Nfjw YoitK A«jrii(;ni/i'ijitAri I'jXI'Kiumion'I' Mta'J'ion. 23 



as variety teHtinj^. Tlie two common arf^uinfrifH aj^ainnt IhiH 

 work bcin^ iiiidertakori by (ix\)(tv\tuitui Htations iutt th<'H<;: (1) It 

 in a low grade? of work whicli uiay bo HUccoHHfully dono by riion of 

 1(!HH ability and training tlian Htation oxportH an; Hn})[)OH('d to 

 poHHCHH. (2) Varioty toHlH have littb; value except in the immedi- 

 ate locality where they are conducted. 



It iH impossible to ignore the force of these arguments when 

 applied to men; vjiricty t<;Hting as often conducted. Certainly 

 much that experiment stations have done in the past in an indis- 

 criminate and brief comparison of varieties has been of very 

 doubtful value, which was temporary at the best. Doubtless this 

 criti<iHni will, to some extent, apply to the horticultural work of 

 this Htation. 



This raisi.'H a pra(!ti<!al and inipoi'tant question, viz.: What 

 policy shall b(; jiurHucd in the horticultural activities of this 

 Station? It has over 3,000 varieties of fruit under cultivation 

 and observation, a collection which attracts the widespread at- 

 tention of N<;w York fruit-growers, and which receives frequ(.*nt 

 visitH from the horticulturists of other experiment stations. 

 Shall this collection be maintained and still further developed, 

 or shall it be reduc(;d in variety and extent to the dimensions 

 which are merely necc.'ssary for certain lines of experiment and 

 investigation, such as fertilizing, spraying, etc.? There are sev- 

 eral reasons which appear to fully justify the maintenance of 

 this part of the Station equipment on its present scale. 



(1) Under the conditions existing in Western New York even 

 the variety testing has undoubtinl value, and it would be done 

 nowhere else. The conditions at the Station are very similar to 

 those prevailing over a large area of a fine fruit country, and any 

 observations of varieties made here; are of great interest not only 

 to a large number of fruit-growers, but to nurserymen who are 

 producing an immense annual output of nursery stock. This 

 study of varieties has discovered old ones under ne*w names and 

 has greatly ben(;nt(;d nurserymen, as well as fruit-growers, by 

 determining the value of new fruits before they ]iav(; been placed 

 upon the market. 



