1917] EDITORIAL. 403 



Taking up the allotments of the various bureaus and ofl&ces in 

 turn, that of the Weather Bureau is $1,783,140. An increase of 

 $30,380 is granted to provide for the normal growth of the service; 

 $10,000 for the studies of the efficiency of various methods of frost 

 protection for the benefit of orchardists, truck growers, and others; 

 and $10,000 for additional equipment for storm warning towers on 

 the Gulf coast. 



The appropriations directly allotted to the Bureau of Animal 

 Industry aggregate $3,555,326, but this is, as usual, supplemented by 

 the permanent appropriation of $3,000,000 per annum for meat in- 

 spection and other funds provided elsewhere in the act. The total 

 corresponding allotment for the current year is $3,020,740, so that 

 the increase is considerable — in fact, one of the largest provided 

 for any bureau. 



The inspection and quarantine work of the bureau against animal 

 diseases receives $028,280, an increase of $103,500. Of this amount 

 $75,000 is expected to be used for the development of methods for 

 eradicating tuberculosis in live stock, testing on a larger scale meth- 

 ods which have proved successful in controlling the disease in small 

 areas. It is also planned to use $25,000 iu the inspection and super- 

 vision of the disinfection of infected hides, wool, and other animal 

 by-products, with the view of preventing the introduction of danger- 

 ous diseases from the new sources of supply instituted by the Europ- 

 pean war. The remaining increase is to meet the enlarged demand 

 for tuberculin and blackleg vaccine. 



A slight extension of the field hog-cholera campaign is provided 

 for by an increased appropriation of about $15,000, the total for this 

 purpose being $210,000. There will also be available $172,240 for 

 the enforcement of the virus-serum-toxin provisions of the act of 1913 

 and $32,060 for research work. The dourine appropriation is in- 

 creased from $75,000 to $99,000, of which $50,000 is made immediately 

 available. This infection has been found to be prevalent over a wider 

 area than was at first anticipated. 



The tick eradication campaign is given $631,560, of which $50,000 

 may again be used for live stock and dairy demonstrations in co- 

 operation w^ith the States Kelations Service in areas freed of ticks. 

 It is of interest to note that during the past year 16,281,185 inspec- 

 tions were made of cattle for ticks; that 12,662 cattle dipping vats 

 were in operation under Federal or State supervision ; and that 31,358 

 square miles of territory were released from quarantine because of 

 the eradication of the disease. 



The allotment for investigations of animal diseases is $134,600, of 

 which $50,000 may be used for contagious abortion. The emergency 

 appropriation for the eradication of foot-and-mouth and similar con- 



