DEPARTMENT OF POULTRY HUSBANDRY. 



The Department of Poultry Husbandry has had a prosperous year. 

 In each division of its work substantial progress ha;; been made. 



The two most important events in the development of the Department 

 of Poultry Husbandry have occurred this year. They are the appro- 

 priation by the Legislature of $90,000 for a poultry husbandry building, 

 and the turning over, for the exclusive use of the Poultry Department, of 

 a farm of fifty acres. Either of these events would be epoch-making in 

 this country in the development of a poultry department in a college of 

 agriculture. The people of the State and of the College may well rejoice 

 in this splendid evidence of a broad conception of the needs of a great agri- 

 cultural industry — an industry which, until recently, has been almost com- 

 pletely ignored by the agricultural colleges and experiment stations. The 

 benefits from this new building and new poultry farm will not be limited to 

 this State. The Empire State and Cornell University have set an example, 

 the influence of which will be world-wide. Other States and countries 

 will follow the example. New York State has established an important 

 precedent. To the people of the State and to those in authority at Cornell 

 University, all persons interested in poultry husbandry owe a debt of 

 gratitude. 



The activities of the department may be grouped under four main di- 

 visions as follows : administration, teaching, investigation, and extension. 



ADMINISTRATION. 



During the year there has been great expansion of the administration 

 activities of the department, due largely to the acquisition of the new- 

 poultry farm. The farm was taken over by the department without spe- 

 cific appropriations for its maintenance or development. Operating ex- 

 penses have been high, owing to lack of equipment, distance from our other 

 activities, lack of water-supply, and the run-down and neglected condition 

 of the farm. However, the sales to date and the present inventoried value 

 of the crops and stock, including 2,800 chickens, indicate that the farm 

 will be self-sustaining, so far as operating expenses are concerned, with 

 the exception of a special appropriation toward fencing (about onchalf 

 the amount necessary). 



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