New York Agricultural Experiment Station. ii 



Mr. Frank A. Urner, A.B., a graduate of Cornell University, 

 where he specialized in chemical studies, was appointed to a vacancy 

 occasioned by the resignation of Mr. J. Arthur LeClerc in 1901. 



Mr. Howard O. Woodworth, M.S., resigned his position as As- 

 sistant Entomologist and accepted a position in California. No one 

 has, as yet, been appointed to succeed him. 



It is to be regretted that the assistants in the various departments 

 of the Station are being called to other institutions at higher salaries 

 after comparatively short periods of service with us. While this 

 indicates that worthy and desirable men are selected for appoint- 

 ment to this staff, it is obvious that such frequent changes can but 

 result in injury to our work. It is extremely desirable that such 

 arrangements shall be made in the future with reference to the term 

 of service of our assistants, under conditions which they shall con- 

 sider desirable, that changes shall be less frequent. 



THE function OF THE STATION. 



The institutional efforts now put forth in the interest of agricul- 

 ture involve three general and distinct functions : ( i ) Research, 

 which, broadly speaking, includes the discovery of new principles 

 and facts and the application of these principles and facts to the 

 processes of the farm; (2) instruction in known facts, which includes 

 the teaching of students at a school or college and the spreading of 

 information in a popular way among the agricultural people; (3) 

 the protection of the people by law against fraud and against the 

 spread of pests and other untoward conditions. 



The institutions created by law which exercise these various func- 

 tions are the experiment station, the college, the school, the farmers' 

 institute, the fair, and state departments charged with duties of a 

 purely administrative or executive character. Each institution or 

 department is equipped with men and means adapted to its work. 

 While the several functions enumerated have to some extent been 



