B. r. I.— 762. 



DISTRIBUTION OF SEEDS AND PLANTS BY THE 

 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The purchase and distribution of seeds and plants by the Govern- 

 ment may be said to date back to colonial days. As early as 1743 the 

 British Tarliament granted $G00,000 to promote the cultivation of 

 indigo and other crops in the American Colonies, and the assemblies 

 of various Colonies appropriated small sums from time to time to 

 encourage the cultivation of plants new to the country, such as hops 

 in Virginia, mulberry trees for silk culture in Georgia, and vineyards 

 for the establishment of an American wine industry. 



Franklin, while in England as agent for Pennsylvania, sent home 

 silkAvorm eggs and mulberry cuttings. Thomas Jefferson during the 

 five years he represented this country as minister to France (178i-1789) 

 forwarded numerous seed samples of grasses, rice, peppers, and olives 

 to correspondents at home, especially to the Society for the Improve- 

 ment of Agriculture at Charleston, S. C. It was to this society that 

 he sent samples of rice seed, from which some of the best rice in the 

 world was raised in the Carolinas. Other representatives of our Gov- 

 ernment in the early days of its history followed the example of 

 Franklin and Jefferson, until during the administration of John 

 Quincy Adams instructions were given to all United States consuls 

 to forward rare plants and seeds to Washington for distribution. A 

 botanical garden was later established at "Washington, in which were 

 grown many of the rare and interesting plants imported from foreign 

 countries, and considerable quantities of such seeds and plants were 

 distributed by the Commissioner of Patents. 



Xotwithstandiug these efforts to introduce new seeds and plants, 

 many varieties of fruits and vegetables with which we are familiar 

 were scarce or unknoAvn in the early part of the nineteenth century. 

 There were but few seed farms, nurseries, or seedsmen, and the illus- 

 trated seed catalogues of our day were unknown. Seeds were mostly 

 oTown bv the farmers themselves and there was no improvement 

 from year to year. Interest in better seeds and in securing new seeds 

 and plants resulted largely from the agricultural fairs inaugurated 

 by the various societies for '' promoting agriculture *' which were 



[I'ir. 100] 



