These appropriations having been made for periods of two years, we can, in considering the results, only reach conclusions by taking the two years' work as a whole and considering it as for one period, and, inasmuch as the second period of two years under the management of the Department has but fairly commenced, we can only judge its results by the work as outlined by Prof. Hamilton, in his Institute Bulletin for the past autumn.

For the period from June 1, 1895, to May 31, 1897, (two years), Prof. Hamilton reports that the amount of the appropriation, $15,000, was divided between the local expenses and the State lecturers in the proportion of $6,891.93 to the local managers for local expenses and $8,108.07 to State lecturers and for other expenses of management. The report also shows that during this time 572 days of institutes were held, the actual expenses of which were $26.00 per day, of which $12.00 per day was used for local expenses, and $14.00 per day for State lecturers and other similar expenses not local.

The experience of the Department having been that, previous to this year, its institute season had commenced too early in the fall and continued too late in the spring to secure the maximum of attendance, Prof. Hamilton decided to increase the number of institute corps from three to four, and to so arrange dates that the present season should commence November 29, 1897, and end March 8, 1898.

In order to make the holding of these institutes practicable, the force has been correspondingly increased and strengthened in various ways, until it is now believed that our State has one of the most thorough and practical corps of institute workers in the United States.

During previous seasons a portion of the appropriation has been set aside for the use of local managers for the payment of strictly local expenses, such as hall rent, advertising, board and expenses of local speakers, etc. During the season of 1896-7 this amount was $9.00 for each day of institute held. The experience of the last season having proven that this amount could be profitably increased, the sum of $12.50 per day of institute has been set aside for the local expenses.

In his official bulletin of institute information, Prof. Hamilton thus alludes to the mode of apportioning the funds among the different counties, and also among the different local institute managers:

"The apportionment shows the number of days that the Department will furnish two lecturers in each county for institute work during the season of 1897-8. It is made on the basis of two days to every county having not over 1,000 farms; three days of institute to every county having more than 1,000 farms and not over 1,500, and afterwards one day for each 1,500 farms, or fraction thereof, additional. This secures Department aid in each county in proportion to its agricultural interests.

"The amount of money to be distributed to the various managers for

local purposes, will be according to the number of days of institutes held. In order to make the amount ample for the coming season, the sum has been increased to $12.50 per day of institute. This provides $25.00 for each two days of institute, to be used for local expenses, and there will be, in addition, the State aid of at least two lecturers. which, with the local assistance, ought to carry the work through in a creditable manner."

In some neighborhoods we find that owing to the existence of farm clubs and granges, the farmers of the locality are competent to organize and carry on independent institutes or farmers' meetings without the aid of the Department and its force. It has been our desire to encourage this condition as much as possible, and I am strongly of the opinion that such clubs should be formed in all strong agricultural centres, and the Department relieved from institute. duty there in order that its influence and assistance may be extended in other districts in which they are more needed, and where farmers are less in the habit of meeting together for the discussion of agricultural topics. When managing the institutes under the care of the Board of Agriculture, it was always my rule to encourage the formation of permanent organizations having for their object the holding of regular meetings for the consideration of questions best suited to the interests of the farmers of that locality, and I fully believe that such clubs or organizations may profitably be established in every agricultural community in the State. In districts in which strong and active granges or alliances already exist, they will and do serve as the neuclus around which the agricultural interests of the neighborhood may gather, and where such organizations do not exist, they should be formed, and it will, at all times be a pleasure to the officers of the Department to assist in the establishment and maintenance of organizations of this character, and it will also be considered the duty of the Department, when it is possible, to extend assistance, in the form of speakers, to such meetings.

It is noticed that in many districts there is too strong a disposition to depend upon State speakers alone, and not to make sufficient provi sion for local help in making up the programme. This is a grave error, for there are in all communities those who are fully capable of intelligently discussing the questions which most interest that locality, and one of the main objects and benefits of farmers' institutes is that they educate the leading members of the district up to an ability not only to interest their audiences, but also to make them fully competent to manage and carry on the meetings themselves.

DIVISION OF ECONOMIC ZOOLOGY.

The fire which destroyed the State Capitol was disastrous for this division of the Department of Agriculture, and its chief, Dr. B. H. Warren, lost a portion of his private library, note books and statistics which had been collected with considerable labor during the preceding year.

Dr. Warren reports that during the past year he received 357 specimens (embracing 39 species), of insects, which were sent by farmers and others for identification; in addition to these, his report states that 78 specimens of birds, of 45 different species, were sent in and identified by the division.

Considerable attention has been paid to the collection of data and information relative to wild animals destroyed by forest fires, and to the loss by the destruction of birds and their nests by the same agency.

The attention of Dr. Warren having been called to the increase in the amount of bounties paid by different counties in the State, he has collected, and will embrace in his annual report, a large amount of statistics relating to this economic question so little understood, and to the too often foolish payment of money in the form of bounties for animals and birds which in reality are the friends of the farmer, and which should be preserved in order to retain that balance of power which nature has established between the crops and their insect enemies, and which is so often disturbed, to the great loss of the agriculturist, by the destruction of insect-eating birds.

In the line of special investigations the force of the division has been directed to the following topics:

1. Field mice and best methods for their destruction.

2. Grasshoppers, and how to get rid of them.

3. Lice and other insects which annoy cattle.

4. The English sparrow and its relation to agricultural interests. 5. Currant, grape and gooseberry destroying insects.

6. The wheat weevil and wheat midge.

In the investigation into the habits of the English sparrow and its effects upon agricultural interests, a large number of circular letters of inquiry have been sent out and replies received from farmers and others interested. The Zoologist and his assistants have made a number of examinations of the stomachs and other organs of this sparrow, and have, in this manner, been furnished with evidence as to the character of its food and the effect which it, either directly or indirectly, exercises upon the agricultural interests of the State.

FORESTRY DIVISION.

The Forestry Division, under the energetic leadership of Dr. Rothrock, has, within but little more than two years, taken a position well towards the front of all states which have by legislative action shown an interest in matters relating to forestry, and, if the balance sheet is to be made up from laws actually upon the statute books, it is a question whether Pennsylvania does not occupy the foremost position in all questions which relate to the preservation of her forests and the reforestration of her cleared lands.

When this division was created, it had entirely new ground to operate upon, as the citizens of our State had not had the subject of forestry brought before them except in a spasmodic manner, by which but little real good was accomplished. Many had the idea that any move in the interest of the preservation of our forests or for the reforestration of denuded areas must necessarily conflict with the pecuniary interests of the owners of these areas, and that the systematic preservation of our forests meant the prohibition of the cutting of timber by their rightful owners.

Commencing thus upon really negative ground, Dr. Rothrock has changed this view not only among the owners of timber lands, but also among members of our Legislature until it is generally understood that the interests of the State as to forests need not in any manner conflict with the interests of the owners. It is a conspicuous fact that thus far, in the already large collection of laws relating, directly or indirectly, to the interests of forestry, there is not a single provision to be found which is not in the interest of the forest owners as well as the State. It is true that at first glance it may seem that some of the provisions of laws enacted by the last Legislature appear to react against the interests of the owner, but a careful examination and the results of the future, will clearly show that this is not the case.

Recognizing the fact that the greatest enemy to reforestration has been the forest fire, the Department has used its best efforts to educate the people up to a true understanding of the question, and to show them that the theory that railroads are the main causes of these losses is not correct, but that careless hunters, boys and similar preventable causes, create more loss than do locomotives and all other causes combined.

Two acts bearing directly upon this phase of the question were made laws during the session of 1897. One makes it the duty of constables to act as fire-wardens, and the other increases the responsibility of county commissioners in the same direction, and it is believed that, coupled with a healthy and correct public sentiment, that both of these measures will decrease our annual losses from forest fires.

Another step in the same direction was secured by the passage of the act which authorizes all peace officers to arrest, without warrant, such persons as may be guilty, either through carelessness or design, of causing fires in forest areas. It is true that by some, this step is regarded as dangerous and possibly not warranted by custom or precedent, yet it is believed that it will, when supplemented by other legislation, effect much good.

An act was drafted by this division providing that all unseated lands and lands sold for taxes should become the property of the State for the formation of forest reservations, which shall assist in the protec tion of the headwaters of our streams and water courses, the theory being that as now situated they are totally unproductive and that, under the provisions of the act, they will not only in time become productive, but will also materially assist in the restoration of the balance required by physical laws which have too long been violated.

The Forestry Division, assisted by the Department and its other sub-divisions, has also secured the enactment of a law which partially relieves forest lands from taxation and which, in a similar manner, encourages the intelligent care of cleared lands by which the growth of valuable timber is encouraged and rendered possible.

The passage of the act of May 25, 1897, probably constitutes the greatest achievement of the Department in the direction of forest protection and water supplies. It was at first met with strong opposi tion because its merits and intentions were misunderstood, but after it had been thoroughly explained to our people through the medium of farmers' institutes and to the Legislature through its proper committees, nearly all opposition was removed, and it is safe to state that appropriations and investments made by the State, under the provisions of this act, will prove to the citizens of the future the most profitable investment that could have possibly been made, and, as its operations are founded upon one of the most solid of all theories relating to the interests under the care of the Forestry Division, it is not too much to say that, if properly supported by subsequent legislation, our State will soon take the foremost position with her forest reservations and the protection of her water supplies; and it is, indeed, fortunate that the location of the head waters of our main streams is such that three reservations, if of sufficient size, will effect the same results that would require many smaller ones in other states.

In bringing the subjects under his care to the attention of the public and especially to that portion most deeply interested in agriculture, the Commissioner of Forestry has had a powerful aid in the extensive series of farmers' institutes which have been held in every county of the State during the past three years, and he has made use of this potential influence for good by delivering more than fifty illustrated lec