964 



SCIENCE. 



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



sales made by that oflBcer of the publica- 

 tions of all other Departments of the Gov- 

 ernment. A special appropriation has been 

 asked for to carry on more effectively the 

 work of illustration, which the condition 

 of the appropriations in recent years has 

 caused to be somewhat neglected. Over 

 140 persons are employed, including edi- 

 tors, proof-readers, artists, clerks and 

 laborers, in the work of publications, and 

 these are greatly hampered, owing to their 

 segregation in different buildings in crowded 

 and inadequate quarters. 



ACCESSIONS TO THE LIBRARY. 



Over 4,000 books and pamphlets were 

 added to the Library during the year. 

 These included many books of special value 

 in the work of the Department and a large 

 number of scientific periodicals. Every 

 effort is made in the Library of the De- 

 partment to meet the demands occasioned 

 by the constantly broadening fields of in- 

 vestigation entered upon by the Depart- 

 ment, and to aid educational and scientific 

 workers engaged elsewhere upon kindred 

 work. The Department Library is regarded 

 as the headquarters of agricultural litera- 

 ture, and should be able to meet demands 

 from without as well as within the Depart- 

 ment. The Secretary calls attention to the 

 danger of destruction by fire of the 70,000 

 pamphlets and books now in the Library, 

 owing to the character of the building at 

 present occupied by the Department. 



ACCOUNTS AND DISBURSEMENTS. 



Congress appropriated $3,303,500 for the 

 United States Department of Agriculture 

 for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1901, be- 

 ing an increase of $558,920 over the appro- 

 priation for the preceding year. When 

 all accounts shall have been finally set- 

 tled the payments will amount to about 

 $3,220,000. 



The regular appropriation of $15,000 for 



each of the 48 agricultural experiment sta- 

 tions in the several States was also made. 



On June 30, 1901, the unexpended bal- 

 ance of the appropriations for the year 

 1899, amounting to $28,899.27, were cov- 

 ered into the Treasury. 



During the year $6,340 was paid for 

 rental of leased buildings in Washington. 

 Owing to inadequate accommodations, Con- 

 gress, at the last session, provided for the 

 lease of additional buildings,, and the rental 

 for the fiscal year 1902 will exceed $10,000. 



EXPORTATION OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS. 



The highest record previously attained in 

 the export of agricultural products — in 1898 

 — was surpassed by over $90,000,000 in the 

 fiscal year of 1901, when a value of over 

 $950,000,000 was reached. Of the mer- 

 chandise sent abroad during the year, 65 

 per cent, originated on the farm. Of for- 

 eign customers for our agricultural prod- 

 ucts, the United Kingdom stands first, 

 taking over 50 per cent. The next most 

 important markets are afforded by Germany, 

 France, the Netherlands and Belgium, in 

 the order named. The Section of Foreign 

 Markets has begun the preparation of a most 

 comprehensive report on the character of 

 our agricultural importations received by 

 the United Kingdom, from countries other 

 than the United States. The importance 

 of this report is evidenced by the fact that, 

 large as were our exports to the United 

 Kingdom, they comprised only one-third of 

 the foreign farm produce purchased by that 

 country. Special statistics have been com- 

 piled by the Section of Foreign Markets 

 relative to our trade in farm products with 

 our new insular possessions. Our agricul- 

 tural exports to Cuba, Porto Rico and the 

 Philippines during the year comprised about 

 53 per cent, of the domestic merchandise 

 sent to these islands. Our imports of agri- 

 cultural products from these islands ex- 

 ceeded our exports by just $30,000,000. 



