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Show REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR 17 made to interest the Indians in the sheep industry under the reim-bursable plan, and wherever feasible, superintendents have arranged their five-year programs to this end.. ' The superintendent of the Salt River Agency, Ariz., reports that agricultural implements purchased for the Indians on the reirn-bursable plan have been of great benefit to them, since they would have been unable to provide themselves with proper machinery in any other way. The superintendent of the Mission Agency, Calif.. reports that the large income received by the Indians of the Morongo Reservation for their apricots shows the beneficial results of this I plan without which the acreage in that fruit would have been com- I paratively small. At the Northern Pueblos Agency, N. Mex., 2,000 pounds of alfalfa seed were purchased from this fund in 1924 and sold to the Indians; in 1925, 1,000 pounds; and in 1926, 1,500 pounds; making a total of 4,500 pounds which seeded about 300 ' acres and resulted i n the prodnction of 900 tons of alfalfa worth $18,000. This entirely obviated the necessity of buying hay as was formerly done and the Indian livestock has materially increased in number. During the year approximately 4,177 Indians received help from the fund. Supplementing the appropriation, a consid-erable amount of tribal money authorized by Congress for general support and oi~ilizationp urposes was used under the reimbursable p1a.n. Indians engaged in the stocli industry within the various reserva-tions received larger returns therefrom during the year as a result of generally improved conditions and consequently have evinced greater interest in matters relating thereto. This was true as to the sheep industry in the Southwest. For several years an endeavor has been made to improve the Indian sheep and the effect has been shown by increased prices which they received. An appropriation of $30,000 was made immediately available by Congress for the suppression of contagious diseascs among Indian livestock, and an intensive campaign was commenced at once for the eradication of dourine, with which a considerable number of horses on the Navajo Reservation were infected. The campaign was begun in April and thereafter over 10,000 horses were tested, of which about 800 were found to have the disease and were condenmed. Excellent progress was made in Standard 4-H Club work among the Indian boys and girls. Acltnowledgment is made to the experts of the United States Department of Agriculture and to the State and county extension forces for their hearty cooperation which has made possible the success achieved. Club work has been extended to nearly every reservation with a total registration of 5,500 members. The estimated value of club products during the year was $43,752; 153 Indian children won county prizes, 42 .State prizes, and 3 |