Birmingham age-herald., 1894-12-04

and the United Kingdom of Great Britain bought more than 34 per cent of all farm products finding foreign markets.
 The department of agriculture has un- dertaken during the year two new and im- portant lines of research. The first relates to grasses and forage plants, with the pur- pose of instructing and famlliarizing the people as to the distinctive grasses of the United States and teaching them how to introduce valuable foreign forage plants which may be adapted to this country. The second relates to agricultural soils and crop production involving the analysis of samples of soils from all sections of the American union to demonstrate their adaptability to particular plants and crops. Mechanical analysis of soils may be of such inestimable utility that 1t Is foremost in the new lines of agricultural research, and the secretary therefore recommends that division having this in charge be perma- nently established in the department.
 The amount appropriated Tor the weather bureau was S951 100. Of that sum S138, ,500, or II per cent, has been saved and Is re- turned to the treasury. As Illustrating the usefulness of this service, it may be here stated that the warnings which were very generally given, of two tropical storms oc- Curing in September and October of the present year, resulted in detaining safely in port 2305 vessels, valued at s96 ,2SS, 9S4, laden with cargoes Of probably still greater value. What is much more important aud gratify- ing, many human lives on these ships were also undoubtedly saved.
 The appropriation to the bureau of ami maj industry was 1850, ,000, and the expendl- lures for the year were only S495 ,629 24, thus leaving unex pended S335 ,570. Inc in- specton of beef animals for export and interstate trade has been contin usd, and 12 9l4 056 head were inspected during the year at cost oi 1M cents per head, against IA cents for 1885. The amount of pork na.r examined 36 131 937 pounds, against 20, GIT |, 40 pounds ln the preceding year. The cost or this insDsc- ton has been diminished from SA cents per head in 1893 to 6la cents in 1854. The expense of inspecting the pork sold In 1894 to Germany and France by the United States was IS, S92 2l0. The quantity in spected was greater by 15 ,000 ,009 pounds than during the preceding year, when he cost Of such inspectiou was Sl7 ,235, 70S. lIIe secretary ot agriculture recommends that the law providing for the microscopic ins D sction ol export and interstate meat be 50 amended as to compel owners Of the meat ins De cted to pay the cost of such in- spection, and 1 call attention to the argu- meats presented in hls report ID support or t0is rect m .nendation.
 The live beef cattle exported and tagged during ;he year nun bered 36 ,53o. This Is an increase oi 69, 533 head over the previous year. The saoitary inspection or cattle skipped to Europe has cost an average of
 
 Inspection sof southern rattle and the disin- fectlon ofse1rs and stock yards averages 2.7 per auimal. The scientific inquiries or Iue bureau of animal industry have pro- gressed steadily during the year.
 \. uch tuberculosis and murrain have been furnishs,. to state authorities for use in the aSrIcuIturdl colleges and experimental sta tons tor the treatment of tuberculosis and glanders. Q.ite recently this department has published the results Of it's investiga- tons of bovine tuberculosis, and l;s re- searches wal be vigorously contin ued. Certain herds in the District of Columbi will be thoroughly inspected and will prob- aoiy supply adequate scope Tor the depart ment to In,elligently prosecute its scientific work and furnish sufficient material for purposes of illustration, description and dehnition. The sterilization of milk sus- pee ed of containing the bac,lli of tuber- culosi5 has been during the year very thoroughly explained in q leaf14t by Dr. l. r, salmon, the chief of the bureau, and glven general circulation throughout tue country.
 The office of experiment stations, which is. 8 part of the United states department of agriculture, has during the past year gsged itself almost wholly in preparing for publication works based upon tue reports ot agricultural experiment stations aud other institutions for agricultural inquiry in the United States and foreign countries. The secretary, in hls report for 1893, called attention to the fact that appropriations mace for the support of the experiment stations throughout the union were the only moneys taken out of the national treasury by act of congress for which nc accounting 10 federal authorities was re- qulred. Re sponding 10 this suggestion the I iliy-third congress, in making the appro- Efiaiion for the Department for the present fiscal year, provided that he secretary of agriculture shall prescribe the form of an nual financial statement required by sec ton of said act of March 9, 1887, and shall aecertain whether the expenditures under the appropriation hereby made are in ac- GnrdaI-ce with the provisions of said act, and shall make report thereon to congress. 4 The best services of the siatistician of the department ot agriculture is the ascertain ment, by diligence and care, of the actual and real conditions favorable or unfavor- able to the farmers and farms of the coun- try and to seek the causes which pro iucs these conditions, to the end that the facts ascertained may guide their intelligent treatment. In obediencs to this law the department of agriculture immediately sent ont blank forms of expense accounts to each lstation, and proposes in addition to make a thorough and systematic examination of the several stations during each year for the purpose of acquiring by personal investigation the detailed informa- ton necessary to enable the secretary of agriculture to make, as the statute pro-
 
 The boards of management of the several stations, with great alacrity and cordiallty, have approved the amendment to the law providing the supervision of their expendi- lures Ian ticl patng that it!syill increase the efficiency Of the sections and protect their directors and managers from loose charges concerning their use of public funds, be- sides bringing the department of agricul- ture in closer and more confidential rela- tons with the experiment stations and through their joint services largely in- creasing their usefulness 10 the agriculture of lhe country.
 Acting upon a recommendation contained in he report of 1883, congress appropriated s19, ,000 to enable the secretary of agricul- lure 10 investigate and report upon the nutritive value of the various articles and commodities used for human food, with spt cial sugg estion of full, wholesome and ed ble ratons less wasteful and more eco numical than those in comLlon use. Under this appro prialion the department has pre- pared and now has nearly ready for distr' button an elementary discussion of the nu- triton and peculiar economy of food. When we consider that fully one-half of all the money earned by wage earners of the civilized world is expended by them
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