Januaey 15, 1897.] 



SCIENCE. 



79 



The Geological Survey, in addition to the 

 above, is now engaged in making, under special 

 enactment, a land sub-division survey in the 

 Indian Territory. 



Bureau of Education : Collects facts and statistics 

 showing the condition and progress of education in 

 the States and Territories and supplies information re- 

 specting the organization and management of schools, 

 school systems and methods of teaching ; promotes 

 education. Appropriation, §57,520. 



Total number of employees, 44. 



The Decennial Census : Collects statistics covering 

 population, mortality, manufacturing, railroad, fish- 

 ing, mining and other industries ; statistics of tele- 

 graph, express and insurance companies, and of 

 churches ; and other subjects according as Congress 

 directs in the special law for each Census. These 

 laws are usually drawn to include every reasonable 

 suggestion that is made to the Committee on the 

 Census, and vary more or less for each Census. 



The result is that the Census is made to duplicate, 

 to a large extent, the work of the permanent bureaus 

 of the government. It is supplied with large sums 

 of money, and reports are often made by it which 

 ought, in the nature of things, to be made by other 

 government bureaus. This leads to further duplica- 

 tion and great waste of time and money. Much work 

 is expended upon ill-advised or poorly organized 

 schemes. 



The Permanint Census now proposed will consoli- 

 date much of this scattered work and prevent dupli- 

 cation almost entirely. It should take charge of 

 several other statistical agencies and do, on a system- 

 atic plan through ten years, the work hitherto done 

 in a haphazard way at intervals. It is a move in the 

 same direction as that here advocated for the other 

 scientific bureaus. 



The average expense of the Census alone, not in- 

 cluding the existing bureaus mentioned herein under 

 their own Departments, is estimated at, §1,000,000 

 per annum. 



THE DEPAETMBNT OF AGRICULTURE. 



This Department is wholly devoted to the 

 development of the natural resources of the 

 country. It is not restricted to agriculture, 

 but aims to promote all of our industries, for 

 which reason it might be better named ' The 

 Department of Public Works.' 



Its organization is as follows : The adminis- 

 trative and business officers are : Secretary's 

 Office ; Division of Accounts and Disburse- 

 ments : Division of Publications with a Docu- 



ment Section ; Gardens and Grounds ; Seed 

 Division. 



Its scientific and technical agencies are : 



Weather Bureau : Has charge of the forecasting of 

 weather ; the issuing of storm and other weather sig- 

 nals ; the gauging of rivers ; the reporting of tempera- 

 ture and rainfall conditions for the cotton, rice, sugar 

 and other interests ; the taking of meteorological obser- 

 vations to establish and record the climatic conditions 

 of the United States, and the distribution of meteoro- 

 logical information. It includes : Five investiga- 

 tors, meteorological data division, forecast division, 

 climate and crop service, instrument laboratory, 

 monthly weather review and has one hundred and 

 fifty-four weather observing sta;tions, etc. 



Bureau of Animal Industry : Inspects meat for in- 

 terstate and export trade ; is charged with the control 

 and eradication of contagious diseases, and the inspec- 

 tion of imported and exported animals ; investigates 

 diseases of animals ; prepares tuberculin and mallein 

 for distribution to the States ; studies animal para- 

 sites of domesticated animals, etc. ; collects and dis- 

 tributes information in regard to the dairy industry, 

 etc. It includes : Division of animal pathology, zoo- 

 logical laboratory, biochemic laboratory, inspection 

 division, field investigations, dairy division, experi- 

 ment station, and has, in addition, one hundred meat 

 inspecting stations in the country ; twenty-one quar- 

 antine stations on coast, Canadian and Mexican 

 borders ; nine stations for inspecting exported stock ; 

 nineteen Texas fever inspection places, etc. 



Division of Statistics: Collects information as to 

 the principal crop and farm animals ; collects and co- 

 ordinates statistics of agricultural production, distri- 

 bution and consumption ; publishes a monthly crop 

 report for the information of producers and consumers 

 and for their protection against combination. It 

 supervises twenty outside statistical agents and has 

 a section of foreign markets. 



Biological Survey : Studies the geographic distri- 

 bution of animals and plants ; maps the natural life 

 zones of the country ; investigates the economic rela- 

 tions of birds and mammals, and promotes the preser- 

 vation of beneficial and the destruction of injurious 

 species. 



Division of Botany : Maintains the National Her- 

 barium (under the Smithsonian !), publishes informa- 

 tion on the treatment of weeds, experiments with poi- 

 sonous and medicinal plants, and tests seeds with a 

 view to their increased purity and commercial value. 



Division of Forestry: Experiments, investigates 

 and reports upon the subject of forestry, and dissemi- 

 nates information upon forestry matters. 



Division of Agrostology : Investigates the natural 



