LXXIV REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE. 



tributccl throug-h the agency of the Section of Seed and Plant Intro- 

 duction, and which have already been covered in the prtvsent Report. 



The records of the Seed Division .show that apart from $2,120. 1»1 

 expended for miscellaneous seeds and $1,663 for vegetable and field 

 seeds distributed to sufferers by flood in Texas, there were purchased 

 14,738,968 packets of seeds of all sorts, of which 13,531,469 were dis- 

 tributed to Senators, Representatives, and Delegates in Congress, an 

 excess over the two-thirds reserved by law for Members of Congress 

 of 3,705,490 packets: 



DIVISION OF ACCOUNTS AND DISBURSEMENTS. 



The appropriation made by Congress for the United States Depart- 

 ment of Aofriculture for the fiscal vear ended June 30, 1900. was 

 $3,006,022. This appropriation exceeded the amount appropriated 

 for 1899 by $176,320. The usual sum of $720,000 was also appropri- 

 ated for equal division among the forty-eight agricultural experiment 

 stations of the country. 



The expenditures and liabilities incurred during the year in connec- 

 tion with the first-named amount were about $2,975,000. 



The unexpended balances of the appropriations for the fiscal year 

 1898, amounting to $42,391.42, were covered into the Treasury June 

 30, 1900. During the year $4,440 was paid for rental for leased build- 

 ings in Washington. D. C. 



THE PARIS EXPOSITION AWARDS. 



The final official list of the American awards at the Paris Exposition 

 has not yet reached me; but the preliminary reports forwarded by 

 the Department's representatives at the exposition show that in the 

 department of agriculture, horticulture, and food products the awards 

 to United States exhibitors numbered 490. In group 7, agriculture, 

 the awards were 28 grand prizes, 93 gold medals, 100 silver medals, 

 49 bronze medals, and 4 honorable mentions. In group 8, horticul- 

 ture, awards on permanent exhibits were 1 grand prize, 4 gold medals, 

 18 silver medals, 7 bronze medals, and 6 honorable mentions. Exhib- 

 itors of perishable horticultural products fi'om the United States, in 

 the several temporary competitions in horticulture, were awarded 5 

 grand prizes, 80 gold medals, 63 silver medals. 17 l^ronze medals, and 

 10 honorable mentions. These temporary competitions were held at 

 intervals of two or three weeks throughout the season. The United 

 States was the only country which maintained a continuous exhibit of 

 fresh fruits throughout the exposition. In group 10, food products, 

 the awards were 7 grand prizes. 41 gold medals, 57 silver medals, 54 

 bronze medals, and 21 honorable mentions. 



