DECEMBER 8, 1899. ] 
the alkali soils of the irrigated districts of 
the West. Special studies of alkali soils 
have been made in the Yellowstone Valley 
in Montana and Pecos Valley in New 
Mexico, and in the vicinity of Salt Lake 
City, Utah. Soil surveys of Maryland and 
of Louisiana have been undertaken in co- 
operation with local agencies. Investiga- 
tions of tobacco soils have been extended. 
The Division of Agrostology has con- 
tinued its work on native and cultivated 
grasses and forage plants with reference to 
the needs of the arid and semi-arid regions 
of the West. Studies of plants suitable for 
binding sands along sea shores and about 
the Great Lakes have been made in differ- 
ent parts of the country. Several native 
sand-binders of great promise have been 
discovered and their utilization, in a practi- 
cal way, has been undertaken. 
The examination of the work of the agri- 
cultural experiment stations made by the 
Office of Experiment Stations shows that 
these institutions are being more and more 
appreciated by the farmers and are doing 
more thorough and satisfactory work. 
“ The relations of the Department of Agri- 
culture to the experiment stations made by 
several States become closer every year. 
An increased amount of assistance is given 
every year to the State experiment stations 
to enable them to carry out work of a na- 
tional character. Cooperative work be- 
tween the Department and the stations is 
gradually increasing. The Department is 
consulted oftener regarding the organiza- 
tion and management of the stations, the 
choice of officers, the lines of work to be 
undertaken, the execution of special work, 
plans for station buildings, materials and 
apparatus required for use in connection 
with the different kinds of agricultural in- 
vestigation, ete.” 
The need of the establishment of experi- 
ment stations in Puerto Rico, Hawaii and 
_the Philippines is strongly urged, and an 
SCIENCE. 
853 
appropriation for this purpose is asked for. 
Satisfactory progress has been made in the 
establishment of experiment stations in 
Alaska. The investigations on human nu- 
trition, in charge of this Office, have been 
continued under the direct supervision of 
Professor Atwater, with headquarters at 
Middletown, Conn., anda number of reports 
have been published. The organization 
and development of the irrigation investiga- 
tions, also in charge of this Office, have 
rapidly proceeded during the past year,and 
work is now done in this line in fifteen 
States and Territories. Professor Elwood 
Mead, formerly State Engineer of Wyom- 
ing, has been in charge of this work, and 
headquarters have been regularly estab- 
lished at Cheyenne, Wyo. This work in- 
cludes studies of the laws and administra- 
tive regulations in the irrigated region and 
investigations on the supply of water. The 
need and importance of this work are dwelt 
upon at considerable length by the Secre- 
tary, and its national aspects are pointed 
out. 
The Office of Road Inquiries is working 
in cooperation with local authorities in 
building sample roads from the materials 
found in different localities and in the lay- 
ing of steel track. 
The Section of Foreign Markets has made 
special studies regarding the trade of the 
Philippine Islands, Puerto Rico and Cuba, 
and of Danish imports from the United 
States. The record for 1898 shows that 
our agicultural exports were decidedly the 
largest in the history of the country, their 
total value reaching over $850,000,000. 
The meat inspection, conducted by the 
Bureau of Animal Industry, has reached 
very large proportions. During the past 
year it was conducted in forty-one cities, 
and the total number of jante-mortem in- 
spections of animals was 53,223,176. En- 
couraging results have come from the efforts 
of the Department to increase the export of 
