REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF THE BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY. 



U. S. Department of Agriculture, 



Bureau of Plant Industry, 



Washington, D. C, September 2 J^, 1902. 



Sir : I have the honor to submit herewith a report giving an outline 

 of some of the more important operations of the Bureau of Plant 

 Industry for the fiscal year 1901-1902. 

 Respectfully, 



B. T. Galloway, Chief. 

 Hon. James Wilson, Secretary. 



SUMMARIZED STATEMENT OF THE YEAR'S WORK. 



Some of the more important matters which have come before the 

 Bureau since the last report was issued may be briefly summarized as 

 follows : 



The Agrostologist, Prof. F. Lamson-Scribner, resigned to accept the 

 position of chief of the insular bureau of agriculture in the Philip- 

 pines, and Prof. W. J. Spillman, of the Washington Agricultural 

 College, was put in charge of the grass and forage plant work. The 

 Physiologist and Pathologist, Mr. Albert F. Woods, was, by authority 

 of Congress, made chief of Bureau in the absence of the chief. Dr. 

 B. M. Duggar severed his connection with the Department to take the 

 chair of botany in the Missouri State University. Professor Scribner 

 and Dr. Duggar were made collaborators of the Bureau. 



Four additional lines of plant work, namelj^ the Arlington Experi- 

 mental Farm, tea cultural investigations, jDurchase and distribution of 

 valuable seeds and plants, and the investigations of domestic sugar 

 production, were, by authority of Congress, brought within the Bureau. 

 Cooperation in various lines of work was effected with 30 experiment 

 stations. Plan for effective work on farm management put into 

 operation. Demonstration experiments to show the practical value 

 of a number of lines of work were inaugurated in 20 States and Ter- 

 ritories. Agricultural explorations were continued in India, China, 

 Japan, and other countries. Twenty bulletins, 7 miscellaneous papers, 

 and 6 Farmers' Bulletins were issued. One hundred and seventy-five 

 thousand letters were received and answered. Diseases of the sugar 

 beet, cotton, cranberry, apple, pear, and iieacli received special atten- 

 tion. Encouraging results in the treatment of bitter rot of the apple 

 and pear blight were obtained. Plant-breeding work on corn, cotton, 

 and cereals gave encouraging results. A number of the new hybrid 

 cottons secured are more valuable than existing forms. Investigations 

 of alkali-resistant plants inaugurated, and breeding and selection 

 experiments l)egun to develop plants adapted to alkali soils. The 

 macaroni wheat industry established, 1,500,000 bushels being grown 

 as a result of the work of the previous year in the distribution of seed 



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