STATE OF NEW YORK. 

No. 33. 
—_— 
Py ASSEMBLY, 
JaNuARY 21, 1885. 

REPORT 
OF THE BOARD OF CONTROL OF THE NEW YORK 
AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION, 
To the Honorable, the Legislature of the State of New York: 
The work of the station in the past year has exceeded in tangible 
results that of any like period in the past. Experiments instituted 
at the beginning have been pursued with greater advantage, because 
difficulties that appeared at the outset have been eliminated, in part 
at least, and facilities for attaining specific objects have been in- 
creased. 
It is well understood by those who have practical acquaintance 
with agricultural experiments that the value of the work depends 
in large measure upon its exactness, and it is, therefore, necessary, 
in conducting these experiments to successful issue that observers 
should be trained to habits of precise observation, uninflnenced by 
any purpose except the one object, to arrive at the truth. Hence 
the greater value of work performed in the last year by the corps of 
trained assistants under the management of a director who has him- 
self developed increased capacity for the special labors assigned. 
That investigations pursued with minute care in the various 
branches of labor at the station may be duly appreciated by farmers 
generally, it is necessary that they have understanding regarding the 
character of the work, and particularly that they take account of 
time required to reach safe conclusions. ‘They must recognize the 
fact that results of a single experiment in any line of investigation 
cannot be accepted as conclusive, because there are many varying con- 
ditions liable in any repetition of the work to change results 
materially ; hence, the necessity of repeating from year to year until 
these conditions have been duly measured and their effects noted. 
It is only after such repetition of experiments conducted with exact 
nicety of management. aud observation that the results for which 
the whole work of the station is planned can approach that definiteness 
