REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 9 



powers conferred by that act are not sufficient for the purpose. I would 

 therefore recommend such additional legislation as may be necessary 

 to make the work of the Bureau more effective. 



The scientific investigations of the Bureau in regard to the nature of 

 communicable diseases, and the means by which they may be prevented, 

 have been carried on unremittingly during the year, and the results 

 throw much light upon these obscure questionr.. These investigations 

 will be published in detail in the annual report of the Bureau of Animal 

 Industry, which is now in preparation. 



In addition to the work referred to, this Bureau has made an investi- 

 gation of the condition and number of the domestic animals in various 

 parts of the country; of the peculiarities of the animal traffic, and of 

 such changes in present methods as would be of advantage to those en- 

 gaged in this industry. The report thereon will be published in detail. 



July 1, 1884, the management of the quarantine stations for imported 

 cattle "was transferred from the Treasury Department to the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, and has become a part of the duties of the Bureau 

 of Animal Industry. Stations are maintained for the ports of Boston, 

 New York, and Baltimore, and arrangements have recently been made 

 by which animals arriving at San Francisco are also quarantined. The 

 stations for the ports of Portland, Me., Philadelphia, Pa., and New 

 Orleans, La., have been discontinued. There has been no request to be 

 allowed to land cattle at Portland since the quarantine was transferred 

 to this Department, and only two animals have passed through the sta- 

 tion at New Orleans, both of which were landed at New York and could 

 have been quarantined there. 



DIVISION OF CHEMISTRY. 



The importance of chemistry to agriculture was first recognized in 

 the works of Liebig. Before his time little was known of the constitu- 

 tion of the soil, or of the nature of fertilizers. At the present day the 

 usefulness of chemical science to agriculture is not questioned by any 

 well-informed person. 



The work of the division during the year may be classed under five 

 heads, viz : 



1. Analysis of soils. 



2. Continuation of the investigations of cereals. 



3. Experiments in the manufacture of sugar. 



4. Investigation of food adulterations. 



5. Miscellaneous. 



ANALYSIS OF SOILS. 



The object of undertaking this work was fourfold : 



(1) To make analyses of samples of soils from different parts of the 

 country, which had been sent to the Department from time to time dur- 

 ing the preceding year and a half. 



