REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE. 21 



warehouses, having a combined capacity of approximately 430,000 

 bales. By the close of the year this number had increased to 268 

 warehouses, having a combined capacity of 1,210,000 bales. The 

 number of grain warehouses licensed under the act increased from 

 56, having a capacity of about 2,110,000 bushels, to 263, having a 

 capacity of about 14,441,000 bushels. The number of wool ware- 

 houses licensed under the act increased from 5, with a combined 

 capacity of 24,375,000 pounds, to 18, with capacity of about 27,500,000 

 pounds. During the year 14 warehouses controlling space to accom- 

 modate 68,395,000 pounds of tobacco were also licensed. Prior to 

 the year 1922 no tobacco warehouses were licensed under the act. 

 A marked interest developed also among warehousemen in sections 

 in which no interest had been shown prior to this year. 



Three important factors have contributed to the substantial prog- 

 ress made along this line during the past year : First, the more gen- 

 eral appreciation on the part of bankers of the value of warehouse 

 receipts issued under the act for collateral purposes; second, the 

 insistence on the part of some of the farmers' cooperative associa- 

 tions that their products should be stored only with warehousemen 

 who were federally licensed ; and, third, the recognition accorded the 

 federally licensed warehouse receipt by the War Finance Corporation. 



SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH. 



Department workers in the field of research have been diligent 

 during the year. Notes on work completed and progress made will 

 be found in the reports of the various bureaus, which are being 

 printed as separate documents, and in the various bulletins which 

 have been issued during the year. A list of these bulletins is ap- 

 pended to this report. In view of economic conditions especial interest 

 attaches to investigations which may help in reducing the cost of 

 production, such, for example, as improvement in varieties of plants 

 and animals, more economical cultural methods, more complete con- 

 trol over plant and animal diseases and insect pests which lessen 

 returns. However unfavorable conditions may be, a lowering of 

 the cost of production must benefit the producer. 



The extensive work in testing the relative value of buds from 

 exceptionally productive trees as compared with nonproductive ones 

 seems to show a remarkable difference in the productivity of the 

 resultant stock. Already this has been carried far enough with 



