68 Department of Sqil Technology. 



Surveys. Soil survey work lias been continued in cooperation with 

 the United States Bureau of Soils. During the first part of the year, 

 Ontario county was completed with an aggregate of 650 square miles, 

 of which 450 were surveyed since October i, 1909. During the summer 

 of 1910, work has been in progress in Monroe county, which has an area 

 of 643 square miles, of which 42Q were completed on October i, 1910. 



Correspondence. — The correspondence of the department of an exten- 

 sion character has increased greatly and aggregates 1,600 letters annually, 

 besides as many more circular letters. This correspondence bears on all 

 phases of soil improvement. 



Lectures. — Many lectures of an extension character have been given 

 by members of the staff before granges, farmers' picnics, agricultural 

 organizations, Farmers' Week, and farmers' institutes during the year. 

 The demand in this direction much exceeds our capacity to respond. 



There should also be mentioned the increased number of requests for 

 members of the department to examine and report upon the value and 

 utilization of farm lands for farming purposes. Many investigations of 

 this sort have been made, in which cases all expenses of the examination 

 have been met by the respondent. The number of requests for these 

 examinations is now greater than can be met. 



Exhibits. — Educational exhibits and demonstrations were made during 

 Farmers' Week, at three county fairs, and at the State Fair. 



Publication. — Circular 7. on the " Relation of Lime to Soil Improve- 

 ment," was published in May. 



RECOMMENDATIONS. 



Laboratory space. — The overcrowded condition of the Agronomy 

 building continues to become more acute. It affects our work, not only 

 through the lack of room in which to perform the necessary operations, 

 but also by the confusion resulting from the large number of persons 

 and affairs which daily crowd the building. The vibration and noise 

 produced by some of the operations of daily occurrence seriously inter- 

 fere with delicate operations in our laboratory. 



If the new building to be erected for the College could be used 

 temporarily to house some of the work now done in this building it would 

 be a great relief. Departments Hhat do not require elaborate laboratory 

 equipment, or whose ec|uipment is easily moved, could well find tempo- 

 rary quarters in some of the new buildings. 



Soil luork in the agricultural survey. — The agricultural survey affords 

 both in a sociological and an economic way a systematic method of 



