production of oil and oil cake. In addition to continuing the work on numerous varieties at Arlington Experimental Farm and in cooperation with experiment stations, considerable attention has been given to hybridization and selection. The most promising of the many resultant new varieties are being grown for general testing. A few new varieties have already been introduced into the Southern States and have proved to be superior to those commonly grown. LEGUMES.-The work of testing legumes on root-rot infested land is being continued more extensively than in the past, as the results obtained last season have warranted a more careful study of the problem. Certain strains of cowpeas have shown marked resistance to root-rot, among those deserving special mention being the Iron variety and its hybrids. It seems probable that valuable species of legumes will be found practically immune to the disease. DRY-LAND FORAGE CROPS.-At Chillicothe, Tex., Chico, Cal., and Pullman, Wash., the testing of dry-land forage crops and the study of methods in connection with their culture has been continued along the same lines as during last season; likewise the work at the dryland experiment farms in cooperation with the offices of Dry-Land Agriculture, Western Agricultural Extension, and Grain Investigations. The work at the dry-land stations is under the direction of Mr. H. N. Vinall. Interesting results are being obtained from varieties of Canada field peas, sorghums, millets, sweet clover, soy beans, and other legumes. Selections of Agropyron cristatum, a species of grass imported from Russia, have shown much promise, as have also selections of our native species, Agropyron tenerum and Agropyron occidentale. In the southern part of the Great Plains region cowpeas in mixtures with sorghum have given very satisfactory results. The Iron, Groit, and Brabham varieties of cowpeas have proved to be of the most promise in this connection. MISCELLANEOUS FORAGE CROPS.-The bur clovers and vetches are being extensively tested as forage and cover crops. Much of this work is being done at Chico, Cal., and throughout the Pacific Coast States, under the immediate direction of Mr. Roland McKee. The production of seed on a commercial scale of the Tangier pea (Lathyrus tingitanus), black bitter vetch (Vicia ervilia), black-purple vetch (Vicia dasycarpa), and woolly-pod vetch (Vicia biennis) is being encouraged and will doubtless become an important industry especially in the vetch seed producing sections of Oregon. CONGRESSIONAL SEED DISTRIBUTION. The Congressional distribution of seeds and plants during the past year included standard and selected varieties of vegetable, flower, cotton, tobacco, and lawn-grass seeds, bulbs, grapevines, strawberry plants, and hybrid citrus trees. VEGETABLE AND FLOWER SEEDS.-The contract for packeting, assembling, and mailing the vegetable and flower seeds was awarded to the Brown Bag Filling Machine Co., of Fitchburg, Mass., the lowest bidder, at $1.105 per thousand packets, including delivery of the packeted seed in mail sacks direct from the seed warehouse in Washington, D. C., to the Union Station, thereby obviating the necessity for rehandling several million packets by the postal authorities at the city post office. The work of packeting, assembling, and mailing the vegetable and flower seeds was begun on October 25, 1910, and completed on April 28. The total output was 49,570,370 packets of vegetable seed and 9,624,565 packets of flower seed. The demand for vegetable and flower seeds this year was greater than ever before, the entire quantity provided for having been sent out. TOBACCO, COTTON, AND GRASS SEEDS.-A total of 3,118 packets of selected tobacco seed were distributed to persons especially interested in obtaining the best types of standard varieties as well as new and improved varieties developed by the bureau. Nearly 12,000 1-peck packages of cotton seed of improved upland and wilt-resistant strains developed by the plant breeders of the bureau were distributed. All of this seed was grown for the department under the supervision of its specialists. Of lawn-grass seed 16,133 half-pound packages were distributed, consisting of a mixture of Kentucky bluegrass, redtop, and white clover. BULBS, PLANTS, AND CITRUS TREES.-Popular varieties of hyacinth, tulip, and narcissus bulbs were imported and distributed, a total of 11,040 boxes having been sent out. The distribution of grapevines involved 4,870 packages of 5 vines each, representing 27 different varieties; while 6,088 packages of strawberry plants, containing 15 plants each and representing 15 varieties, were also distributed. A total of 2,021 trees of the new hybrid oranges or citranges developed by the bureau were sent to growers in sections having favorable climatic and soil conditions, the recipient of each agreeing to give proper care and to report results to the department. MISCELLANEOUS SEED DISTRIBUTION.-During the year 75,000 packets of vegetable seed and 51,000 packets of flower seed already found to be adapted were sent to Alaska, either for distribution through the experiment station at Sitka or upon direct requests received by the department. Small quantities of vegetable and flower seeds of suitable kinds were also sent to various army posts and to individuals in the Canal Zone, Hawaii, and the Philippines. PRODUCTION OF DUTCH BULBS IN AMERICA.-The work of propagating Dutch bulbs at the cooperative garden near Bellingham, Wash., was continued during the past year. The mother bulbs from Holland are multiplying rapidly. A collection of bulbs grown at the bulb garden were tested on the department grounds this spring and found to bloom 10 days earlier than imported bulbs. There is every reason to believe that Dutch bulbs can be grown and propagated successfully in the Puget Sound region if they can be kept free from disease and climatic conditions continue favorable. The bulblets and offsets are now 1 and 2 years old and will not be fully developed for 3 or 4 years, when it is hoped that they can be used for congressional distribution and that sufficient data will then have been collected with regard to their propagation and handling to warrant the department in publishing the results of its work at Bellingham for the benefit of those who may wish to engage in the business of growing Dutch bulbs commercially. SUGAR-BEET SEED GROWING AND DISTRIBUTION.-The commercial production of American-grown sugar-beet seed at Fairfield, Wash., by the breeding of pedigreed strains from individual analyzed mother beets has continued to receive attention. Comparative tests of varieties of sugar beets from European-grown seed were also continued in cooperation with State experiment stations, sugar-beet factories, and cooperative growers in different sections of the country. PLANS FOR THE NEXT SEED DISTRIBUTION.-The seeds to be distributed the coming year will be practically the same in kind and quantity as last year, unless there should be a serious shortage in the seed crop and the price should advance sufficiently to make it necessary to reduce the quantity. Great care will be exercised to obtain only the best seeds the market affords, and all purchases will be made subject to rigid tests for purity and germination. Owing to the heavy demand for seed this spring and the depleted stocks of seed in warehouses, a larger percentage of the seed will be grown under contract than formerly. REPORT OF THE FORESTER. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith a report of the work of the Forest Service for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1911, together with an outline of the plans for the work of the Service for the current fiscal year. Respectfully, Hon. JAMES WILSON, HENRY S. GRAVES, Forester. Secretary of Agriculture. CLASSIFICATION OF EXPENDITURES. The appropriation act for the Department of Agriculture for the fiscal year 1911 and other acts made available for the Forest Service the following sums: For salaries'. For general expenses. For improvement of the National Forests... Total appropriated for Forest Service under the agricultural Available for the work of the Forest Service under other clauses of For paper tests 1910-11...... For naval stores industry study.. Available under the deficiency act2. $60, 200.00 4, 672, 900.00 275,000.00 5, 008, 100. 00 $30,000.00 30, 004. 55 900, 000. 00 At the close of the year there were unexpended balances as follows: From appropriation salaries and general expenses... $29, 615. 27 1, 365. 58 34, 958. 56 Amount expended..... 5, 919, 939. 96 In addition to this appropriation for salaries for specific positions, the appropriation for general expenses was available for salaries for the purposes set forth in the bill. This appropriation was made necessary by the heavy emergency expenditures for forest-fire fighting incurred in August and September, 1910. The extra expenditures for fighting fires totaled $1,086,590.89. |