80 DEPAETMENTAL EEPOETS. 



lation was done entirely by employees of the office, the ac "iual expend- 

 iture of exposition funds was very small. 



In view of the fact that this work seriously interferes with impor- 

 tant lines of investigation in progress, I would strongly recommend 

 that for future expositions a sufficient allotment of funds be provided 

 to make possible the preparation of suitable exhibits Avithout encroach- 

 ing upon the regular and urgent work of the office. 



CURRENT WORK. 



Under the reorganization of the Department, through which the 

 Division of Pomology becomes a part of the newly organized Bureau 

 of Plant Industry, it is expected that the work heretofore done by that 

 Division will be carried forward without radical change. As the regular 

 routine duties of the office may be expected fro increase even more 

 rapidly in the future than has been the case in the past, it is impera- 

 tive that an additional increase of the working force be provided to 

 keep pace with it. 



Such pomological exhibits as are to be made at the St. Louis Expo- 

 sition of 1903 will need to be planned and carried well toward com- 

 pletion during the present fiscal year, as the uncertainty regarding 

 supply of suitable material at the exact time needed is greater in this 

 line than in any other branch of the Departmental work. 



In view of the increased appropriation for pomological investiga- 

 tions for the present fiscal year, and the authoi-ization of certain lines 

 of work recommended in the report of last year which require exten- 

 sive field investigation and experimental work, these special lines of 

 investigation have been placed in charge of Mr. William A. Taylor, 

 the former assistant pomologist, who is now designated pomologist in 

 charge of field investigations. Under his direction the work of inves- 

 tigating market conditions affecting the domestic and export trade in 

 fruits and vegetables, the continued effort with European grapes in 

 the South, and the mapping of commercial fruit districts will be 

 prosecuted as rapidly as the circumstances and the appropriations 

 available will justify. It is intended that the investigation in each 

 of these lines shall be in immediate charge of an expert, who shall 

 familiarize himself with the details of the work in that line, and who 

 shall, so far as is possible under the circumstances, concentrate his 

 efforts during the greater part of the year upon that i)articular subject. 



The investigation of methods of harvesting, transporting, storing, 

 and marketing fruits will naturally take precedence of other lines 

 during the i^resent year. Plans are being made under which it is 

 expected that fruit growers will cooperate with the Department in 

 making such experimental export fruit shipments as seem advisable 

 to determine the facts regarding sizes and styles of packages, methods 

 of wrapping and jjacking, character of transportation (including 

 refrigeration), and other points concerning which there is disagree- 

 ment among shippers. As now outlined, the experimental work of 

 the present season will be devoted especially to the apple and pear, 

 both in the exjjort and the storage experiments, these being consid- 

 ered the most important fruits in the export trade at the present 

 time. 



The European grape work in tht South will be conducted along the 

 line previously followed, namely, that of endeavor to bring to light 

 varieties yielding fruit of fine table quality, which when grafted upon 

 resistant stocks and protected from leaf and fruit diseases by spray- 



