TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL MEETING. 51 



but the gradual encroachment of buildings and permanent ornamental 

 planting has so reduced the available ground that but little experimental 

 work is attempted. The attention of the superintendent of gardens and 

 grounds is now largely devoted to the propagation and distribution of 

 plants and trees likely to be of economic importance. Over 100,000 speci- 

 mens have thus been sent out during the past year to different parts of the 

 country. Judgment is exercised as to the probable adaption of species and 

 varieties to the region where they are sent and to the economic importance 

 of the plants distributed. 



The success of the Russian apples, the Japanese persimmon, the Wash- 

 ington Navel orange, and numerous other fruits introduced mainly or 

 entirely through the efforts of the division, are indications of the good it 

 has accomplished. 



A catalogue of economic plants has recently been issued, and a bulletin 

 on horticultural and kindred subjects, which has been very favorably 

 received V!f the horticultural public. It contains a number of articles 

 prepared by the superintendent of gardens and grounds and previously 

 published in the annual reports, but now brought together in convenient 

 form for reading and reference. 



POMOLOGY. 



The work of the division of pomology naturally divides itself into three 

 lines: 



First, the scientific: This includes such investigations in economic 

 botany as seen necessary at times to establish a foundation for experi- 

 mental work in the improvement of fruits. An instance of this is the 

 work done by T. V. Munson of the division, on the wild grapes of North 

 America. A preliminary bulletin has been published on this subject, 

 giving a revised classification of the genus Vitis with suggestions to exper- 

 imenters on the grape, based on cultural as well as botanical character- 

 istics of species. Colored plates showing fruit, wood, and leaves of the 

 more important species are in preparation and will be ready as sOon as 

 funds for publication of the complete monograph are available. A similar 

 investigation of the genus Prunus, which contains our native plums and 

 cherries, is badly needed and promises rich returns for the labor spent on 

 it, but the fund now at the command of the division is not sufficient to 

 justify the undertaking until other work already begun is nearer comple- 

 tion. The same cause prevents a thorough and systematic investigation of 

 other wild fruits, as the working force of the division is kept fully 

 occupied by office work and only a very limited sum is available for the 

 work of field agents. 



Second, the economic: Under this head come investigations of for- 

 eign fruits likely to succeed in this country and importations of promising 

 varieties. This requires a careful comparative study of soils, climates, and 

 markets and of labor conditions as well, for a fruit crop is not necessarily 

 profitable because the yield and quality are satisfactory. Selling value 

 and cost of production are important factors. It is in this line that the 

 recent importations of date palms have been made and placed at different 

 places in New Mexico, Arizona, and southern California, where the condi- 

 tions indicate that the date of commerce can be profitably produced. 

 Importations have also been made of choice varieties of the fig and of 

 Persian grapes and of the market varieties of the citron of commerce, of 



