26 . Dirrector’s Report oF THE 
to do this as nearly consecutively as possible. It is easily pos- 
sible to spoil a month’s time for this amount of speaking where 
only one or two days are used in a week. The above statements 
are made with a full recognition of the strong sympathy which 
exists between this station and the institute effort, and of the 
greatly increased strength and influence this institution has gained 
from the opportunities which are made possible through the help- 
ful attitude of the Director of Farm Institutes. 
WORK IN THE SECOND JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT. 
This work, during the year 1898, was directed chiefly towards 
the care and production of three crops, potatoes, cucumbers and 
onions, which are very important ones in Eastern New York. 
The experiments conducted have involved during 1898 the use of 
approximately 20 acres of land located at various points in the 
Second Judicial Department. It is seldom that experimental work 
is productive of results more highly and immediately useful than 
has been the case with those relative to the use of fertilizers on 
potatoes and of fungicides and insecticides on potatoes and 
cucumbers. ‘These results as related to potato growing and 
cucumber blight are fully presented in the Station bulletins and 
are to some extent reviewed on subsequent pages. Experiments 
on the prevention of onion smut have been in progress two years 
and will be continued longer before an attempt is made to formu- 
late conclusions. Experiments in the production of chestnuts 
were also begun two years ago, concerning which nothing will be 
published at present. 
- CHEMICAL DEPARTMENT. | 
Fertilizer inspection.— In my report for 1897, attention was 
called to the unsatisfactory condition of the sale and inspection 
of commercial fertilizers. It was stated that the brands of ferti- 
lizers have increased to an absurd number without thereby serv- - 
ing any good purpose but rather causing confusion and unneces- 
sary expense. The situation has grown worse rather than better. 
