Department of ilxperimental Plant-Breeding. 33 



tainly, in some instances, to its benefit. Tiie work of this nature 

 done during" the year has been as follows : 



(i) Lectures on the general subject of plant-breeding have been 

 given before Granges, associations of agriculturists and horticul- 

 turists, farmers' institutes and elsewhere. About fifteen such lec- 

 tures have been given during the year. 



(2) Exhibits have been made at the State Fair and the Batavia 

 Fair, representing some of the results secured in the experiments. 



(3) An active part was taken in the organization of a New York 

 Plant-Breeders' Association, and such aid was given as possible in 

 furnishing instructions to guide the active breeding work undertaken 

 by the members. 



(4) Co-operative breeding experiments with New York crops have 

 been arranged with about twenty-five farmers in various parts of the 

 State, the department arranging and directing the manner in which 

 the work is to be performed. 



Publications. 



The following publications from the Department of Experimental 

 Plant-Breeding have been issued during the year in the publications 

 of the Experiment Station : 



Plant-Breeding for Farmers, by H. J. Webber, Bulletin 251, Febru- 

 ary, 1908, pp. 289-332. 



Testing the Germination of Seed Corn, by M. P. Jones, Circular 

 No. I, March, 1908, pp. 1-8. 



During the ensuing year it is planned to issue bulletins (i) on the 

 timothy experiments, covering studies of variations and life history; 

 (2) statistical studies of variation in various plants, and (3) studies 

 on the relation of specific gravity to dry matter in mangels. 



Staff and Equipment. 



At the beginning of the year, Mr. J. B. Norton, an investigator of 

 the Department of Agriculture, was appointed Assistant Professor 

 of Plant-Breeding, and continued in the service of this department 

 throughout the year. He resigned at the close of the school year to 

 accept a position again in the Department of Agriculture. Mr. Charles 

 F. Clark, formerly employed in the Department of Agronomy, has 

 been transferred to this, department and employed as an instructor. 



The following assistants have been employed in connection with 

 the work for the ensuing year : Mr. Fred J. Pritchard, a graduate of 



2 



