904 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XII. No. 311. 



Secretary makes a comparison of Alaska 

 with Finland, which supports a population 

 of 2,500,000 souls, and which produced in 

 1895 nearly 40,000,000 bushels of cereals, 

 besides exporting nearly $7,000,000 worth 

 of dairy products. 



As the result of investigations in Hawaii 

 and Porto Rico, the Secretary believes that 

 experiment stations should be established 

 in these dependencies, and that they should 

 receive for this work an annual appropria- 

 tion equal to that given to the other Terri- 

 tories. 



Investigations on the food and nutrition, 

 of man have been continued, largely in co- 

 operation with the stations and colleges. 

 This subject is one touching every house- 

 hold, numerous public institutions and the 

 army and navy, and the results obtained 

 can be made of great practical value. 

 Household economics is rapidly taking its 

 place among the required studies of our in- 

 stitutions of learning. 



Much consideration is given in the report 

 to the irrigation investigations, which in 

 accordance with the terms of the appropri- 

 ation act, cover especially two general lines 

 of investigation, namely, the study of the 

 laws and institutions relating to irrigation 

 in different regions, and secondly, the de- 

 termination of the actual use made of irri- 

 gation waters. 



Eight typical streams in different parts 

 of California have been thoroughly studied 

 with reference to the conditions under which 

 the water for irrigation is owned, distributed, 

 and used. Similar investigations on a 

 smaller scale have been made in Utah, 

 Colorado, and elsewhere. Interest in the 

 use of irrigation to supplement rainfall in 

 the humid regions is growing, and valuable 

 investigations have been made in New Jer- 

 sey and have also been undertaken in Mis- 

 souri and Wisconsin in cooperation with 

 the experiment stations in those States. 



The Secretary calls attention to the fact 



that on the supply of water for irrigation 

 and its equitable distribution depends the 

 permanent existence of civilized life in one- 

 third of the area of the Union. Through- 

 out this vast region questions relating to 

 irrigation are vital to the ultimate solution 

 of its problems, and must be found not only 

 in State legislation, but in the action of the 

 National G-overnment. Most of the streams 

 used for irrigation cross State lines, while 

 some run partly in foreign countries. What 

 is needed in this matter at the present time 

 above everything else is the impartial as- 

 certaining and recording of the facts re- 

 lating to irrigation in this country. It is 

 this task which the Department has set for 

 itself. 



SECTION OF FOEEIGN MARKETS. 



The study of markets abroad with special 

 reference to extending the demands therein 

 for the agricultural products of the United 

 States has been prosecuted with zeal and 

 intelligence. From the records of this sec- 

 tion we derive most satisfactory informa- 

 tion as to the development of our agricul- 

 tural exports. While it is true that thene 

 bear a somewhat smaller proportion to the 

 total exports than formerly, nevertheless 

 the actual increase is very great. During 

 the fiscal years 1897-1900 our total sales of 

 domestic farm products to foreign countries 

 aggregated the enormous sum of S3, 186,- 

 000,000, an excess of $800,000,000 over the 

 preceding four-year period. The agricul- 

 tural exports of the United States for the 

 past fiscal year amounted to $844,000,000. 

 The rapid growth of our export trade to 

 the Orient in recent years is most striking. 

 Five years ago our total shipments of do- 

 mestic merchandise to Asia and Oceania 

 were valued at $43,000,000, of which only 

 $9,700,000 were agricultural. There has 

 been a steady increase in each succeeding 

 year, until in 1900 our export trade with 

 the Orient amounted to $107,000,000, of 



