78 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. V. No. 107. 



a large part of the grain. Shall our govern- 

 ment not use the most improved machinery 

 for its work ? Is it not time that we had a 

 complete scientific department for harvest- 

 ing scientific truth? Such a perfect ma- 

 chine would garner — and garner at much 

 less cost — a far larger harvest than the 

 varied cumbrous appliances now in use. 

 Chas. W. Dabney, Je. 



a list of the scientific agencies of the uni- 

 ted states government, engaged either 

 in the promotion op pure science or 

 in the discovery and develop- 

 ment of the resources 

 of the country. 

 They are arrranged under the Departments 

 with which they are at present connected. Only 

 their chief duties, compiled from the statutes 

 and reports, are enumerated. The amounts of 

 money appropriated for their expenses for the 

 fiscal year ending June 30, 1897, and th^ 

 total number of employees connected with 

 each, are added. 



IN THE NAVY DEPARTMENT. 



Naval Observatory: The National Observatory: 

 Makes astronomical observations, corrects chronom- 

 eters, etc. Appropriation, |51,660. 



Total number of employees, 48. 



NaiiHcal Almanac : Prepares the American Epbem- 

 eris and Nautical Almanac, collects and disseminates 

 information on navigation. Appropriation, $22,480. 



Total nmnber of employees, 20. Does not include 

 detailed officers. 



HydrograjMc Office : Collects information and pub- 

 lishes charts with regard to direction and force of 

 winds; set and strength of currents; feeding grounds 

 of whales and seals; regions of storm, fogs and ice; 

 the position of derelicts and floating obstructions; 

 the best routes to be followed by steam and sail; also 

 general hydrograpbic and marine meteorological in- 

 formation, weather vparnings, etc. Appropriation, 

 $103,940. 



Total number of employees, 79, exclusive of 

 those in twelve branch offices. 



IN THE TREASURY DEPARTJIENT. 



The Coast and Geodetic Survey : General location of 

 the National domain ; latitudes and longitudes ; sur- 

 veys of coasts, rivers, lakes, inland waters, and deep 

 seas adjacent to our coasts ; magnetic and gravity re- 

 search ; general surrey of the country ; heights, 

 geographical positions, etc., $401,370. 



Total number of employees, 163. 



The War Department also surveys military 

 reservations, and runs boundary lines, such as 

 the boundary line between the United States 

 and Mexico, when called upon to do so. 



IN THE INTEEIOE DEPARTMENT. 



The General Land Office : Is charged with the sur- 

 vey, sale and general management of the public lands 

 and the issuing of titles therefor. It classifies mineral 

 and swamp lands, protects the public domain from 

 depredations, etc. Appropriation, $1,651,940. 



Total number of employees : In Washington, 380 ; 

 outside Washington, 789—1169. 



The Geological Survey : By the original act this sur- 

 vey is charged with ' the classification of the public 

 lands and the examination of the geological structme, 

 mineral resources and products of the national do- 

 main.' This was first considered as limiting its work 

 to the Territories, but in 1882 authority was granted 

 to continue the work upon the geological map of the 

 United States. Under this law the words ' national 

 domain ' are construed as including the entire 

 country, and the provision for studying the ' products 

 of the national domain ' is understood to give the 

 Geological Survey broad authority for many kinds of 

 scientific work. At the present time the Survey is 

 engaged on no work not specifically provided for by 

 statute. 



As at present organized, the Geological Survey has, 

 beside two administrative branches, two scientific 

 branches, viz, a geologic branch and a topographic 

 branch. 



The operations of the geologic branch include the 

 preparation of a geologic atlas of the entire United 

 States, and special geologic researches. The paleon- 

 tologic work is subsidiary to the geologic work, and 

 is conducted by a division under this branch. The 

 other divisions of this branch are : A chemical labora- 

 tory, which analyzes minerals and ores ; a lithologic 

 laboratory, in which thin sections of rock are pre- 

 pared for study ; a division of mineral resources, 

 which collects and compiles mineral statistics, and a 

 division of hydrography, which studies the under- 

 ground and surface water supplies of the country 

 with special reference to applications thereof in irri- 

 gation. 



The topographic branch has a division of triangu- 

 lation and a division of topography, the latter divi- 

 ded into five sections. 



Total appropriation for the Geological Survey, 

 $774,862.38. 



Total number of employees : 335 permanent, 265 

 temporary field men — 600. 



