306 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol. 37 



in such areas for seeds of food or feed crops, to purchase seeds or 

 contract with persons to grow them, and to sell the seed to farmers 

 for cash at the cost price phis the expense of packing and transporta- 

 tion. An appropriation of $2,500,000 is made for this work, which 

 may be used as a revolving fund until June 30. 1918. 



An allotment of $050,000 is made for miscellaneous purposes. 

 Among these an item of special interest is that of aiding agencies in 

 the various States in supplying farm labor. For some time the Office 

 of Farm Management has been cooperating with the Federal Depart- 

 ment of Labor in endeavoring to bring about better organization of 

 the lal)or remaining on farms and to call int« service avaihible labor 

 which heretofore has not been fully or regularly utilized in farming 

 operations. Representatives have been detailed to cooperate with the 

 State officials in charge of labor matters, the agricultural colleges, 

 county agents, and county or local labor committees or representa- 

 tives. The increased funds now made available will enable the ex- 

 tension of this undertaking. 



Provision is made for enlarging the informational work of the 

 Department, including the distribution of large editions of emergency 

 leaflets, posters, and the like. Additional work in crop estimating is 

 also provided, both for assi.sting in the nation-wide food survey al- 

 ready referred to and for an enlarged service along lines previously 

 in progress. 



The enormous increase in the amount of administrative work of the 

 Department in recent years is recognized in the authorization for 

 the appointment by the President, subject to confirmati<in by the 

 Senate, of two additional Assistant Secretaries of Agriculture. Un- 

 der this provision. Prof. Clarence Ousley, director of the extension 

 service of the A, & M. College of Texas, and President Rsiymond A. 

 Pearson of the Iowa State College have been appointed to these 

 positions. 



Appended to the act are three sections affecting existing perma- 

 nent legislation. One of these amends the Meat Inspection Act of 

 1890, by authorizing, under certain restrictions and at the discretion 

 of the Secretary of Agriculture, the admi.ssion for immediate 

 slaughter at points of entry below the southern cattle (luarantine 

 line of tick-infested cattle otherwise free from disease. The purpose 

 of this amendment is to increase the meat supply through importa- 

 tions of live cattle from Mexico, South and Central America, and the 

 islands of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. 



An amendment to the Enlarged Homestead Act of 1910 increa.ses 

 from 320,000 to 1,000,000 acres the amount of land available for 

 entry in Idaho and renders less rigorous certain requirements for 

 residence thereon. Under the third amendment, the Secretary of 

 the Interior is authorized at his discretion to suspend certain 



