Department of Rural Art . cxli 



1. In cooperation with the general Extension Office a number of granges 

 and rural school meetings were addressed on the general subject of land- 

 scape improvement. A member of the staff also met the school com- 

 missioners of several districts. A method of presenting data to us by 

 rural school teachers — data on which we might base recommendations 

 for improvements — was outlined to the Erie county commissioners and 

 the county superintendents, Erie county being chosen for the beginning 

 of the work of improving particular plots. To several Erie county 

 schools, from which we have thus far received data, we propose to send 

 recommendations in the near future. 



2. In another line of extension work we have dealt directly with the 

 Fiscal Supervisor of State Charities at Albany, and a definite start was 

 made toward the development and care of grounds about the several 

 institutions under his charge. This work is still in progress. 



In all our extension eft"orts, however, we are decidedly limited by the 

 fact that we have no special extension funds and no person specially 

 assigned to the conducting of such work. 



As regards publications, we propose to issue shortly a series of bulle- 

 tins covering certain matters pertaining to the problems of the home 

 grounds. These bulletins will aid both in the saving of time and in 

 greater thoroughness in answering questions. The large correspondence 

 occasioned by queries from people of the State makes urgent the publish- 

 ing of bulletins ; and it has also suggested the subject-matter most in 

 demand. 



The bulletins that we have in mind are : First, a revision of a bulletin 

 issued several years ago by the Department on " The Care of Street 

 Trees," so that it will cover more fully the care and use of trees in 

 general ; second, a bulletin treating in an elementary way the problem 

 of planting small residence properties ; third — and apparently most im- 

 portant, judging from the number of inquiries — a bulletin on the making 

 and care of lawns. 



COLLEGE PLAN AND ARBORETUM 



During the year the Department was given supervision of the grounds 

 about the College and of the preparation of plans for future development. 

 Work on such plans has been conducted for some time past, in consulta- 

 tion with the Director and the Building Committee. 



We have also made a very definite start in the development of an 

 arboretum for the College, on land assigned for that use. Many 

 thousands of young plants and cuttings are now in the ground, and 

 other plants are being grown from seed. Plantings of evergreens and 



