XLII REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE. 



available experts in this country, and in order to do this much larger 

 salaries had to be given than had formerly been allowed in the divi- 

 sional organization. The wisdom of this step has been amply demon- 

 strated in the results attained and in the efforts of foreign countries to 

 induce our experts to leave and transfer their valuable work to other 

 localities. 



The Agricultural Committees of both Houses of Congress looked into 

 these matters very carefully, and, after a thorough consideration of the 

 questions involved, decided that the reorganization of the Division into 

 a bureau was necessary to enable the Department to handle these lines 

 of work in a manner commensurate with their commercial importance. 

 Accordingly this change was made by Congress, and the appropriation 

 was very largely increased and the organization was made much more 

 efficient than it had been on the old divisional plan. Congress also 

 provided for the immediate use of $10,000 of the funds to allow of the 

 plans being definitely formulated and men trained, so that on the 1st 

 of July, 1901, the Bureau could start as a well-organized office for the 

 efficient working out of the duties pertaining to it. This made it pos- 

 sible to secure the practical reorganization of the Bureau several 

 months in advance of the actual operation of the law, and the wisdom 

 of this has been amply demonstrated in the operations outlined in this 

 report. 



This action of Congress has opened up a new and very important era 

 for the investigation of soils, which should be of fundamental value in 

 the development of the agricultural interests of the country. 



The following summary of the operations of the Division during the 

 past year will show the economic aspect of the work and will be of 

 interest to all those engaged irf practical agriculture, especially those 

 interested in intensive cultivation, and the introduction and manage- 

 ment of new crops and industries, and in the remarkable advance 

 recently made in agricultural industries of the country, which is the 

 foundation of much of its commercial prosperity. 



PROGRESS AND COST OF THE SOIL SURVEY. 



The area surveyed and mapped during the fiscal year was 5,596 

 square miles, or 3,581,440 acres. The area previously reported as 

 having been surveyed was 3,486 square miles, making a total of 9,082 

 square miles, or 5,812,480 acres. Field work was carried on during 

 the year in California, Maiyland, Michigan, New York, North Caro- 

 lina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, and Washington; and the 

 preparations were all made for field work to be started in Idaho, New 

 Jersey, Tennessee, and Texas immediately upon the agricultural bill 

 going into effect on the 1st of July, and also for field work in Louisiana, 

 Mississippi, Georgia, and Florida, to be started on the 1st of October, 

 when parties working in the Northern States will be sent South. 



