
18 REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE 
the Union in the number of farms which are cultivated by the 
owners of the farms. | 
Although but twenty per cent of its people are actively engaged 
in agriculture, the aggregate interests of this portion of the com- 
munity are such as to demand, as they should receive, the most 
serious consideration. | 
While there isin the general intelligence which characterizes our » 
agricultural methods much to encourage and give hope for the 
future, the possibilities of the future are far in advance of anything 
yet achieved except by those who are in the very fore front. 
It is entirely within bounds of facts to assert that there are at 
least ten per cent of our farmers, in whatever branch of agricul- 
tural industry they may be engaged, who are getting double the 
return of the average of those engaged in that branch —twice the 
bushels per acre, twice the pounds of butter per cow, and this too 
simply by improved methods and intelligent application of the 
fundamental principles of success which should govern their 
practice. 
Such facts sufficiently justify any remarkable expenditure 
which may aid in advancing our agriculture to a more productive 
and more prosperous condition. 
The aid which experiment stations have rendered in bringing 
this about is now generally admitted, but their work has thus far 
been mainly limited to Great Britain and the Continent. In the 
United States there is reason to believe that the benefits will be as 
great to our agriculture and more speedily secured than in Europe, 
since we can build upon very broad foundations already carefully 
laid by these pioneers in scientific agriculture. 
Is THE ‘Sort or New YorRK BEING EXHAUSTED OF FERTILITY? 
The exhaustion of soils of those elements of fertility which are 
known to be removed in the several crops has been already so 
well established as to constitute one of the admitted facts of 
agricultural science. The means by which such exhaustion may 
be prevented, and by which even the fertility of the soils may be 
greatly increased, have also been in many cases equadly well 
established. 
It is obviously of the highest practical importance to determine — 
how effective have been the means employed to maintain not only © 

the fertility of the farming lands of New York, but of other States — a 
