EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Vol. X. No, 9. 



The act of Congress making appropriation for this Department for 

 another year includes several new features which, together with in- 

 creased funds for many of the bureaus and divisions, will materially 

 strengthen the Department and extend its sphere of usefulness. It 

 provides an increase of nearly $200,000 over last year and of more than 

 half a million dollars over the year previous, the total appropriation 

 for the closing fiscal year of the century being $3,720,022. This includes 

 the $720,000 for the agricultural experiment stations in forty-eight 

 States and Territories, and a special appropriation for the establish- 

 ment and maintenance of experiment stations in Alaska. 



The largest increases in appropriation are for the Weather Bureau 

 and the Bureau of Animal Industry. The total appropriation for the 

 Weather Bureau is $1,022,482, which includes an increase of $00,000 

 for the maintenance of the new stations in the West Indies and adja- 

 cent coast, and $25,000 for the erection of an addition to the present 

 buildings of the Bureau in Washington. 



The total appropriation for the Bureau of Animal Industry is 

 $1,044,030. This includes $50,000 additional for investigations and 

 inspection and $20,000 "for the purchase and equipment of land in 

 the vicinity of Washington for an experiment station for the study of 

 the diseases affecting the domesticated animals.' 7 The Secretary of 

 Agriculture is also authorized to expend a sum within his discretion 

 "for promoting the extension and development of foreign markets for 

 dairy and other farm products of the United States." 



The fund for irrigation investigations has been increased to $35,000, 

 $10,000 of which is made immediately available. The object stated is 

 "to investigate and report upon the laws and institutions relating to 

 irrigation and upon the use of irrigation waters, with special sugges- 

 tions of better methods for the utilization of irrigation waters in agri- 

 culture;" and it is directed that this investigation shall be carried on 

 in cooperation with the experiment stations, "in such manner and to 

 such extent as may be warranted by a due regard to the varying con- 

 ditions and needs of the respective States and Territories and as may 

 be mutually'agreed upon." 



The scope of the Division of Forestry is enlarged to include the sub- 

 jects of forest fires, lumbering, the advising of owners of woodlands as 



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