Complete plans and specifications were prepared for the color investigations laboratory and the laboratory building for the Bureau of Public Roads, both at the Arlington Farm.

A number of farmstead layouts for individual farms have been made.

Manuscript for a bulletin on farmstead planning, including four typical layouts, has been completed, and is awaiting approval.

MECHANICAL PROBLEMS.

A compressed-air spraying outfit was designed, built, and tested out, by this Office.

A survey was made for a small hydro-electric plant near Vienna, Va.

A dust-spraying apparatus for use in dusting cotton plants for the eradication of the boll weevil was designed and public patents are being secured.

A hot-water heating layout was prepared for a farm home in Ohio. Accurate cost data are to be kept by the owner and furnished this office.

Farmers' Bulletins 946 and 947, on the Care and Repair of Plows and Harrows, and the Care and Repair of Mowers, Reapers, and Binders, have been published.

Manuscript for a Farmers' Bulletin on the care and repair of thrashing machines was prepared.

Short articles have been prepared for distribution on general directions for the installation of hydraulic rams; operation and wiring diagrams for electric bells; memorandum on the construction of ice houses, and iceless refrigerators. Small sketch plans have been made, in many instances, to accompany correspondence regarding proposed ice houses, and cold-storage rooms construction. Problems relating to and correspondence in connection with the following subjects have been handled:

Hydro-electric installa Wall plasters and kalso

tions.

mines.

Farm water supplies.
Farm sewage disposal.
Locating water supplies.
Small grain-grinding out-
fits.

Self feeders for hogs.
Grain-products manufac-
ture.

Concrete.
Fire proofing.
Chemica. closets.
Farm implements.
Tractors and gas engines.
Fence posts and fencing.
Farm-machinery patents.
Cost of fencing.
Thrashing machines.
Stump pullers.

Homemade farm imple- Rotary tillers.

ments.

Stream measurement.
Paints and painting.
Farmstead planning.

Protection against lightning.

Cost of agricultural implements.

Information series for use in correspondence have been prepared during the year on the following subjects: Department of Agriculture publications pertaining to agricultural engineering; cement or concrete products machinery manufacturers; grain products manufacture, grain handling, storage, etc.; housing; storage structures, fruit and vegetables; poultry; castor oil; danip proofing, concrete walks, etc.; ventilation of farm structures; fence posts.

The Division of Rural Engineering has cooperated with several activities of the Government in connection with war work. The chief of the division has acted as a member of the committee appointed by the Secretary to handle the matter of farm-implement control. Considerable work has been done in connection with the standardization of farm implements in cooperation with the Conservation Division of the War Industries Board. Assistance has been rendered various activities of the War Department in connection with dynamometer tests and the industrial education of soldiers. Some assistance along this latter line has also been rendered members of the Vocational Education Board.

Specifications have been prepared for the Bureau of Entomology and the Bureau of Plant Industry for the rental and purchase of tractors and other implements. Assistance has also been rendered the mechanical shops in connection with shop and power problems.

REPORT OF THE SOLICITOR.

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,

OFFICE OF THE SOLICITOR, Washington, D. C., September 30, 1918.

SIR: I submit herewith report of the work of the Office of the Solicitor for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1918.

Respectfully,

Hon. D. F. HOUSTON,

Secretary of Agriculture.

WM. M. WILLIAMS, Solicitor.

SUMMARY.

As the various activities of the department relating directly to the war have increased during the fiscal year, so has the work of this office increased. We have been called upon to consider numerous new and novel questions growing out of the food production and food control acts, and the enforcement of the food and drugs act and regulations thereunder in conjunction with the food control act. Much time has been devoted to drafting or reporting on proposed. legislation which related directly to the war, as well as on other legislation.

Under your direction, upon requests of committees or Members of Congress, the office has prepared or assisted in the preparation of a number of emergency measures, some of which have become law. Assistance was given in the preparation of proclamations of the President to license the ammonia, fertilizer, and farm-equipment industries, and stockyard operators and others handling or dealing in live stock in connection with stockyards. This office prepared either in whole or in part the regulations of the President governing operations of licensees under the aforesaid proclamation, the regulations for the administration of the so-called food products inspection law, various legal forms in connection with the licenses required under the several proclamations, the schedules and orders for making the food surveys conducted under section 2 of the food production act, and forms of contracts, applications, and other papers in connection with the distribution of nitrate of soda under the food control act.

In connection with a bill for the voluntary mobilization of agricultural labor and for Government loans to farmers, the agricultural lien laws of 16 western and northwestern States were examined and 97335°-AGB 1918-26

393

a report made thereon to the House Agricultural Committee, and assistance was given the Bureau of Markets in the preparation of tentative application forms, circulars of information, and the like for use in administering the loan provisions of the bill if it should be enacted.

Considerable time was given in assistance to about 200 military registrants in the preparation of their questionnaires.

Under your direction, upon requests of committees or Members of Congress, the office also prepared or assisted in the preparation of proposed legislation not directly related to the war. In addition. numerous special items for inclusion in the regular and emergency appropriation bills for the department were drafted and comments and suggestions were made on 65 other bills which had been referred to this department. Besides the assistance rendered with reference to the regulations under war-emergency legislation, this office prepared either in whole or in part numerous other regulations and amendments of regulations for the administration of various statutes. Among these were amendments to and partially completed revision of the regulations for the administration of the grain standards act, and a revision of the standards for shelled corn and wheat; regulations for the administration of Federal bird reservations, regulations for the administration of the national forests, regulations for the administration of the Federal aid road act, regulations for the administration of the plant quarantine act, regulations to govern entry into the United States of tick-infested cattle under the act of August 10, 1917, regulations for the administration of the United States standard container act, and also legal forms for the administration of several acts of Congress not related directly to war activities. Among these were orders establishing, modifying, or removing animal quarantine, specifications of grades for white and sweet potatoes and other vegetables, and various forms required in the administration of the Federal aid road act, the warehouse act, and the standard container act.

In cooperation with the Federal Trade Commission and the Bureau of Markets an investigation of grain marketing practices in Chicago and Minneapolis was participated in. This investigation covered a period of approximately seven months. Public hearings on proposed cotton warehouse regulations were attended by representatives of this office in Washington and 13 southern cotton markets, and representatives of the office attended conferences in Atlanta and New York with bonding and insurance companies relative to the cotton warehouse regulations. Public hearings on corn and wheat standards in 15 grain markets throughout the United States were attended by representatives of this office, and various conferences, including one in New York City, between representatives of the Bureau of Markets and the Food Administration Grain Corporation, relating to grain matters in general, were attended.

The plan adopted during the last fiscal year, at the request of the Department of Justice, for the preparation by this office of the petitions for the condemnation of lands under the Weeks law has effected a substantial saving in time and expense to the Government.

Law work for the Forest Service during the year, other than under the Weeks forestry law, included the handling of the following cases and other business:

Law work for the Forest Service, except that under the Weeks forestry law.

The following is a summary of the work of the office in connection. with the acquisition of lands under the Weeks forestry law:

Work under the Weeks forestry law.

Character of work.

Purchases authorized by National Forest Reservation Commission.

Titles in process of examination at beginning of year.

Agreements of purchase prepared.....

Examinations of titles completed and reported to Department of Justice:

Purchases recommended.

Condemnations recommended..

Titles approved by Justice Department in process of adjustment.
Titles in process of examination at end of year.

Completion of direct purchases after approval by Attorney General.
Completion of purchases acquired by condemnation..

Three meetings of the National Forest Reservation Commission were attended.

The following table shows the number of contracts and leases prepared or examined for sufficiency and proper execution for the various bureaus, divisions, and offices of the department: