340 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



necessity for rehandling several million packets by the postal au- 

 thorities at the city post office. The work of packeting, assembling, 

 and mailinc: the vegetable and flower seeds was begim on October 25, 

 1910, and completed on April 28. The total output was 49,570,370 

 packets of vegetable seed and 9,624,5G5 packets of flower seed. The 

 demand for vegetable and flower seeds this year was greater than 

 ever before, the entire quantity provided for having been sent out. 



Tobacco, cotton, and grass seeds. — A total of 3,118 packets of 

 selected tobacco seed were distributed to persons especially inter- 

 ested in obtaining the best types of standard varieties as well as 

 new and improved varieties developed by the bureau. Nearly 12,000 

 1-peck packages of cotton seed of improved upland and wilt-resistant 

 strains developed by the plant breeders of the bureau were distrib- 

 uted. All of this seed was grown for the department under the super- 

 vision of its specialists. Of lawn-grass seed 16,133 half-pound pack- 

 ages were distributed, consisting of a mixture of Kentucky blue- 

 grass, redtop, and white clover. 



Bulbs, plants, and citrus trees. — Popular varieties of hyacinth, 

 tulip, and narcissus bulbs were imported and distributed, a total of 

 11,040 boxes having been sent out. The distribution of grapevines 

 involved 4,870 packages of 5 vines each, representing 27 different 

 varieties; while 6,088 packages of strawberry plants, containing 15 

 plants each and representing 15 varieties, were also distributed. A 

 total of 2,021 trees of the new hybrid oranges or citranges developed 

 by the bureau were sent to growers in sections having favorable 

 climatic and soil conditions, the recipient of each agreeing to give 

 proper care and to report results to the department. 



Miscellaneous seed distribution. — During the year 75,000 packets 

 of vegetable seed and 51,000 packets of flower seed already found 

 to be adapted were sent to Alaska, either for distribution through 

 the experiment station at Sitka or upon direct requests received by 

 the department. Small quantities of vegetable and flower seeds of 

 suitable kinds were also sent to various army posts and to individuals 

 in the Canal Zone, Hawaii, and the Philippines. 



Production of Dutch bulbs in America. — The work of propagat- 

 ing Dutch bulbs at the cooperative garden near Bellingham, Wash., 

 was continued during the past year. The mother bulbs from Hol- 

 land are multiplying rapidly. A collection of bulbs grown at the 

 bulb garden were tested on the department grounds this spring and 

 found to bloom 10 days earlier than imported bulbs. There is every 

 reason to believe that Dutch bulbs can be grown and propagated 

 successfully in the Puget Sound region if they can be kept free from 

 disease and climatic conditions continue favorable. The bulblets and 

 offsets are now 1 and 2 years old and will not be fully developed for 

 3 or 4 years, when it is hojied that they can be used for congressional 

 distribution and that sutticient data will then have been collected 

 with regard to their propagation and handling to warrant the de- 

 partment in publishing the results of its work at Bellingham for the 

 benefit of those who may wish to engage in the business of growing 

 Dutch bulbs commercially. 



