New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-08-25
PROVING ITS WORTH.
Good Results from What Is Done at
Nezc York Experiment Station.

Located upon an eInine5lce overlooking the
city of Geneva and Seneca Lake on the one
hand and extensive nursery and fruit planta-
tons on the other is the New York Agricultural
Experiment Station. It is now more than TWEEN
ty-five years since this institution was estao-
lished to conduct scientific Investigations IN the
interest OF New York agriculture, and arrange
rnents have been made TO commemorate It's Sill
yer anniversary with a field day and formal ex-
ercises on Thursday. August 20. Governor
Charles E Hughes will pay his first official visit
70 the station at that time and make a short
address On the day preceding the celebration
the New York State Fruit Growers Assocla-
ton and the Ontario County Fruit Growers
Association will hold joint meeting al Geneva
as a part OF the celebration
While actual work was not pegun at Ine StSt-
tion until the spring of 1889, the station had It's
inception some years before IN the 'os pc,
fical farming in New York state eApeIleuCtu
q marked change. The work OF the FARMER pc
came more complex and new hindrances' when
were unknown in the earlier husbandrY or me
e+a+e Increased the hazards attending the
growth Of all standard crops. Many parts OF
the state suffered seriously from eGnauslLOh oL
the soil the farmers experienced dlScoufaBe-
rnents from the rayages or many new lllsSttS
noxious weeds multiplied with marked rapluily
the changed character of the seasons, attended
with frequent drouths in The summer months
and new and fatal diseases among nochs anu
herds combined to induce many thousands Oh
Ne1Y York State farmers 10 seek new ldndS IN
tho West These conditions inspired the leading
farmers of the state TO urge the Legislature to
rrovida some agency to study and combat the
threatening conditions in the state. Finally the
work was taken up formally by the state Agri.
cultural Society, the State Grange, the Central
New York Farmers Club, Of Utica. and the West
ern New YORK Horticultural Society. Together
with these societies Cornell University ADDED
its influence and in response TO this comblned
effort the Legislature passed. on June 20, 1880.
an act esta blishing institution 10 be known
as the New York Agricultural Experiment Sta
+ion for the purpose of promoting agriculture
in its various branches by scientific investiga-
tion and experiment.
The original staff consisted of only f1ve men.
but what it lacked in numbers was MADE up IN
quality Al least one OF these early workers,
DIR s Moulton Babcock, the chemist who IS
NOW chemist at the University of Wisconsin
has acquired national reputation through the
test that bears his name 10 determine the
erno,,nr of butter fat in milk In its quarter
century OF history the station has had only
three directors. DR.. Z. Lewis SturteVant began
tba work and carried it forward until 1887, when
he was succeeded by Dr. Peter Collier In june,
TSa5 Or Collier resigned, and after an interim
Of thirfeen months for which time Dr. l. l.
Van SIyke now chemist at the station, was act
inc director DR. Whitman H Jordan. the pres
emf director, assumed charge OF the institution.