REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF THE BUREAU OF PLANT 



INDUSTRY. 



United States Department of Agriculture, 



Bureau of Plant Industry, 

 Washington, D. (7., September ^4, 1923. 

 Sir : I have the honor to submit herewith a report of the work of 

 the Bureau of Plant Industry for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1923. 

 Respectfully, 



Wm. a. Taylor, 

 Chief of Bureau. 

 Hon. Henry C. Wallace, 



Secretary of Agriculture. 



WORK AND ORGANIZATION OF THE BUREAU. 



The Bureau of Plant Industry conducts the work of the depart- 

 ment dealing directly with the production problems of all plants 

 except forest trees. It covers such features as the investigation of 

 all plant diseases, including those affecting forest and ornamental 

 trees; the breeding of improved varieties of ornamental and crop 

 plants ; the introduction of promising seeds and plants from foreign 

 countries; the improvement of cultural methods; and the develop- 

 ment of methods for the utilization of perishable crops, such as fruits 

 and vegetables. 



In cooperation with the authorized State activities it conducts 

 service campaigns for the control of black stem rust of wheat 

 through eradication of the common barberry in 13 important wheat- 

 growing States; the control of the destructive blister rust of the 

 white pine in the New England, Great Lakes, and Pacific Northwest 

 regions ; and the eradication of the highly infectious and destructive 

 citrus canker from the subtropical portions of the country. 



For the purpose of economic administration the work is divided 

 into 125 group projects, comprising in all 325 subsidiary projects. 



The appropriations available for the work of the bureau for the 

 past fiscal year were approximately $3,770,000. This was appor- 

 tioned as authorized by law to the several types of work under way 

 as follows : 



Research work $2,500,000 



Service work 860, 000 



Extension work 40, 000 



Regulatory work 10, 000 



Congressional seed distribution 360, 000 



Total 3, 770, 000 



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