88 DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS. 



ical, have been planted in the Department greenhouses. It was also 

 attempted to keep a sufficient number of every importation of live 

 plants or cuttings, or, if the importation was small, the whole num- 

 ber, to furnish next year a larger number for distribution, besides pre- 

 venting any danger of losing the whole importation, as might occur if 

 the cuttings arrived and were sent out at an unfavorable season of the 

 year. Many live plants and cuttings are not in the best condition 

 after a long voyage, and it is advantageous to keep them where thej'^ 

 can receive good care before sending them out. 



During the year there have been four explorers collecting plants 

 from foreign countries. Mr. M. A. Carleton, upon the completion of 

 his work on the jury judging cereals at the Paris Exj)Osition, went to 

 Russia and obtained a quantity of macaroni wheat, and also of the 

 hard red spring and winter wheats especially suited for cultivation on 

 the Great Plains. Mr. G. D. Brill, an American citizen, for some 

 time previous a resident of Wuchang, China, made a collection of 

 seeds and plants in China, mainly in the Yangtse Vail y. A large 

 number of pear, apple, and peach trees collected by him were dead 

 when they reached Washington, having been delayed in transit. Mr. 

 Brill's work was considerably hampered and his proposed itinerary 

 very materially changed by the Boxer outbreak. 



The main explorations of the year were those conducted by Mr. 

 David G. Fairchild. In September, 1000, he was sent to Germany 

 and Austria, especially to obtain hops and barleys, but also with instruc- 

 tions to obtain anything else of value that he might observe. Later 

 he was instructed to proceed to Greece and Egypt. The last two 

 months of the fiscal year were spent by him in Algeria, making- 

 arrangements to obtain some of the best varieties of Algerian maca- 

 roni wheats and Algerian forage plants. In this work he was ably 

 assisted by Mr. Carl S. Scofield, assigned for that purpose tempo- 

 rarily to this office. 



As in previous years, this office has cooperated with various 

 branches of the Department in the matter of obtaining seeds and 

 plants for various purposes. In cooperation with the Division of 

 Chemistry, the purchase and distribution of sorghum and sugar-beet 

 seed were undertaken. These were sent to the experiment stations in 

 the States suited to their culture, as determined by the observations 

 made by the Division of Chemistry, and were also distributed in those 

 States through Senators and Representatives. A considerable quan- 

 tity was also sent out on personal aiiplication, and toward the end of 

 the planting season the remainder of the seed was distributed to the 

 crop reporters and county correspondents by the Division of Statis- 

 tics. In cooperation with the Pomologist, a large collection of apple 

 and plum trees was obtained from Europe, and in cooperation with 

 the Pomologist and the Pathologist and Physiologist, a collection of 

 api)le trees and scions of resistant varieties was obtained from Australia 

 for experimental work against root aphis and root rot, respectively. 

 In the introduction of macaroni wheats the office has worked in 

 cooperation with the Office of Vegetable Physiology and Pathology, 

 the wheats having been obtained by Mr. M. A. Carleton, cerealist of 

 that office. 



As provided by the act of Congress making the appropriation, the 

 seeds and plants imported have, to a large extent, been sent to the 

 experiment stations for trial. In manj^ cases, instead of sending 

 direct to the stations, the importations were sent to parties desig- 



