New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 7 



an accomplished cheese-maker, and through his intimate and long 

 continued contact with the farmers of the State, he has become 

 well acquainted with the peculiar needs of New York dairying. 

 It is felt that the confidence which the farmers of the State have 

 in Mr. Smith will strengthen the Station with its constituency. 



Botanist. — A Station botanist has not yet been chosen. He 

 will be selected with reference to his fitness to take up investiga- 

 tions in plant pathology which, in consideration of the large 

 fruit and vegetable growing interests of the State of New York, 

 is a most extensive and important field of effort. 



Other changes. — During the year Mr. W. W. Parker and Mr. 

 E. C. Worden, assistant chemists, have closed their connection 

 with the Station, and Mr. E. B. Hart and Mr. Firman Thompson 

 have been elected to take their places. 



Mr. F. C. Stewart, mycologist at the Second Department Branch 

 Station, has been granted a year's leave of absence for furthep 

 study. 



Building Equipment. 



Biological and dairy building. — In accordance with the unani- 

 mous decision of your Board, the Legislature of 1897 was asked 

 to appropriate |41,000 for the erection of a new building to be 

 devoted to biological and dairy research. This request was 

 granted, there being no apparent opposition. Leading dairy- 

 men and horticulturists all over the State contributed to this 

 result by expressing to their representatives in the Legislature 

 their belief that this appropriation would advance the agricul- 

 tural interests of the State. It must be conceded, moreover, 

 that there is at the present time a tendency on the part of 

 both the National and State Legislatures to recognize generously 

 any just demand coming from farmers. 



The money for the erection of this building became available 

 early in April, but the plans and specifications were not placed in 

 the hands of your building committee until nearly the middle of 

 August. Such a delay was exceedingly unfortunate because it 

 has obliged the contractor to proceed with his work during cold 

 weather. 



