REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



15 



selections and the purest seeds. The result of this care is that, with 

 very rare exceptions, we are enabled to disseminate the very best seeds. 

 Of this we are assured by the uniform testimony of the numerous 

 parties in every part of the country to whom seeds are sent. This testi- 

 mony is gratifying to the Department, not only as evidence of its faith- 

 fulness, but as illustrative of the value of its operations upon the countrj'. 

 The following table exhibits, in a condensed form, the appropriations 

 made by Congress for this Department, the disbursements, and the 

 balances to *be covered into the United States Treasury, for the hscal 

 year ending June 30, 1876: 



Title of approi^iatiou. 



Salaries 



Collecting Btatistics 



Purchase and distribution of seeds 



Experimeutal fjarden 



Museum and herbarium 



Furniture, caaes, and repairs 



Library 



Laboratory 



Contingt'ut expenses , 



Postage 



Prlntiug and binding , 



Improvement of grounds 



Total. 



Amount ap- 

 propriated. 



|77, 180 00 



15, OOU 00 



C5, 000 00 



8, 000 00 



2,000 00 



3, 300 00 



1, 250 00 



1, 300 00 



12, 100 00 



52, 000 00 



15, nOO 00 



11, 990 00 



264, 120 00 



Amount dis- 

 bursed. 



$77,115 71 



12, S'lS C8 



05, 000 00 



7,96e 11 



1,993 55 



3, 124 23 



1,016 84 



1,300 00 



11, 386 91 



3, 428 2'J 



14, 427 30 



11,990 00 



211, 622 68 



Amount un- 

 expended. 



1^4 29 

 *2, 156 32 



33 89 



6 45 



175 77 



203 16 



713 09 



48,571 71 

 572 64 



52, 497 39 



* The unexpended balance for collecting statistics wiU be nearly or quite exhausted in the payment 

 of unsettled bills, to be paid from that appropriation. 



Since I have had charge of this Department it has been my special 

 satisfaction to know that its fiscal accounts have been kept with the 

 utmost accuracy and fidelity, and in accordance with the provisious of 

 the law. The absolute pecuniary necessities of the Department to meet 

 the wants of the Statistical Division induced me to claim from the Sec- 

 retary of the Treasury a proportionate part of the appropriation of 

 $60,000 made by the act of August 15, 187G, to meet the necessities of 

 the several Executive Departments according to the exigencies of the 

 public service. The Secretary, however, being of opinion that Congress 

 intended to limit the amount to be expended "for collecting agricultural 

 statistics and writing matter for monthly and special reports" to the sum 

 appropriated for that purpose, did not, for that reason, think himself 

 justified in complying with my request. 



Respectfully submitted", by your obedient servant, 



FEEDK. WATTS, 

 Commissioner of Agriculture. 



