Evening star., 1916-01-01

John c. koons, made chief inspector
Ctner changes include the appointment,
April l. of Charles r. Hodges, super
intendent of postmasters' appointments
William s. Ryan. July /, superintend-
ent of city delivery: l.. V B. Marschalk.
Superintendent division Of supplies, Oc-
tober z: Alfred B. Foster. superintend-
ent of equipment. and Michael K Camp
bell. chief clerk of equipment, both the
same date: T. c. Sullivan, chairman
board of inspection. July i: Frederick
Austin. May 10. chief clerk, division of
postmasters accounts: J. King Pickett,
chief clerk. fourth assistant postma ster
general, October Z, and Roscoe c. Knox.
chief clerk, first assistant postma ster
general
Intimately affecting the interests of
notable change in the postal service
was the appointment of Merritt O. Chance
as postmaster to succeed Otto Praeger.
who was called to the department
AGRICULTURE.
To carry on the work Of the Depart
ment Of Agriculture for the past year
Congress appropriated for various ex-
penses practically thirty and one-half
million dollars
The most serious event of the year
In the animal industry work was an
outbreak of foot and mouth disease.
which. after months of work, was
brought under control, and with the
close of the year eradication appeared
to be accomplished. Sheep scab and
cattle tick also required much work.
Eleven and a quarter million inspec-
tions Of cattle for ticks were made.
The work of the bureau of plant in
dustry was concerned chiefly with the
problems of crop production and crop
utilization and the occasional appear
ance of new destructive diseases or the
-
cultural emergencies. which required
an investigationa1 staff. The citrus
canker during the past year produced
an emergency of unusual gravity in
Florida and other gulf states, where
there were also cotton diseases fought
The gypsy moth spread into nifty New
England towns during the year, where
1t was combatted by the bureau of en-
tomology.
Soil surveys were completed or be-
gun in nearly 100 areas located in
thirty-two states, and nearly twenty
six million acres were mapped by the
bureau of soils during the fiscal year.
Reconnaissance surveys were carried
on in two states. and a total area Of
6,503.040 acres were mapped.
The research work of rhe bureau of
chemistry, which heretofore was con-
fined largely to problems arising in
the food and drugs and other regula
tory acts. was extended to include
work designed to prevent Spoilage and
waste and to increase production.
During the year the Office of markets
and rural organization issued nine
teen publications treating of subjects
falling within it's province, and much
preliminary work was done in estab-
fishing ne wprojects Of the office.
The public roads and rural engineer
ing division divided it's activities be-
tween road Investigations. irrigation,
drainage and farm architectural work.
During the year 1.049 samples of road
materials were examined to determine
their suitab ability for road-building pur
poses.
The work of the biological survey
was conducted along four principal
lines: Investigations on the food
habits of North American birds and
mammals in relation to agriculture;
biological Investigations with special
reference to the geographic distribu-
tion Of native animals and plants:
supervision of the national bird and
mammal reservations and the preser-
walton of native wild game, and the
enforcement of the Lacey act and ad-
ministration of the federal migratory
bird law.
Nearly 10000 voluntary crop re-
porters and special correspondents COL
lected statistical information for the
bureau of crop estimates. In addition
there were 150 paid employees in the
service.
The publica ton work of the depart
ment aggregated SS,89S.s59 pieces of
printed matter, during the fiscal year.