32 Director's Report of the 



Poultry feeding experiments. — A test of the relative value of 

 whole and ground grains as food for laying hens, continued dur- 

 ing tM^o years, showed a marked advantage for the ground grains 

 in feeding Leghorns and the reverse in feeding Cochins. 



Experiments carried on Outside of the Station Premises. 



The larger part of the data herein presented was secured in the 

 laboratories and on the farm connected with the Station. It is 

 sometimes necessary, however, in order to find the conditions 

 required for particular experiments, to secure the privilege of 

 using land, trees, or other facilities owned by private parties. 

 In 1896 several interesting and profitable tests of varieties, spray- 

 ing, thinning fruit and girdling grape vines, have been carried 

 on in the orchards and vineyards of private fruit growers. The 

 following are the gentlemen who have kindly and faithfully 

 assisted the Station in this work. 



W. D. Barns & Son, Middle Hope. Test of varieties. 



S. A. Hosmer, Clifton. Spraying for raspberry anthracnose. 



T. C. Maxwell & Brothers, Geneva. Spraying for plum leaf 

 spot^ 



E. Smith & Sons, Highland. Girdling grapes. 



Frank Smith, North Hector. Thinning plums. 



L. Rice, Manchester. Spraying for raspberry anthracnose. 



Walter E. Taber, Poughkeepsie. Girdling grapes. 



T. B. Wilson, Hall's Corners. Thinning apples. 



Special Work in the Second Judicial Department. 



The appropriation for three years which has been made for the 

 maintenance of investigations in the Second Judicial Depart- 

 ment is a recognition of the special conditions that prevail in the 

 territory adjacent to the great markets of New York and Brook- 

 lyn. In the expenditure of this fund the Station evidently has 

 endeavored to give due consideration to the agricultural prac- 

 tices of most importance in southeastern New York. A branch 

 Station has been established at Jamaica, from which as a center, 

 experiments and investigations have been conducted with refer- 

 ence to relieving the most pressing difficulties encountered, es- 

 pecially by market gardeners and forcing-house men. While 

 the control of the work remains with the Station at Geneva, the 



