cent from the preceding year, the decrease occurring entirely in the
last half of the year. This suggests that the falling off may have been
largely due to an increase in the price of American export cattle.

During the year ending June 30, 1893, exports of inspected pork
aggregated 20,677,410 pounds, as against 38,152,874 pounds for the
preceding year. The falling off in this export was not confined,
however, to inspected pork, the total quantity exported for 1892 being
665,490,616 pounds, while in 1893 it was only 527,308,695 pounds.

I join the Secretary in recommending that hereafter each applicant for
the position of inspector or assistant inspector in the Bureau of Animal
Industry be required, as a condition precedent to his appointment, to
exhibit to the United States Civil Service Commission his diploma from
an established, regular, and reputable veterinary college, and that this
be supplemented by such an examination in veterinary science as the
Commission may prescribe.

The exports of agricultural products from the United States for the
fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, attained the enormous figure of
$800,000,000, in round numbers, being 78.7 per cent of our total
exports. In the last fiscal year this aggregate was greatly reduced, but
nevertheless reached 615,000,000, being 75.1 per cent of all American
commodities exported.

A review of our agricultural exports with special reference to their
destination will show that in almost every line the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland absorbs by far the largest proportion. Of
cattle the total exports aggregated in value for the fiscal year ending
June 30, 1893, $26,000,000, of which Great Britain took considerably