186 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



opportunities for finding marl^ets for dairy products in 

 Mexico and South America. 



In the last year, in accordance with an act of Congress, 

 the division has inaugurated a system for the inspection of 

 dairy products offered for export, affixing stamps to the 

 same, and certifying to the character and quality of the 

 articles ; the object of which, according to the language of 

 the law, is "to ascertain the purity and quality of such 

 products and secure their identity, and make known in the 

 markets of foreign countries, to which they may be sent 

 from the United States, their purity, quality and grade." 

 Special agents were appointed and placed on duty as in- 

 spectors of dairy exports at the ports of Boston, New York, 

 San Francisco and Chicago. 



Bureau of Soils. 



Interest in the Bureau of Soils is growing rapidly, and 

 the demands for work in different parts of the country are 

 increasing, as is shown by the liberality of Congress in en- 

 larging the appropriation, and by the man}^ re(iuests received 

 for the extension of the different lines of investigation. The 

 Bureau of Soils now has a force of over 100 persons, 75 of 

 whom have a scientific training. It is believed that the 

 results of the work, in showing the condition and resources 

 of the soils of the country, and in giving the people precise 

 and accurate knowledge as to the possibilities of the soils, 

 justify fully every expenditure that has been made. 



With the fierce competition for commercial supremacy 

 now going on, every particle of information bearing upon 

 the natural resources of the country which will in an}^ way 

 tend to increase the present crops or develop new methods 

 and build up new industries is of the utmost value, 

 especially if the people are inspired Avith sufficient confi- 

 dence to heed the advice of the department and to take 

 advantage of its work. 



In the last year the Bureau of Soils has surveyed and 

 mapped 14,541 square miles, or 9,30(3,240 acres, which, 

 added to our previous survey, makes a total of 22,623 

 square miles, or 14,478,020 acres. This work is carried on 



