144 ANNUAL EEPOETS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTUEE. 



Biophysical Investigations Lyman J, Briggs, Biophvsicist in Charge. 



Seed-Testing Laboratories E. Brown, Botanist in Charge. 



Cereal Investigations M. A. Carleton, Cerealist in Charge. 



Corn Investigations C. P. Hartley, Physiologist in Charge. 



Tobacco Investigations W. W. Garner, Physiologist in Charge. 



Paper-Plant Investigations Directed by C. J. Brand, Chief of Office of 



Markets and Rural Organization. 



Alkali and Drought-Resistant Plant 



Investigations T. H. Kearney, Physiologist in Charge. 



Sugar-Beet Investigations C. O. Townsend, Pathologist in Charge. 



Economic and Systematic Botany — Frederick V. Coville, Botanist in Charge. 



Dry-Land Agriculture Investigations. E. C. Chilcott, Agriculturist in Charge. 



Western Irrigation Agriculture C. S. Scofield, Agriculturist in Charge. 



Horticultural and Pomological In- 

 vestigations L. C. Corbett, Horticulturist in Charge. 



Arlington Experimental Farm Directed by L. C. Corbett. 



Experimental Gardens and Grounds. E. M. Byrnes, Assistant in Charge. 



Foreign Seed and Plant Introduc- 

 tion David Fairchild, Agricultural Explorer in 



Charge. 



Forage-Crop Investigations C. V. Piper, Agrostologist in Charge. 



Congressional Seed Distribution R. A. Oakley, Agronomist in Charge. 



Demonstrations on Reclamation Proj- 

 ects F. D. Farrell, Agriculturist in Charge. 



From September 1, 1914, to August 31, 1915, the changes in the 

 personnel of the bureau were as follows : Resignations, 579 ; deaths, 

 17; removals, 3; transfers from bureau, 1,987; furloughs, 38; termi- 

 nations of appointments, 1,045, making a total of 3,669 employees 

 dropped from the rolls during that period. There have been made 

 in the same period 2,045 appointments, decreasing the total force of 

 the bureau by 1,624. Of the 1,987 transfers from the bureau, 1,979 

 were made on July 1, 1915, in order to conform to the agricultural 

 appropriation act for the fiscal year 1916, such changes in personnel 

 being incident to the transfer of the farmers' cooperative demon- 

 stration work in the South and the farmers' cooperative demonstra- 

 tions in the Northern and Western States from this bureau to the 

 States Relations Service; the farm management investigations to 

 the Office of the Secretary; the work in fann architecture to the 

 Office of Public Eoads and Rural Engineering; the cotton-stand- 

 ardization work to the Office of Markets and Rural Organization; 

 and the investigations of stock poisoning by plants to the Bureau of 

 Animal Industry. In connection with the transfer of soil-fertility 

 investigations from the Bureau of Soils to this bureau, 14 transfers of 

 employees from the Bureau of Soils to this bureau were made. On 

 September 1, 1915, the numerical strength of the bureau was as fol- 

 lows : In Washington, 799 ; outside of Washington, 645 ; total, 1,444. 

 The total number of employees in the bureau on the same date a year 

 ago was 3,068. 



In connection with the fiscal operations of the bureau 9,755 requi- 

 sitions for supplies were issued, 27,820 accounts were received and 

 examined, 161 requests for contracts and leases were made, 3,646 

 letters of authorization were drawn, and 3,858 freight and express 

 shipments were received and sent out. 



More than a million letters, including letters printed on duplicat- 

 ing machines, have been sent out from the bureau during the year. 



The new publications of the bureau number 130, with a total of 

 2,837 pages, and were issued in editions aggregating 3,859,300 copies. 

 The number of contributions made by this bureau to the series of 



