Report of the President. xvii 



about 3,500 square miles in the counties of Chautauqua, Cat- 

 taraugus, Erie, and Allegany, all in western New York. Sec- 

 ondly, a State Drainage Association was formed through the 

 efforts of this department with the object of collecting and 

 disseminating information about drainage systems and all ques- 

 tions concerning improvement of swamp lands. The funda- 

 mental importance of such a movement to this State is recog- 

 nized when we remember that there are 2,500 square miles of 

 swamp land in the State, and at least 10,000 square miles addi- 

 tional land on which the installation of a better drainage system 

 would be highly profitable. Thirdly, a large number of co-oper- 

 ative experiments have been offered in problems of drainage, 

 tillage, fertilizers, etc. Exhibits have been made at five agri- 

 cultural fairs, and in connection with the farm special. In addi- 

 tion to all this, several hundreds of letters have been written 

 in reply to inquiries concerning soil problems. 



VII. Department of Soil Investigation. 



(a) The work of this department, as its name implies, is 

 almost entirely of a research character, and instruction was 

 therefore confined to seven graduate students. 



(b) The investigations of the department are conducted in, 

 (i) the experimental field of the University farm, (2) a series of 

 concrete tanks, (3) a small glasshouse, and, (4) the laboratory. 

 Special mention should be made of the concrete tanks, 24 in 

 number and of sufficient size to produce plants in a normal 

 manner under conditions which approximate actual field work 

 and yet allow of the keeping of accurate records. Fourteen dis- 

 tinct investigations are now being carried on. Among the more 

 important new ones begun in 1909 are those to determine the 

 influence of the growth of certain crops on the formation and 

 loss of nitrates in the soil, the changes that occur in the com- 

 position of certain properties of the soil as it gradually deterior- 

 ates or improves, the effect of the continuous use of certain 

 mineral fertilizers on the physical and chemical properties of 

 the soil and on the bacteriological flora and the activity of 

 certain forms of bacteria. 



VIII. Department of Horticulture. 



(a) The teaching of this department has been organized into 

 four main divisions : Graduate Work, Pomology, Floriculture, 



