The general provisions of the acts, which apply in all 14 States, permit the entry by one person of 320 acres of "nonmineral, nonirrigable, unreserved, and unappropriated surveyed public lands which do not contain merchantable timber." As a prerequisite to the allowance of such entry, the land must have been designated by the Secretary of the Interior as not being, in his opinion, "susceptible of successful irrigation at a reasonable cost from any known source of water supply." Under the provisions of section 6 of the acts of February 19, 1909, and June 17, 1910, applicable in Utah and Idaho, the Secretary may further designate lands which do not have upon them "such a sufficient supply of water suitable for domestic purposes as would make continuous residence upon the lands possible," and entrymen upon such lands are relieved of the necessity of residence. By the act of March 3, 1915 (38 Stat., 956), the enlarged homestead act was amended so as to permit, under certain conditions, an additional entry, though final proof has already been submitted on the original entry.

Designations under the enlarged-homestead act are made either in large, compact areas, as a result of field investigations covering rather large districts, or in small units, as a result of investigations made at the request of prospective entrymen. These requests are referred to as enlarged homestead petitions, and because of the fact that the larger areas of land to which the acts are believed to be applicable have already been designated, the record of the year shows a large increase in the number of petitions received. This has in part been the result of the extension of enlarged homesteads to two additional States and in part of the passage of the act of March 4, 1915 (38 Stat., 1163), which provides that a preference right to enter the lands designated can be secured by the filing of an application at the local land office of the district in which the lands are situated. The following table indicates the disposition made of petitions received during the year:

Action on petitions under the enlarged-homestead acts during the fiscal year 1915.

A set of maps of the States affected, showing areas designated under the enlarged-homestead acts and the status of designations June 30, 1915, has been printed.

PUBLIC WATER RESERVES.

As information has become available recommendations have continued to be made for the creation of public water reserves, in order that important springs and sources of stock water on the desert and semiarid range lands may remain accessible to the public. Additions amounting to 19,257 acres have been made during the year to reserves of this type. The action taken is summarized in the following table:

Public water reserves withdrawn from entry and restored to entry during the fiscal year 1915,

pre

During the year 48,911 pages of manuscript were edited and pared for printing and proof sheets for 21,407 final printed pages were read and corrected. This work involved the handling of 5,099 galley proofs and 35,522 page proofs. The corresponding figures for 1913-14 were 47,751 pages of manuscript, 16,786 final printed pages, 4,574 galley proofs, and 28,202 page proofs. Indexes were prepared for 66 publications, covering 16,723 pages; the figures for the previous year were 56 publications and 11,143 pages. The list given on pages 16-37 shows the number, scope, and character of the reports issued during the year.

At the close of the fiscal year eight persons were employed in this section. The water-resources branch has continued to render special assistance in copy preparing and proof reading.

SECTION OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

The number of illustrations prepared was 3,553, comprising 191 maps, 765 photographs prepared for reproduction, 905 diagrams and sections, 1,480 paleontologic drawings and photographs, and 212 miscellaneous. The processes used for the reproduction of the illustrations sent to the printer and the number reproduced by each process were as follows: Chromolithography and photolithography, 185 subjects; halftone engraving, 674 subjects; zinc etching, 553 subjects; wax engraving, 1 subject; cuts already engraved, 74 subjects. Proofs to the number of 2,000, including 380 revises, were received and compared critically. The finished work representing all the lithographs furnished by contractors was examined. Electrotypes of 99 cuts were furnished to outside applicants. At the close of the year material for illustrating 24 reports was in preparation.

As in previous years, a cost record has been maintained. The personnel of the section at the close of the year consists of the chief of the section, 9 draftsmen, 1 under clerk, and 1 messenger boy.

SECTION OF DISTRIBUTION.

The section of distribution received during the year 187 new books, 16 reprinted books, 3 new geologic folios, 17 geologic maps, 3 revised and reprinted geologic folios, 8 revised geologic maps, 4 reprints of geologic maps, 90 new topographic maps, 9 revised maps, 8 photolithographs, and 98 reprints of maps, a total of 443 publications. The total of all editions received was 689,192 books, 24,066 geologic folios, and 711,711 maps, a grand total of 1,424,969. This does not include pamphlets for administrative use, such as lists of publications and index maps.

There were distributed 596,649 books, 23,588 folios, and 487,049 maps, including 136 books, 16,583 folios, and 342,404 maps sold, a total of 1,107,286, an increase in books and maps and a decrease in folios, the demand originating from the low-priced sale of folios because of fire damage being largely satisfied last year.

The total amount received and turned into the Treasury as the result of sales of publications was $27,711.12. The sales of topographic and geologic maps amounted to $26,030.97, of topographic and geologic folios $1,400.15, and of books $280.

Sixteen persons were employed in this section during the year, and 84,788 letters were received and answered during that period.

DIVISION OF MAP EDITING.

SECTION OF GEOLOGIC MAPS.

This section continued in charge of George W. Stose, geologist, who directed the publication of the maps and illustrations of the geologic folios and critically reviewed all geologic maps intended for publication in other reports of the Survey.

Twenty-seven folios were handled in the section during the year. Six folios were completed and published during the year-Nos. 193 to 195, inclusive, and reprints of Nos. 112, 148, and 155, which were out of stock and were revised and brought up to date. The three new folios are noticed in the list of publications on page 458.

At the close of the fiscal year the maps and illustrations of folios 196 (Philipsburg, Mont.), 197 (Columbus, Ohio), and 198 (Castle Rock, Colo.) were complete and their texts were in proof, so that these three folios will be issued soon. The maps and structure sections of folios 199 (Silver City, N. Mex.), 200 (Galena-Elizabeth, Ill.), and 202 (Eureka Springs-Harrison, Ark.) were also printed, and the other illustrations of these folios were near completion. The maps and sections of the Colorado Springs (Colo.) folio were in press, the maps of the Leavenworth-Smithville (Mo.-Kans.) folio were in stone proof, and the maps of folio 201 (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.) were engraved and in part in stone proof. The engraving of the maps for the Deming (N. Mex.), Detroit (Mich.), and Tolchester (Md.) folios was begun. The Colchester-Macomb (Ill.), Elkton-Wilmington (Md.-Del.), and Herman-Morris (Minn.) maps have been prepared for engraving, which will be begun as soon as the texts are completely criticized and revised. The Cleveland (Ohio), PittsfieldBecket (Mass.), and Sheffield-Sandisfield (Mass.) maps have been partly prepared for engraving, but are awaiting slight field inspection. The Bellefonte (Pa.), Bessemer-Vandiver (Ala.), and Montevallo-Columbiana (Ala.) maps have been examined, but are awaiting field conference and office revision before preparation for engraving.

Two draftsmen, specially qualified to read and prepare geologic maps, sections, and other drawings, are employed in the section under the direction of the geologist in charge.

SECTION OF TOPOGRAPHIC MAPS.

At the beginning of the year 183 atlas sheets and maps of special areas were on hand for publication and the accessions during the year were 102, making a total of 285. Of these, 107 (90 new engraved maps, 9 engraved maps which are new editions or new in form of publication, and 8 photolithographs) were published. The following statement shows the comparative status of map editing and publication on June 30 for the last five years:

Progress of map publication for five years ended June 30, 1915.

The manuscripts edited during the year comprise 117 topographic atlas sheets and other maps prepared for engraving, 3 of which were afterward withdrawn from publication, 26 sheets of plans and profiles of 11 rivers, corrections for 128 engraved maps about to be reprinted, and 226 maps or sheets for the illustration of 33. Survey reports. The proof read comprises 98 new topographic maps, corrections to 57 old maps, 2 panoramic views, and 15 maps reproduced under contract. The index maps for 11 circulars of the series 9-323 were revised and reprinted during the year, and a text was adapted for each of 14 new State index circulars which have been published. Six men were continuously employed in this work.

DIVISION OF ENGRAVING AND PRINTING.

MAPS AND FOLIOS.

During the fiscal year 90 topographic maps were engraved and printed; 9 topographic atlas sheets were corrected after field revision and new editions printed; and 7 State maps, scale 1:500,000, and 1 three-color topographic map were photolithographed and printed during the year, making the total number of new maps and new editions printed 107.

Corrections were engraved on the plates of 118 sheets, including 112 for reprinted editions and 6 for other purposes. Of those corrected for reprinting, including new maps (engraved and photolithographed), 206 different editions were printed and delivered to the map room. This is a decrease of 95 editions and 232.011 copies of regular office maps from the previous year.

Three new geologic folios and three reprinted folios were published during the year, the number published in the preceding year. Of the new folios one is a double folio and one (the San Francisco) contains five sets of geologic maps. State editions of two folios and octavo editions of two folios were issued during the year. Editions and partial editions of folios and octavos amounting to 24,066 copies were printed and delivered, a decrease of 4,164 copies during the year.

CONTRACT ENGRAVING AND PRINTING.

For the Government Printing Office the following items were printed and delivered: Illustrations for the annual report of the governor of Hawaii; annual report of the Commissioner General of Immigration; annual report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs; annual report of the Chief of Engineers, United States Army; annual report of the governor of Alaska; annual report of the Board of Regents, Smithsonian Institution; annual reports of the War Department, volume 2 (War Document 480); Fiscal regulations, Department of Agriculture, 1915; Limnological study of the Finger