() DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS. 



nioiit, including grasses and forage plants, cereals, table grapes, 

 tobaccos, cotton and other fiber plants, and sugar-beet seed. 



The purchase and distribution of sugar-beet seed was directed by 

 the Chemist, but was actually carried out through the Section of Seed 

 and Plant Introduction. 



The weight of sugar-beet seed purchased was as follows: Vilmo- 

 rin's " White Improved," 8,800 pounds; Strande's "Zehringen," 8,800 

 pounds; Dippe's "Kleinwanzlebener," 8,800 pounds; Mrozinski's 

 " Klein wanzlebener," 11,000 pounds; the total weight of the seed 

 amounting to 37,400 pounds. About one-fifth of this seed was dis- 

 tributed among the State experiment stations, and the remainder to 

 individuals and associations, either at the request of Members of 

 Congress or on direct application. As in previous years, the best 

 results from the experiments were obtained through the distribution 

 of seed b}' the experiment stations and b}- the associations formed for 

 the purpose. In general the seeds sent to individuals on direct 

 application to the Department did not j-ield satisfactory results, 

 because of the lack of competent supervision of the experiment. The 

 largest quantities of this seed were sent to the States of Ohio, Indiana, 

 Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska. In addition to the sugar-beet seed, a 

 Congressional distribution was made of the Khiva winter musk- 

 melon, seed of which was grown for the Department in Utah during 

 the season of 1899. Ten tons of Kiushu rice, grown in Louisiana 

 during the season of 1899 from seed imported direct from Japan in 

 1898, were placed at the disposal of the Senators and Representatives 

 in the rice-growing States, from North Carolina to Texas. Four hun- 

 dred and fifty bushels of seed of the Colman, Collier, Edgar, Folger's, 

 and Amber sorghums, grown for the Department in Kansas under 

 the direction of Dr. H. W. Wiley, chief of the Division of Chemistry, 

 were also placed at the disposal of Members of Congress. These 

 varieties have been selected and improved for a number of years to 

 increase their sucrose content, thus making them of special value 

 to farmers in the manufacture of sorghum sirup. 

 Respectfully, 



J. H. Brigham, 



Ass ista n t Secretary. 

 Hon. James Wilson, Secretary. 



