so that not more will be started 

 than can well be supervised. 



As is shown earlier in this report, considerable advance has been made 

 in the work of timothy-breeding. As in the case of oats, new and 

 promising varieties have been obtained. These need to be tested under 

 different conditions of soil and climate. Here, too, is the added pur- 

 pose of increasing the seed so that distributions of varieties adapted 

 to local conditions may be made. There have been conducted during the 

 past year, under the personal direction of the Department, twelve such 

 timothy tests, distributed in St. Lawrence, Madison, Monroe, Livingston, 

 Tompkins, Chemung, Seneca, and Allegany counties. In " these tests, 

 also, the Department reserves the privilege of buying the seed produced. 



The results of all these cooperative and demonstrative experiments 

 have been very gratifying. ]\Iuch interest has been taken in them in the 

 communities where they are located. No trouble v*^hatever has been ex- 

 perienced in placing the tests, and the number has been limited only by 

 the seed available and the time necessary for their supervision. During 

 the year just ended, seventy personal visits have been made in the interest 

 of this cooperative and demonstrative work. It is hoped that the number 

 of these experiments may be increased until they include every crop 

 grown in every county in the State. 



Distribution of seed 



The distribution of new and improved varieties of seed is considered as 

 next in importance, in the work of the extension division of this depart- 

 ment. It is not likely that the College will ever be able to grow the seed 

 of any crop in sufficient quantity to allow of its being distributed gen- 

 erally over the State. Hence it becomes necessary to distribute seed of 

 new varieties of crops in small quantities, and to grow this in such a way 

 that it will not only be increased rapidly but will also be kept pure. 



During the past year the distribution of timothy has been the main 

 eftort. Timothy-breeding is the oldest line of work of this Department, 

 and there have been obtained, from more than two hundred varieties, some 

 fifteen or twenty that are considered worthy of distribution. During the 

 last two years a large number of requests for improved timothy seed have 

 been received. These requests have been filed in the order of their 

 receipt, awaiting the time when they could be filled. The first distribution 

 has now been made. Since the supply of seed was limited, this distribu- 

 tion was made with a great deal of care. A circular letter, together with a 

 sheet of instructions and a coin card, was mailed to each applicant whose 

 name was on file. Those who were willing to follow the instructions con- 

 cerning the planting and care of the seed were asked to return a silver 



