956 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XIV. No. 364. 



The agricultural conditions of our new 

 possessions are being thoroughly studied, 

 and special attention is being given to the 

 production in these possessions of tropical 

 crops, for which the United States pays 

 out millions of dollars annually. Eaising 

 coffee in Porto Rico has been the subject 

 of special study. Our annual importations 

 of this valuable crop now amount to $70,- 

 000,000. The Secretary asserts that much 

 loss has resulted to the cattle industry in 

 the West in recent years, owing to the in- 

 judicious management of ranges. The 

 Department's experiments show that much 

 could be done, under proper control, to re- 

 store the ranges to their original condition, 

 and he recommends action by Congress, 

 giving the President authority to secure for 

 the experimental needs of his Department 

 such tracts of public range lands as may be 

 necessary. 



Pomological Investigations. — The pomolog- 

 ical investigations have been especially di- 

 rected to the extension of the fruit markets 

 abroad and to the encouragement of the 

 domestic production of fruits hitherto 

 largely imported. Prune-growing has been 

 made the subject of special study ; also 

 the growing of European grapes in the 

 South. Attention is called to the rapid 

 increase in our exports of apples since the 

 magnificent showing of this fruit made by 

 this Department at the Paris Exposition. 



Arlington Farm — Tea Experiments. — Prog- 

 ress is reported in preparing the Arlington 

 farm to serve in conducting experiments, 

 as an adjunct to the Department. The 

 Secretary cordially commends the experi- 

 mental work now carried on at Summer- 

 ville, S. C, under the direct supervision of 

 Dr. C. U. Shepherd. About 4,500 pounds 

 of high-grade tea, which found a ready 

 market, were produced here during the 

 year. 



Introduction of Valuable Seeds and Plants. — 

 Great activity has characterized the intro- 



duction of valuable seeds and plants from 

 abroad, with most satisfactory results. The 

 development of the rice industry in Loui- 

 siana and Texas since the introduction by 

 the Department of the Japanese rice, dur- 

 ing the past three years, has been remark- 

 able. At the same time our imports of 

 this product have decreased from 154,000,- 

 000 to 73,000,000 pounds. The United 

 States imports yearly nearly $800,000 worth 

 of macaroni. Macaroni wheats have been 

 introduced in the past two years very suc- 

 cessfully into the Dakotas and also into 

 Kansas and Nebraska. Fully 90 per cent, 

 of the date palms introduced in recent 

 years from Africa are now growing vigor- 

 ously in Arizona and southern California. 

 This year a collection of the choicest varie- 

 ties in Egypt have been obtained. Prog- 

 ress is reported in the introduction of Egyp- 

 tian cotton. The imports of this product 

 now amount to about $8,000,000 yearly. 



Congressional Seed Distribution. — In regard 

 to the Congressional seed distribution, the 

 Secretary states that he has endeavored to 

 meet the wishes of Congress in every way 

 possible and to secure seeds of as high a 

 character as can be obtained under the con- 

 ditions under which the work is done. It 

 has been arranged to send out cotton seed, 

 tobacco seed, sorghum seed, and sugar-beet 

 seed, and grasses and forage plants, under 

 the direct auspices of the Department, and 

 not through the contractor. 



BUREAU OF SOILS. 



The Division of Soils has recently been 

 made a Bureau and has received increased 

 financial resources, which enable it to ex- 

 tend its scientific investigations, as well as 

 its practical operations. 



Soil Survey. — An extensive review of the 

 work of soil survey shows that the areas 

 surveyed and mapped during the year ex- 

 ceeded 3,500,000 acres, making a total of 

 nearly 6,000,000 acres surveyed during the 



