394 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Horticultural investigations. — The past year or two has empha- 

 sized the necessity 3f developing varieties of potatoes of better quality 

 and hiffhcr yielding than those now grown in the United States. 

 With thife purpose in view, extensive experiments have been inaugu- 

 rated in various parts of the country for the breeding and selection 

 of better types. The funds available for the work, however, are en- 

 tirely inadequate to secure the best results. In view of the great 

 importance of the crop, an increase of $10,000 has been estimated for. 

 There is also great need for work in the matter of the better culture, 

 handling, and marketing of the various truck crops grown along the 

 (South Atlantic coast and elsewhere. A change in the wording of the 

 clause giving authority for this work, as well as a material increase 

 in the funds, has been recommended in the estimates. 



Foreign seed and plant introduction. — The importance of the work 

 of introducing and propagating seeds and plants from foreign coun- 

 , tries can scarcely be realized. Many of the most important crops 

 now grown and many of the best varieties have been introduced from 

 abroad, durum wheat being perhaps the most striking example of 

 recent years. Thousands of new things are now growing at the vari- 

 ous plant-introduction gardens, many of which will become of eco- 

 nomic importance to the agriculture of the country within the next 

 few years. This work has been greatly hindered because of the inability 

 to keep a sufficient number of explorers abroad in regions which are 

 known to possess plants of value and because of the impossibility ot 

 securing large quantities of what are believed to be particularly valu- 

 able species. In the estimates for next year an increase of $25,000 

 in the funds available for the work has been recommended. 



Congressional seed distribution. — Notwithstanding the largely 

 increased cost of vegetable and flower seed, we have been able to main- 

 tain the quotas of vegetable, flower, and other seeds allotted to 

 Members of Congress at the same level, viz, 20,000 packages of 

 vegetable seed, 2,000 packages of flower seed, etc. With the 42 new 

 Members which will be in the next Congress, however, it will be nec- 

 essary to materially reduce the quotas unless additional money is 

 appropriated. It is estimated that with the present funds a decrease 

 of about 15 per cent in the total number of packages allotted will be 

 necessary, but if the allotments are to be maintained as at present 

 an additional $30,000 will be needed. The same is true regarding 

 the distribution of drought-resistant field seeds, provision for which 

 was contained in the appropriation for the present year for the first 

 time. No estimate for an increase of funds to take care of this item 

 has been submitted. 



NEW FIELD STATIONS. 



Northern Great Plains field station. — A new station has been es- 

 tablished at Mandan, N. Dak., under the authority given by Congress" 

 at the last session to establish an experiment farm in the northern 

 section of the Great Plains area. A half section of land has been 

 selected and steps have been taken to secure title. Additional land, 

 amounting to half a section, is to be purchased by the citizens of 

 Mandan, deeded to the board of trustees of the State Agricultural 

 College of North Dakota, and a lease is to be executed by them to the 



