658 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



can be expended to great advantage in the following manner: $5,000 

 to be added to the cotton boll weevil investigations; $10,000 to the 

 investigations of the Argentine ant in an attempt to prevent the 

 further spread of this destructive species; $5,000 to the investiga- 

 tions of forest insects; $10,000 to tlie investigations of deciduous 

 fruit insects; $5,000 to the investigations of insects affecting vegeta- 

 ble and truck crops, and $2,500 to the apicultural investigations. 



I beg to recommend further that the offices of executive assistant 

 and chief clerk be combined, as in the Weather Bureau, so as to 

 read in the appropriation act " One chief clerk and executive assist- 

 ant," and I further recommend that the compensation of this official 

 be increased to $2,500, and that in place of " one chief clerk, $1,800; 

 one clerk, class 4," the act should be altered to read " two clerks, 

 class 4." 



It is further recommended that the salary of the chief of the 

 bureau be increased to $5,000. 



