Report of the Director. xxxiii 



Extension Work. 



There is the greatest necessity for this College of Agriculture 

 to conduct extension work on a broad basis and under a definite 

 and well-considered plan. At present, we are only touching the 

 problem here and there. 



New York should start out a thoroughgoing survey to determine 

 what are the native and actual agricultural resources of the State. 

 A definite program should be developed to which the College can 

 work systematically for a series of years. I do not see how the 

 best progress can be made in developing the internal resources in 

 the State unless we have knowledge of our actual conditions and 

 take stock of farms, soils, wood-lots, streams, schools, rural 

 churches, country organizations, markets, social and economic con- 

 ditions, and all other factors that underlie a worthy rural civil- 

 ization. 



xA.t the same time we must undertake to aid the farmers of the 

 State by attacking their problems directly on the farms where they 

 occur. This work of itself demands a large force of well trained 

 men, and the people are constantly making more demands on us 

 for this purpose than we are able to satisfy. 



Demonstration and test work on farms, soil and other surveys, 

 reading courses, nature-study agriculture in the schools, work with 

 teachers, boys' and girls' clubs, work with the fairs, lectures, in- 

 spection of herds, orchards and other farm properties, the giving 

 of personal advice on occasion, correspondence with the people on 

 all lines of agricultural subjects — these and similar activities con- 

 stitute the proper and necessary extension work of the College. 

 There is every indication that this work, in which this College has 

 so long held a leading position, must be curtailed rather than ex- 

 tended unless special means are provided for it; and this would be 

 a direct loss to the State. 



A large part of the responsibility of keeping New York near the 

 front rank as an agricultural State falls on the College of Agricul- 

 ture. Our officers are willing and glad to assume the responsibility 

 if they are given means with which to work. 



Internal Organisation. 



The question of internal organization of departments in a college 

 of agriculture needs also to be considered. The work of a high- 

 class college of agriculture is no longer local. If it does its duty 

 and meets its opportunities, it must cover the State with extension 



