Extension Department clxxi 



CLASSIFICATION OF MAILING LIST 



The great diversity of agriculture in New York State and the increasing 

 demand for the pubHcations of the College has compelled an arrange- 

 ment whereby the publications will be placed where they will do the 

 most good, thus eliminating the waste that occurs through placing certain 

 bulletins in the hands of persons who are not interested in the particular 

 subject-matter therein contained. During the past year persons on the 

 mailing list for experiment station bulletins have received a classification 

 card to be filled out and returned. Eight subjects have been used in the 

 classification, as follows : apples, commercial floriculture, general farming, 

 grapes, small- tree- and bush-fruits, commercial vegetable culture, poultry, 

 farm home. From the replies a new classified mailing list has been pre- 

 pared. Special mailing machinery has been installed, which automati- 

 cally selects and addresses the names registered for any subject. Bulletins 

 of general interest are sent to the entire mailing list as heretofore, but 

 those of special or local interest are sent only to persons who have indi- 

 cated an interest in the given subjects. For example. Bulletin 317, 

 " Further Experiments on the Economic Value of Root Crops for New 

 York," was mailed on September 26, 1912, to the list of persons who had 

 registered for bulletins on general farming. The saving of bulletins by 

 means of a classified mailing list makes it possible to reach a larger 

 number of persons interested in the subjects treated 



RECOMMENDATIONS 



The amount of teaching undertaken last year is set forth in the pre- 

 ceding report. This already heavy work has been practically doubled 

 this fall by the registration of 108 students necessitating two additional 

 sections, which now make in all four sections. This teaching enterprise, 

 touching regular and winter-course students, should be organically related 

 to a teaching enterprise outside the College, through the promotion and 

 guidance of discussion of public agricultural questions through farmers' 

 clubs, granges, and other agricultural societies. It should also be related 

 to rural and high school debating societies. To this end, and that our 

 present staff may be relieved so that other extension enterprises may be 

 properly guided, the writer recommends that there be established an 

 assistant professorship in this Department for this specific work. We 

 now have a young man in training who may grow into this work. 



While we are arranging a large numljer of miscellaneous lectures, yet 

 the most effective lecturing is that which we are now doing in logical 

 sequence through lecture series. This work should be continued and 

 expanded so that communities may learn to arrange s])ecial work in an 

 orderly and jirogressive way. 



