
STATE OF NEW- YORK. 
No. 33 
IN ASSEMBLY, 
JANUARY 17, 1884. 

REPORT 
OF THE BOARD OF CONTROL OF THE NEW YORK AGRI- 
CULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 
To the Honorable the Legislature of the State of New York : 
During the past year work at the experiment station has been 
mainly a continuation of plans fully outlined in the report of the di- 
rector of the station for the previous year. 
The board of control has held frequent meetings at the farm and 
inspected with much care the field-work, and particularly plans sub- 
mitted by the director, whose report we have the honor to submit, and 
to which reference is made for such specific information as may be de. 
' sired to give full understanding of the character and extent of experi- 
mental work conducted at the station. 
In accordance with the very common desire manifested by farmers 
throughout the State, many practical field experiments have been in- 
stituted and conducted to conclusions so far as the tests of a single 
year are concerned. It will be understood, however, that these ex- 
periments for the most part are such ag require repetition through a 
long series of years to eliminate possible errors dependent upon con- 
ditions of the season, or cultivation, or other influences that cannot 
possibly be determined without repeated tests, 
In these field-experiments farmers throughout the State have im- 
mediate concern ; if conducted to safe conclusions abundantly proved 
-by trial, they will be of immense value to the agriculture of the State. 
The habit of referring questions to the station by farmers who wish 
to have careful and scientific investigation of the matters presented, 
has within the past year been greatly extended ; thus insects that at- 
tack fruits, grains, seeds, grasses, and the roots of plants have been in 
greater or less degree subjected to examination at the request of farm- 
ers whose interest has been excited by desire to provide ways for their 
destruction. In this labor the station must necessarily have increas- 
ing importance, suggesting the propriety of giving it fuller equipment 
_ for the special work in various departments of scientific investigation 
/ 
