New YorK AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 11 
abbreviated statement of our conclusions meets the needs of the 
great majority of the readers of the bulletins. 
Still more significant is the fact that only one copy of a bulletin 
is distributed in New York for approximately each seven farms. 
If it could be shown that six out of seven farms do not ask for the 
bulletins because they have no practical value, it would be a cause 
for serious reflection on the part of the management of the Station. 
That this is not the explanation is shown by the fact that a minority 
of farmers have sought and used to their profit the information 
that the Station has been able to furnish. It is not the function of 
the Station to issue merely general education literature and sow it 
broadcast over the State. To do this would be to misuse the funds 
assigned to the Station for an entirely different purpose. Fortu- 
nately the distribution of bulletins is not a measure of the Station 
work. Through popular efforts such as farmers’ institutes and ex- 
tension literature and also through the examples set by their more 
progressive neighbors, thousands of farmers are benefited by the 
newer phases of knowledge who pay little direct attention to station 
publications. It is correct to say that only a minority of the 
farmers of the State attend the State Fair or receive instruction 
from the college of Agriculture, nevertheless these institutions are 
exerting strong influence in agricultural affairs. 
Besides bulletins distributed during 1908 the Annual Report for 
1907 has been prepared in three parts: (I) The report of the work 
for 1907 including an index of the first twenty-five reports, (II) the 
Grapes of New York and (III) a review of the work of the Station 
for twenty-five years, including an account of the twenty-fifth anni- 
versary exercises. | 
NEW HOUSES. 
The five dwelling houses so long contemplated and so long needed 
are at last completed and are practically ready for acceptance by 
the State. The method of construction and the quality of work on 
these buildings appear to be most excellent. The efficiency of in- 
spection by the State Architect and the willingness of the con- 
tractors to comply with every reasonable requirement are to be 
commended. 
A BUILDING NEEDED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE AND DEMONSTRATION 
PURPOSES. 
For two years your Board has urged upon the Legislature the 
need of an audience room at the Station combined with space for 
permanent objective illustrations of our work. The time has now 
