110 



this and subsequent corresp iidence he collected, as far as 

 j)ossible, agricultural statistics from different sections of 

 the country, and presented the same to Congress in his 

 annual report. In consequence of this, Congress on 

 March 3, 1839, approved an act appropriating f 1000 for 

 agricultural statistics and other agricultural purposes. 

 This department continued as a sub-department of the 

 Patent Office until 1862, when it was organized as the 

 Department of Agriculture. This frugal appropriation 

 was omitted in 1810-11, but reappears in 1812, and an- 

 nually until 1816, when it was omitted. 



In 1817 it was renewed and regularly continued with 

 some increase from time to time until 1851; but in no 

 } ear did it exceed -f 5,500, and generally it was less. In 

 1851 it was augmented to ■§35,000, and in no instance 

 thereafter was it diminished. The total expenditure for 

 agriculture, including the printing of the reports, from 

 1839 to June 30, 1872, was but $2,216,963. In 1867 a 

 building was ordered for the department and was finished 

 the following year, at a cost of (i>110,000. The appropria- 

 tion for this department for the year ending June 30,1892, 

 was $2,811,663.50. A considerable portion of this was 

 applied to the weather bureau service, which, by recent 

 statute, has transferred it from the department of the army 

 where it was known as the "signal service.'' Here fol- 

 lowed a detailed account of the miuutse of the appropria- 

 tions of this bill, giving a very clear idea of its character 

 and scope. It is very wide in its scope, covering a vast 

 amount of subjects appertaining directly and indirectly 

 to the subject in hand. That part which relates to the 

 quarantining of diseased animals and the spread of the 

 disease is very effective. 



In 1862 the first step was taken by Congress toward a 

 provision for agricultural education, in which it granted 

 to each state and territor}^ complying with certain con- 

 ditions, public land or land script, to the amount of 30.- 



