404 EXPERIMENT STATION EECOED, 



For the purchase and distribution of vahiable seeds and plants 

 the allotment made was $289,680. This is an ajDparent decrease of 

 $19,910, but it is accounted for in part by transfers of clerical em- 

 ployees to the statutory roll of the bureau, and in part by the segre- 

 gation as a distinct project of $20,000, which was formerly supported 

 from this fund. The two items comprising this appropriation are 

 the congressional seed distribution, which is continued on the usual 

 basis, with $237,160, and the allotment for the introduction of seeds 

 and plants from foreign countries, which is increased to $52,520. 



The appropriations to the Forest Service reached a total of 

 $5,533,100, in addition to the various emergency appropriations to 

 which reference has been made. This, as usual, represents the 

 largest appropriation to any one bureau, and is also the largest in- 

 crease over the previous year, the total for 1911 having been 

 $5,008,100. The policy of definite allotments to each of the 161 

 National Forests for maintenance was continued. The Nebraska 

 National Forest was authorized to furnish young trees free of 

 charge to settlers in the surrounding region. 



The sum of $150,000 was granted for fighting forest fires and for 

 other unforeseen emergencies, of which $70,000 is immediately avail- 

 able. The allotment for permanent improvements on the National 

 Forests was increased from $275,000 to $500,000. Provision was 

 made for the refunding to claimants of moneys erroneously collected 

 in the administration of the National Forests, and for the granting 

 of easements under certain conditions for rights of way across the 

 public lands, National Forests, and reservations, for the transmission 

 of electrical power and for telephone and telegraph purposes. 



Liberal provision for the development of investigational work was 

 also made, $177,040 being granted for investigations of methods for 

 wood distillation and preservation and the economic use of forest 

 products, including the testing of woods for paper making, together 

 with $18,420 for investigations of range conditions within National 

 Forests and range improvement, $251,168 for silvicultural and den- 

 drological experiments, and $33,760 for miscellaneous forest investi- 

 gations and the preparation and dissemination of results. 



The appropriation of the Bureau of Soils was increased to $262,060. 

 No appropriation was made for soil erosion investigations, for which 

 $5,000 has been allotted annually for many years. The soil survey 

 work received $145,000, a net increase of $13,040, with a provision 

 added limiting to 10 per cent the expenditures in any State. 



The bureau was authorized to undertake a new line of work by 

 the appropriation of $12,500 " for exploration and investigation 

 within the United States to determine a possible source of supply of 

 potash, nitrates, and other natural fertilizers," $2,500 being made 

 immediately available. It is expected that particular attention will 



