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POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



sible, remain sufficiently liberal to pi - o- 

 vide copies to such persons as are es- 

 pecially interested in the publications, 

 and make application for them. The 

 problem is undoubtedly a perplexing 

 one, and unless Congress makes liberal 

 additions to the printing fund, is likely 

 to prove more troublesome with suc- 

 ceeding years. 



The present organization of the De- 

 partment of Agriculture is for the most 

 part one of divisions quite independent 

 of each other in their operations. These 

 are not generally grouped into bureaus, 

 as is the case in other departments of 

 the Government, but each is responsible 

 directly to the Secretary of Agriculture. 

 The lines of work of different divisions 

 very naturally overlap, and as new lines 

 are taken up, troublesome questions 

 arise as to their assignment. The con- 

 dition is one which calls for close co- 

 operation along the broadest lines pos- 

 sible, but the segregation which has re- 

 sulted from the multiplication of divis- 

 ions has not conduced to this. The 

 Secretary believes that the best interests 

 of the Department now demand aggrega- 

 tion, rather than segregation, and that 

 the time has come to bring together the 

 related lines of work. In accordance 

 with this policy he announces the af- 

 filiation of four divisions, closely allied 

 by the nature of their work, under the 

 title of Office of Plant Industry, with a 

 director in charge. How far anything 

 like a reorganization of the Department 

 will be carried is at present uncertain, 

 but it is felt that the movement is in the 

 direction of progress, and will almost 

 inevitably be extended sooner or later. 

 In point of location, furthermore, the 

 scientific divisions are widely separated, 

 the laboratories being for the most part 

 in separate rented buildings, removed 

 some distance from the executive of- 

 fices and the library. These buildings 

 are regarded as temporary makeshifts, 

 and are wholly inadequate to the pres- 

 ent needs, several of them being dwell- 

 ing houses, with small, poorly-lighted 

 rooms. The Secretary makes a strong 

 plea for a laboratory building, and sub- 



mits plans for a fire-proof structure 

 costing approximately $200,000. He 

 points out that the items of rent and 

 other expenses connected with the pres- 

 ent laboratory quarters amount to 

 about $10,000 a year, and that the De- 

 partment is far behind many State in- 

 stitutions in its laboratory facilities. 

 The excellent equipment which is being 

 brought together in these laboratories, 

 the extensive collections and the valu- 

 able records of investigation, are jeop- 

 ardized by their present location. It 

 seems eminently fitting that the Na- 

 tional Department of Agriculture should 

 be provided with the very best facilities 

 for the important and far-reaching work 

 which it is conducting. . 



The account of the extensive and 

 varied operations of the United States 

 Commission of Fish and Fisheries, as 

 contained in the annual report of the 

 Commissioner for 1900, shows a growth, 

 as remarkable as it was unforeseen, dur- 

 ing the three decades that have elapsed 

 since Professor Baird was appointed "to 

 prosecute investigations with a view of 

 ascertaining what diminution in the 

 number of food-fishes of the coast and 

 the lakes of the United States has taken 

 place, to what causes the same is due, 

 and what protective, prohibitory or pre- 

 cautionary measures should be adopted." 

 A summary by the Commissioner of the 

 work of the different divisions of the 

 service is followed by detailed accounts 

 of the propagation and distribution of 

 food-fishes, the biological investigations, 

 the collection of statistics of the com- 

 mercial fisheries, the study of the 

 methods of the fisheries, the inspection 

 of the fur-seal rookeries of the Pribilof 

 Islands, and the operations of the ves- 

 sels, including a narrative of the recent 

 South Sea expedition of the Albatross 

 under Mr. Agassiz. The scientific in- 

 vestigations conducted in the field, on 

 the vessels and in the laboratories per- 

 tain to almost every phase of aquatic 

 biology. Much of the biological work 

 is naturally and necessarily addressed 

 to practical questions connected with 

 the economic fisheries and fish-culture, 



