Items of Interest

The agrostology division of the Department of Agriculture in the report of its work since organization in 1895, states that of the unoccupied public lands about 365,400,000 acres are not regarded as fit only for grazing purposes, and in addition there are 124,300,000 acres of forest land, the greater portion of which is also used for grazing. Within the United States are grown over one thousand species of grasses, and perhaps one hundred or more other plants of sufficient forage value to justify their investigation and cultivation.

The Postoffice Department has closed its books for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1901. The year's business is shown to be as follows: Receipts, $111,631,193; expenditures, $115,554,921; net deficity, $3,981,521. The deficit is about $1,500,000 smaller than for the preceding year. Owing to the extension of rural free delivery and other augmented appropriations in every department, the expenses were $8,200,000 greater than the preceding year. The receipts increased $9,250,000.

The new law regarding second-class mail matter went into effect October 1. As a result of the new law many publications which were entered at the postoffice as second-class matter, for which a rate of one cent a pound was paid, will now be classed as fourth-class matter and pay a rate of eight cents a pound. It is expected the new law will bring a large increase in postal receipts.

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