December 21, 1917] 



SCIENCE 



609 



By the end of October field agents of the de- 

 partment had assisted in the transfer of 100,- 

 000 cattle from localities where there is a 

 shortage of feed to areas where feedstuiis are 

 relatively abundant. This work has resulted 

 in the saving to the nation of large numbers 

 of animals. 



Every eifort has been and is being made to 

 protect crops and live stock from diseases and 

 pests. The force of experts dealing with these 

 matters has been greatly increased and they 

 are maintaining constant vigil and asissting in 

 combating outbreaks in their early stages. 

 Forty additional expert entomologists will be 

 placed in the field to cooperate with the exten- 

 sion forces, and specialists familiar with seed 

 treatment for the prevention of smuts of 

 wheat, barley, oats, and rye, which alone cause 

 losses of from 50 to 60 million dollars a year, 

 have been assigned to prevention work in 

 Oregon, Ohio, New York, Tennessee, Indiana, 

 Illinois, Oklahoma, Texas, Washington, and 

 California. 



Under the food production act, the facilities 

 of the Bureau of Animal Industry for dealing 

 with live-stock diseases have been further ex- 

 tended. Forty-six workers have been added to 

 the force combating cattle ticks in the South. 

 Fifty-one per cent, of the original infested 

 territory has now been cleared of the tick. 

 Hog cholera losses decreased 30 per cent, dur- 

 ing the last year, and 65 additional veterinar- 

 ians have been assigned to the work of con- 

 trolling the disease. In 12 states an inspector 

 has been detailed to assist in combating tuber- 

 culosis of cattle and swine and of abortion of 

 cattle, and it is proposed to increase the num- 

 ber to 19. Other specialists are engaged in 

 the work of controlling blackleg of cattle and 

 anthrax of domestic animals. 



Calling attention to the fact that the nation 

 ■was facing an unsatisfactory situation with re- 

 spect to its supply of foodstuffs and feedstuffs 

 when the existence of a state of war was de- 

 clared, the secretary outlines some of the 

 efforts of the department and its cooperating 

 agencies to increase the production of these 

 commodities even before the entrance of the 

 United States into the conflict. He then de- 



scribes the steps taken to bring about more 

 effective organization and closer coordination 

 of the agricultural agencies of the nation, be- 

 ginning with the conference with the official 

 agricultural representatives of the various 

 states, which was held at St. Louis, Mo., on 

 April 9 and 10. States east of the Eocky 

 Mountains were represented at the meeting 

 and a similar conference for the states west of 

 the Eockies was held at Berkeley, Cal., on 

 April 13. 



As an indication of the assistance which the 

 bureaus of the department of agriculture have 

 rendered and are rendering to the War and 

 Navy Departments and to other branches of 

 the government in connection with war prob- 

 lems, the annual report of the secretary of agri- 

 culture cites the following: 



The Bureau of Animal Industry is cooperat- 

 ing in the reinspection of meats and meat food 

 products at 27 naval stations and at various 

 army camps, cantoimients, forts, and other 

 places. The dairy specialists of the depart- 

 ment have investigated local situations and 

 made suggestions to insure sanitary milk sup- 

 plies for the army cantonments and naval sta- 

 tions and also have inspected large quantities 

 of butter for the navy. Supplies of vegetables 

 purchased and loaded on the naval supply 

 ships are being inspected by representatives of 

 the Bureau of Markets. The Office of Home 

 Economics has studied the rationing question 

 for the army, navy, and coast guard service. 

 The Bureau of Chemistry has prepared speci- 

 fications for army and navy foods and has 

 analyzed products offered for inspection. This 

 bureau also has assisted in standardization of 

 army and navy food supplies and is conduct- 

 ing research investigations on the antiseptic 

 qualities of some important compounds. 



The Bureau of Entomology has placed its 

 experts, as well as all information on camp 

 sanitation in its possession, at the disposal of 

 the Medical Corps. The Bureau of Soils has 

 cooperated with the War Department in in- 

 vestigations relating to fixed nitrogen and sul- 

 phirric acid. Experts of the Office of Public 

 Eoads and Eural Engineering have been de- 



