406 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol.36 



The appropriations for the Forest Service, as usual, are greater 

 than those of any other bureau, aggregating $5,712,275, with $100,000 

 additional for cooperation with the States in fire protection work 

 under the Appalachian Forest Reserve Act. As previously noted, 

 there will also be available for expenditure during the fiscal year 

 1918 the $2,000,000 provided for land purchases in the appropriation 

 act of the current year. 



The bulk of the appropriation is to be utilized for the adminis- 

 tration, protection, and development of the National Forests, which 

 it is of interest to note returned in receipts for the fiscal year 1916 

 a total of $2,823,540.71. There are a number of increases in the fimds 

 for administrative work, and the allotment for permanent improve- 

 ments has been increased from $400,000 to $450,000. This will be 

 used in particular for additional fencing and similar improvements 

 with a view to increase the stock-carrying capacity of the ranges. 



The experimental work of the Service is provided for much as 

 usual, with an increase of $5,000 to extend the grazing and range 

 studies, and a net increase of $25,000 for the studies of forest prod- 

 ucts and the demonstration of the results on a commercial scale. 



The Bureau of Chemistry receives $1,200,591, of which $623,521 

 is allotted for the enforcement of the Food and Drugs Act. Author- 

 ity to establish standards of the strength, quality, or purity of 

 articles of food and certain drugs was refused. 



Most of the lines of work of the bureau are continued unchanged. 

 A new item of $7,000 is inserted providing for a study of methods 

 for the manufacture of table sirup, which work has heretofore been 

 carried on under a special allotment of $4,000 from the Bureau of 

 Plant Industry. The bureau is instructed to study methods of de- 

 termining maturity in fruits and vegetables in cooperation with the 

 Bureaus of Plant Industry and Markets. 



The Bureau of Soils is granted $363,735, plus any unexpended bal- 

 ance from the $175,000 appropriation of the current year for ex- 

 periments and demonstrations of methods of obtaining potash on 

 a commercial scale. There is an increase of $30,000 to extend the soil 

 surveys, as previously noted, and one of $5,000 for additional chemi- 

 cal work and studies of the liming of soils. 



There is an increase of $62,600 for the Bureau of Entomology. Of 

 this amount, $25,000 will be used for investigational work relating to 

 the cotton boll weevil, and lesser amounts for special studies of the 

 Hessian fly, chestnut weevils, insects affecting pecans and other nuts, 

 for the control in cooperation with the Bureau of Plant Industry of 

 insect carriers of plant diseases, and for enlarging the work on in- 

 secticides. The establishment of a field laboratory in the Ozark 

 Mountain region in Arkansas and a field station in one of the New 



