259 



national capital of a depository of new and valuable varieties of seeds 

 and plants, for distribution to every part of the United States. He fur- 

 ther recommended that this depository be made a part of the Patent 

 Otfice. No immediate action was taken by Congress upon the reconi- 

 meinlations, but this neglect did not discourage the Commissioner from 

 continuing- his self-im[)osed task of distributing, under the Irank of 

 friendly members of Congress, improved varieties of wheat, corn, &c., 

 the beneficial effects of which distribution were fully shown in testimo- 

 nials from ^11 parts of the country. 



On the 21st of January, lS;i9, Hon. Isaac Fletcher, of Vermont, 

 chairman of the Committee on Patents of the House of Eepresentatives, 

 addressed a letter to Commissioner Ellsworth, requesting the communi- 

 cation of inibrmation relative to the collection and distribution of seeds 

 and i:>lants; also relative to the jiracticability of obtaining agricultural 

 statistics. To this letter of inquiry the Commissioner responded on the 

 following day, reciting the action already taken by him to further the 

 cause of agriculture, and assigning many reasons why his previous rec- 

 ommendations should be adopted. In this communication the Commis- 

 sioner suggested. that "arrangements could be made for the exhibition 

 of different kinds of grain, exotic and indigenous, in the new Patent 

 Office." In the closing hours of the Twenty-fifth Congress, (act of 3d 

 March, 1839,) the Commissioner was gratilied by the passage of an 

 appropriation of $1,000, to be taken from the Patent Office fund, for the 

 purpose of collecting and distributing seeds, prosecuting agricultural 

 investigations, and procuring agricultural statistics. Thus originated 

 the agricultural division of the Patent Office. 



In his annual report of the following year, dated January 1, 1S40, 

 Commissioner Ellsworth stated tliat the diploniatic corps of the United 

 States had been so'licited to aid in i^rocuring valuable seeds, and that 

 the officers of the Navy had been requested to convey to the Patent 

 Office such seeds as might be offered. As the sixth census was then 

 about to be taken, agricultural statistics were deferred until its comple- 

 tion. In the next report, (January 1, 1841,) it was stated that 30,000 

 packages of seeds had been distributed during the preceding year, and 

 that the agricultural statistics, based upon the returns of the census, 

 were being compiled- "The importance of an annual report of the 

 state of the crops in different sections, as a preventive against monop- 

 oly, and a good criterion to calculate the state of exchange,'' was com- 

 mended to the consideration of Congress, and from this suggestion were 

 evolved in time the annual agricultural reports. 



In the report of 1842 were given tabular estimates of the products of 

 agriculture in the United States in 1841. These estimates rilled two 

 pages, and were based upon the census returns of 1840, sup])lemented 

 by such additional information as could be derived from agricultural 

 reports, newspapers, and official correspondence with leading citizens 

 in all parts of the country. The corresi)oudence was mainly conducted 

 by means of printed circulars, containing inquiries by the (Commis- 

 sioner, to which replies were returned on the same sheet. The same 

 general plan of obtaining information is observed by the Department 

 of Agriculture to-day. Fifteen pages of comment followed the tabular 

 statement, embracing a survey of the agricultural condition and jiros- 

 pects of the country. Special subjects of comment were the manufac- 

 ture of sugar from Indian corn, and lard oil as a substitute for whale oil 

 as an illuminator. In this year Congress appropriated another $1,000 

 from the Patent Ornce fund for agricultural i)ur])Oses. There was no 

 appropriation in 1840 and 1841. I'rom 1842 to 1840 the annual appro- 



