XLII REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE. 



uvailahle experts in this countrv, find in order to do this much hirger 

 salaries had to ))c given than iiad formerlj^ been allowed in the divi- 

 sioniil organization. The wisdom of this step has l)een amply demon- 

 strated in the results attained and in th(^ efforts of foreign countries to 

 induce our experts to leave and transfer their valuable work to other 

 localities. 



The Agricultural Committees of both Houses of Congress looked into 

 these matters very carefully, and, after a thorough coiisidei-ation of th(; 

 questions involved, decided that the reorganization of the Division into 

 a bureau was necessary to enable the Department to handle these lines 

 of woik in a manner commensurate with their conunercial importance. 

 Accordingly this change was made b}' Congress, and the appiopriation 

 was very largelv increased and the organization was made much more 

 efficient than it had been on the old divisional plan. Congress also 

 provided for the immediate use of $10,000 of the funds to allow of the 

 plans l)eing definitely fornudated and men trained, so that on the 1st 

 of Jul}', il^Ol, the Bureau could start as a well-organized office for the 

 efficient working out of the duties pertaining to it. This made it pos- 

 sible to secure the practical reorganization of the Bureau several 

 months in advance of the actual operation of the law, and the wisdom 

 of this has been amply demonstrated in the operations outlined in this 

 report. 



This action of Congress has opened up a new and very important era 

 for the investigation of soils, which should })e of fundamental value in 

 the d(n'elo])ment of the agricultural interests of the country. 



The following summary of the operations of th(^ Division during the 

 past year will show the economic aspect of the work and will be of 

 interest to all those engaged in practical agriculture, especially those 

 interested in intensive cultivation, and the introduction and manage- 

 ment of new crops and industries, and in the remarkable advance 

 recentl}^ made in agricultural industries of the country, which is the 

 foundation of much of its commercial prosperity. 



PROGRESS AND COST OF THE SOIL SURVEY. 



The area surveyed and mapped during the fiscal year was .5, .596 

 square^ miles, or 8,581,440 acres. The area pri^viously rei)orted as 

 having been surve^^ed was 8,486 square miles, making a total of !>.0S2 

 square miles, or 5,812,480 acres. Field work was carried on during 

 the year in California, Maryland, Michigan, New York, North Caro- 

 lina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, and Washington; and the 

 preparations were all made for field work to be started in Idaho, New 

 Jersey, Tennessee, and Texas immediately upon the agricultui-al bill 

 going into effect on the 1st of July, and also for field work in Louisiana, 

 Mississip])i, (ileorgia, and Florida, to be started on the 1st of October, 

 when parties working in the Northern States will be sent South. 



