lime. In many cases, its use is fundamental to the profitable growth 

 of crops and necessary to the maintenance of soil fertility. 



Our investigations have shown that the use of lime by promoting 

 nitrification, particularly in connection with a legume, increases the 

 nitrogenous substance in both the legume and the non-legume, thereby 

 materially increasing the food value of all these substances, and conse- 

 quently adding materially to the value of the crop. 



Better yielding timothy. In timothy-breeding experiments con- 

 ducted by the Experiment Station, over 40,000 individual plants have 

 been tested and about 200 distinct strains have been secured. Some of 

 the best of the select types have in our experiments produced twice the 

 average yield of all the plants tested. As seed has been grown and 

 tested from almost every hay-growing section of the world, we are safe 

 in assuming that the thousands of plants which we have tested represent 

 the average of what would be found in ordinary hay fields. New York 

 is the first state in the Union in the number of acres of hay produced, 

 and in total production ranks first, with over 6,000,000 tons having a 

 farm valuation of about $70,000,000. The average yield per acre in 

 New York is 1.2 ton, which makes it rank forty-fourth among the 

 states in the average production per acre. By the use of these new 

 select strains the yield of hay would be increased at least one-fourth. 

 The importance to the State of such an increase will be clearly apparent 

 when the size of the crop is considered. Coupled with greater yield, 

 some of the new strains are resistant to rust and avoid the injury which 

 is produced by this serious malady. 



Control of insect pests. The life history and habits of the codling 

 moth have been exhaustively investigated and a definite and effective 

 method of control demonstrated whereby hundreds of thousands of dol- 

 lars have been saved to the apple-growers of New York State. 



After a careful study of the habits of the cabbage maggot, a remedy 

 was prescribed that still remains the most effective one ever devised. 



The pear-tree psylla threatened the extinction of pear-growing in 

 certain parts of the State, but by a careful study of its life history an 

 effective remedy was found that saved many orchards. In 1892, Mr. 

 G. T. Powell estimated that he lost 1100 barrels of pears through the 

 work of the pear-tree psylla. Other growers lost in similar proportions. 

 The control of the psylla saved hundreds of thousands of dollars to the 

 pear-growers of the State. 



The investigation of wire-worms, the peach-tree borer, bud-moth, 

 grape-vine flea-beetle, grape root-worm, grape-berry moth, pistol-case 



17 



