Report of the Director. 



33 



is performed by persons employed by the College of Agriculture. At 

 the close of the official year last August, the department of animal 

 husbandry had made i8o tests in the State of Holstein cows, for 85 

 owrers. Tests were also made of Guernseys. At one time the de- 

 partment had 24 men employed in this work. The work for the 

 present year will not be less. 



As a part of its extension work, the department of dairy industry 

 endeavors to come in close contact with a large number of butter- 

 makers, cheese-makers, milk-shippers, and milk-producers. Last 

 summer an officer of the department spent most of his time traveling 

 in the State visiting persons engaged in dairy work, showing them 

 where improvements might be made and frequently remaining with 

 them long enough to put the suggestions into operation. This sum- 

 mer probably twice as much work w-ill be done. We have many 

 requests from former winter-course students and others to assist 

 them when in difficulty with their dairy work. Sometimes the diffi- 

 culty is bacterial infection, the source of which must be removed ; 

 sometimxcs it is inability to produce the particular kind of product 

 required by the market ; sometimes it is need of advice as to new 

 building operations or repairs. A few of these requests are answered 

 by a personal visit, but in most cases a detailed letter is sufficient. 

 With the enlargement of facilities and personnel, we propose to 

 undertake the thorough study of certain important problems in the 

 State. One of these is the richness of milk as it is sold in different 

 parts of the State. We are arranging to have a large number of 

 samples sent from cities, towns, farms, restaurants, to be tested for 

 fat-content. Information gathered in this way will be useful in 

 studying the best method for sale of market milk, a question on 

 which there is great diversity of opinion, yet one of great importance 

 to the dairy interests as well as to the consuming public. 



Gradually, similar work will develop in horticultural and other 

 fields. 



8. Surveys. — Certain industries and certain regions need to be 

 studied as they actually present themselves, for the purpose of dis- 

 covering their status and needs, to the end that suggestions may be 

 made for betterment. Much of the first extension work of the 

 College of Agriculture was of this kind, and several expository bul- 

 letins were published, as "Apricot Growing in Western New York " 

 (No. 71); "Impressions of the Peach Industry in Western New 

 York" (No. 74) ; " Some Grape Troubles of Western New York " 

 (No. 76) ; "A Plum Scale in Western New York " (No. 83) ; " The 



3 



