LXn REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE. 



roads is generally much greater, it can be seen that selecting the 

 proper material is a very important matter. 



CHEMICAL WORK FOR OTHER EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS. 



The work which the Bureau of Chemistry does for the other Depart- 

 ments of the Government is already great and is constantly increasing 

 in magnitude. By arrangement with the Secretary of the Treasury, 

 the chief of the Bureau of Chemistry has been designated as super- 

 visor of sugar tests in the laboratories of the appraisers at the ports 

 of New York, Philadelphia, and Boston. The control of this branch 

 of the chemical work of the Treasury is of the utmost significance, as 

 sugar furnishes a larger revenue than any other one item imported 

 into the United States. Many suits have been brought against the 

 United States on the alleged grounds of collecting a higher duty than 

 the law contemplates on imported sugar, and this fact led the Secre- 

 tary of the Treasury to solicit the cooperation of this Department in 

 securing the highest possible accuracy in the scientific ascertainment 

 of the amount of duty to be levied. 



For the War Department the Bureau of Chemistry has continued to 

 examine many of the articles of food, clothing, and other supplies for 

 th^ Army, and this work is continually increasing in magnitude. 



For the Post-Office Department the Bureau of Chemistry continues 

 to examine all articles which are supposed to be unmailable under the 

 law or fraudulent in nature. 



For the State and other Departments the stationery and inks which 

 are used in producing records are examined in the Bureau of Chemistry. 



For the Department of the Interior the Bureau of Chemistry has 

 undertaken a thorough examination of the hot springs in the reserva- 

 tion at Hot Springs, Ark. 



Man} T other miscellaneous items are submitted by the various Depart- 

 ments of the Government for investigation in the Bureau. 



It is thus seen that not onty is the Bureau of Chemistry charged with 

 chemical investigations of all kinds which relate to agriculture, but 

 also has gradually extended its investigations to the necessities of 

 other Departments. It has thus gradually grown to be recognized as 

 the leading chemical laboratory of the Government, to which all of the 

 Departments have recourse in cases of need for chemical work. It is 

 hoped that Congress will provide for this expanded work of the Bureau 

 of Chemistry, since chemical work can be more economically and effi- 

 ciently done under a common supervision rather than by the estab- 

 lishment of separate laboratories for every character of investigation. 



BUREAU OF FORESTRY. 



The work of this Bureau includes the making and execution of work- 

 ing plans for Federal, State, and private forest lands; the study of 

 forests, forest fires, forest grazing, commercial trees, lumbering, and 



