587 



earliest and most productive varieties vrerc First and Best, Henderson's 

 First of AH, American Wonder, and Blue Beauty." Potatoes. — Tabu- 

 lated data for 2S varieties grown from home and jSTorthern seed, and (M) 

 varieties planted April 21 and May 20. Among the 12 most produ(;tive 

 varieties in 1S89 and 1890 were Prince Edward Island Rose, Beauty of 

 Beauties, Early Sunrise, Tliorburn, and Dictator. 



New York State Station, Eighth Annual Report, 1889 (pp. 424). 



Report of director, P. Collier, Ph. D. (|)p. G-.')l). — Brief re- 

 marks, mostl.y popular in their nature, are made on tlie work undertaken 

 by the station in colle(!ting statistics from the farmers of New York, 

 regarding their dairy stock, rations fed, cost of rations, milk produced, 

 etc. (See Bulletin No. 17, new series, of the station, or Experiment 

 Station Record Vol. I, p. 2(57); on the experiments commenced to test 

 ditferent breeds of dairy cows (See Bulletin No. 18, new series, of the 

 station, or Experiment Station Kecord Vol. I, p. 209); on the func- 

 tion of food, experiments in feeding cattle, the value of a manure plat- 

 form, farm buildings, chemical control of fertilizers, sorghum for forage 

 and sirup, grasses, bulletins, correspondence, a food exhibit by the 

 station, and gifts to the station. 



The author advocates the establishment of a dairy school in which 

 "there should be given instruction oidy in those technical branches 

 directly relating to the science and practice of dairying;" and also of 

 branch stations in different sections of the State. "It would seem 

 that as many as ten branch stations could find profitable employment 

 in the solution of the numerous problems wliich are presenting them- 

 selves in the many and various fields of agricultural industry in our 

 Empire State." 



In remarks on the changes in yield and value of farm crops in New 

 York, the average yield per acre of the leading crops of the State, mar- 

 ket value and percentage of changes in yield and market value are tab- 

 ulated for the periods 1802-70, 1871-79, and 1880-87, together with 

 the amount of each of these crops which may be bought for $10, and 

 the amount and value of the fertilizing constituents in the same. 



So far as crop production is concerned, therois little canse for .alarm over diminished 

 yield, for if wo consider our five principal crops, corn, wheat, oats, potatoes, and hay, 

 the a<;<tregate value of which is 92 per cent of the total value of our leading farm 

 crops, wc shall find that these live crops have fallen off in their average yield but 1.6 

 per cent in tlio second period over what it was in the first period, and the average 

 yield of tiie third period was within 8.8 percent of what it was in the first; and this 

 diminished yield is perhaps largely due to less careful cultivation, which the low prices 

 of farm products seemed in niiuiy cases to excuse if it did not justify. 



But the average market values have greatly depreciated, the five crops already 

 mentioned having fallen, during the second period, in their average market value to 

 75.() per cent of what it was iiL the first period, and during the last period having 

 dropped to .au average of G7.G per cent of what these crops sold for during the first 

 period. 



