fe 7 ° 
REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 23 
with this purpose reproduce the following statement embraced in the 
last annual report, and now corrected in some particulars: 
It is shown by a recent statement made from the records of the Treasury Depar’ 
ment that the total expenditures of the Department of Agriculture from 1839 to 1877, 
inclusive, amount to $3,366,114.37. From this amount should be deducted $100,000 
appropriated in 1867 for the purpose of enabling the Commissioner of Agriculture to 
erect a department building, and the further sum of $50,000 appropriated for the print- 
ing of the annual reports of the department for the years 1872 and 1873, and erro- 
neously charged to the current annual expenses of the department for those years, 
Deducting these two items from the above amount, and it leaves the sum of $3,216,- 
114.37 as the aggregate amount appropriated during the existence of the government 
for the promotion of agriculture. The utter insignificance of this sum becomes appa- 
rent when compared with the amounts appropriated for the maintenance of other 
departments of the general government. Dividing the total amount appropriated by 
the number of years during which these appropriations have been made, and it gives 
the small sum of $84,634 as the average annual expenses of the department. When 
it is remembered that the last census established the fact that one-half the popula- 
tion of the United States is either directly engaged in agricultural pursuits or is 
wholly dependent upon them for support, this sum becomes still more insignificant as 
an appropriation for fostering and promoting so vast an interest. 
The following appropriations for the years named will be sufiicient to illustrate the 
difference in the amounts appropriated for the various departments of the general 
government. 
Departments. 1877. 1878. 1879. 
* | 
MSPAMINIONG OF SURE. cine ac cree ciems ce sinccegenseeas <= $1, 377, 428 43 | $1,353, 807 50 $7, 134, 325 64 
Press WepAruDpeNb «2 - seam -ecccwekmscsene-coss—na=n| 163, 015, 647 G8 ; 159,222,392 61] 167, 122) 913 75 
Oi DER LC TaST eR he ee Ree ee a 37,251,271 81} 4, 245,628 00 68, 263, 792 48 
UBM ON AU IMOD Tl si pcan eto ee dplaicicw mim nee esa ectee Leia Spa is; 745, , 422 G0 20, 684, 492 83 
ifremen. Dopartiient)-<-s22...s.te--o22-0-carces acess 87, 673, 054 17 | , 36, O74, 5ialae 38, 245, 551 74 
een mice Dopartment..2.ss0/.ci0ss-2ecscecees sce | 6,422,983 49 | 3) 469, 045 00 7, 295, 389 98 
em pnMe an Gl SAStICO!. 2. -.-acsca=secs. seas neck ecacen eter te 364, 343 31 |. 3, 424, 950 00 3 918, 918 94 
Mepariment of Acricultire...-.-5----s.--esec0-se-04- r 174, G86 96 188, 64 0 00 204, 900 00 
The following table exhibits, in a condensed form, the appropriations 
made by Congress for this department, the disbursements and unex- 
pended balances for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1878: 
- Bone Amount | Amount Amount 
Title of appropriation. ‘appropriated.| disbursed. | unexpended, 
“SUNT. eens et ARS a Ae a A a SE $65, G40 00 $65, 640 9 Sea e ce ae eee 
MpNeCiIaP StmieitCS. 2-52 0c.--to-es- Soca e nade see tenses oes 15, 060. 00 15! C00 00! 23 5ee eee 
Purchase : SACS eEUO WULON Ol SCEUS ee pce nace <= nia a ie ese 73, 060 00 74, 579 33 *$490 67 
SOI NG Mean Mn ee Ape ARSE OsrO nore ioermebese roma 4, 000 00 45 OG0) OO) 2.05 ese teee ier 
Jig USEYRERDY GWgE UTEPEUAT OED ob 9 pps ee ee 1 00.00% 500 N GON). oe aoe oer 
Furniture, cases, and fay Fudd Monee eer LIAN 2 = 4,500 00 A> BOOSOGN| Sean see nee 
Library ----.-- mee Aes ar ae tc acre wie bts : 1, 000 00 1 O00) 00uc a. cee eaeeenee 
Laboratory - SO SECS oA soe ee or oe 3 a 1, 000 00 PAQ0TO0T ems «ee eters 
Contingent expenses. egress eatteraiie See seins Seta ee Som ; 8, 000 00 8S 00000))| c=: eee neces 
Postage acto t ones se. J Se Ue aa ee ee ee en ee te | 4,000 00 3,445 21 554 79 | 
HaprnvemeniOr CTOUNGS = ==. -2-5.--s2-tcheccracecteens cece s 6,500 00 6) 500700) \|.s.n- oe eee 
ARIS AC PAIN Ps esata esate = iaoisiaeie 2 = einciciem anlar ale 9,000 00 &, 807 59 192 41 
Forestry Be a ene ts ees = SSL oe ad teas sepia ee es - akan 2,500 00 2, 500! 00:4: wis -aaceaeee 
*The unexpended balance of the appropriation for purchase and distribution of seeds will be exhausted 
in tho settlement of a bill not yet determined to be paid from that appropriation. 
DISEASES OF DOMESTICATED ANIMALS. 
During the past twenty years, or more, the spread of infectious and 
