186 REPorRT OF THE BOTANICAL DEPARTMENT OF THE 
would warn farmers against’ this. Unprofitable seasons are to 
be expected now and then; but the results of our experiments 
already leave little doubt that spraying will be profitable, on 
the average. No one can foresee whether blight will be destruc- 
tive. The only safe method is to spray regularly every season. 
Another indication of progress is seen in the quality and vari- 
ety of potato spraying machinery now on the market. Until 
recently, one objection to the spraying of potatoes was the lack 
of suitable machinery. This objection is no longer valid. There 
is now a considerable variety of good, serviceable sprayers suited 
to fields of all sizes and for sale at reasonable prices. As the 
demand for them increases these sprayers will be still further 
perfected. . 
MAKING EXPERIMENTS IN 1905. 
It is the intention to continue the potato spraying experiments 
seven years longer. In 1905 the regular ten-year experiments 
at Geneva and Riverhead will be conducted again as usual; also, 
about fifteen farmers’ business experiments in different parts of 
the State. In addition, the Station hopes to secure reports of a 
large number of volunteer experiments—the more the better. An 
effort will be made to obtain for publication in the 1905 bulletin 
an account of at least one volunteer experiment from each 
county in the State. Some counties should furnish several 
experiments. . 
Potato growers in all parts of the State are earnestly requested 
to make spraying experiments in 1905 and report the results to 
the Station. Whatever the outcome of the experiments, whether 
for or against spraying, we wish the reports, provided, of course, 
the experiments have been properly conducted. Some rows 
should be left unsprayed for comparison, and they should be 
under practicaly the same conditions as the sprayed rows. They 
must be of the same variety, on the same kind of soil, treated 
with the same kind and quantity of fertilizer and given the same 
cultivation. And the unsprayed rows must be protected from 
bugs. One of the commonest faults of farmers’ spraying experi- 
ments is that bugs are permitted to injure the unsprayed rows. 
Finally, the test rows must be measured with a tape, not paced; 
and the crop on them must be weighed or measured, not estimated. 
