XXX Department of Farm Crops 



Changes in staff. — Acting Professor Paul Work, vSuperintendent of the 

 Department of Vegetable Gardening, was drafted into the military service 

 in September, 191 7, and is now on leave of absence. R. G. Wiggans 

 has returned to the Department of Farm Crops as instructor in charge 

 of the field work, after a year spent on the teaching staff of Ohio State 

 University. Robert Bier was appointed extension instructor in the"- 

 Department of Vegetable Gardening on July 10, 191 7. Albert E. 

 Wilkinson, extension instructor, and A. E. Kenerson, instructor, in the 

 Department of Vegetable Gardening, resigned on April i, 19 18, to enter 

 commercial work. Assistant Professor E. L. Kirkpatrick, of the Depart- 

 ment of Vegetable Gardening, resigned at the end of June, 19 18, to take 

 up demonstrative vegetable-drying work for the State of Colorado. No 

 new appointments have been made to fill these vacancies, due to the 

 present scarcity of men properly trained for such positions. 



Extension in farm crops. — During the year the Department furnished 

 a man for demonstration schools, giving work principally on pastures, 

 forage crops, and culture of legumes. Approximately 3000 demonstra- 

 tions have been carried on by the Department in cooperation with 

 county agents. 



For a nimiber of years some attention has been given to the problem 

 of providing better sources of seed. Four years ago local seed-potato- 

 growing associations were started in a nimiber of sections. Last year the 

 Department started a seed-corn-growing association on Long Island. Due 

 to the war emergency, certain other steps were taken last year. About 

 sixty fields of wheat were inspected by Professor J. H. Barron, of this 

 Department, as a source of seed. When the county agents gathered at the 

 College in November for their annual meeting, this Department proposed 

 that a "Better Seed Committee" be organized in each cotmty, the function 

 of these committees being not only to stimulate the production of home- 

 grown seeds but also to supervise the selling and buying of seeds in co- 

 operation with the farm bureaus. A seed survey was made by the 

 Department in December as a part of the work of the Seed Stocks 

 Committee. 



Relation to organisations. — The Department has close relations with 

 four state organizations — the New York State Potato Growers' Asso- 

 ciation, the Long Island Corn Growers' Association, the New York State 

 Vegetable Growers' Association, and the Bean Growers' Association. 



The New York State Potato Growers' Association resulted from the 

 work of the potato survey begun by the Department in 19 13. At present 

 there are eight local affiliated associations, in the following counties: 

 Franklin, Oswego, Ca\aiga, Onondaga, Suffolk, and Oneida. Last year 

 approximately 75,000 bushels of certified seed was produced, most of 



