66 Department, of Dairy Industry. 



Extension Work. 



During the year extension work has been conducted by the depart- 

 ment in the following lines : 



(a) Correspondence. — Over 5,000 letters were received and an- 

 swered by this department during the year. The great majority of 

 these were from residents of New York State seeking information in 

 regard to some phase of dairy work. It is believed that much good 

 can be done to the dairy interests of our State by means of carefully 

 conducted correspondence. 



(b) The work of the winter-courses as outlined above. 



(c) Work at Farmers' Institutes and Grange meetings. It is dif- 

 ficult for the members of the teaching force to be absent from Ithaca 

 for any length of time during the University year. During the past 

 year, however, members of the staff have attended approximately 

 twenty different meetings, giving addresses upon various phases of 

 dairy work. The importance of this line of work is appreciated, but 

 with the present size of the staff and the large classes that have to be 

 cared for, it is practicall}^ impossible materially to increase the amount 

 of this work done. It is hoped that the time may soon come when 

 the teaching force will be sufficiently increased so that some members 

 will be able to spend more time in this work. 



(d) The work of cow-testing mentioned above, the inspection of 

 former winter-course students, and the securing of positions for the 

 same may properly be included under extension work. 



Needs of the Department. 



One of the most urgent needs of the department is a good refrigera- 

 tion plant. The question of milk supply for the instruction work has 

 always been a serious one. Since the adoption of the present practice 

 of handling the milk supply the year round in order to secure a sat- 

 isfactory supply for work during the University year, it is necessary 

 for us to handle large amounts of milk, butter and cheese during the 

 hot summer months, which means the use of large quantities of ice. 

 The icehouses at present available for the use of the department are 

 not large enough to house the ice needed for the work of the 

 department. It will readily be seen that the handling of this amount 

 of product in a satisfactory manner requires large quantities of ice, 

 and more has been needed during the past summer than in previous 

 years, because cheese has been made continuously during the summer 

 this year for the first time. In order to, get the best returns for our 

 products it is desirable to make cheese the year round in order to 

 supply a regular trade. 



