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ent seeds offered iu large quantities iu tlie inaricets. The imperfect and 

 foul seeds which they very often contain make them a source of great an- 

 noyance to the planter. The examination of seeds, therefore, is highly 

 beneficial. The stations provide experts who continually carry on these 

 examinations of all the seeds offered for sale, which, if they are bad, 

 they condemn, and publish the amount of their adulteration. To show 

 the great importance of this measure, as well as the very great ex- 

 tent to which these adulterations arc carried, it is stated that Mr. James 

 Buckmau, formerly i)rofessor in the agricultural college of Cirencester, 

 England, who is occupied with the examination of different seeds, 

 found that certain specimens of red clover of commerce contain from 

 7,000 to 8,500 grains of foul seeds per liter. Specimens of white clover 

 showed 125,000 to 213,000 grains of strange seeds per liter ; while in an 

 equal quantity of carnation clover, guaranteed pure, he discovered 

 43,500, and in ray grass of Italy, 430,800. , 



Mr. Charles S. Bigge found in his determinations upon the germina- 

 tion of seeds that in different specimens of carnation clover the num- 

 ber of grains which grew varied between 18 and 68 per 100 ; white 

 clover furnished 42 to 48 per cent, of good grains ; the ray grass of 

 England, 22 to 24 per cent. ; aufl he found that in a specimen of ray 

 grass of Italy only sis retained their germinating faculties. Other in- 

 stances of adulteration and presence of foul and useless seeds in the 

 articles offered in commerce were cited, but enough have been given 

 to show the enormous extent to which this evil is practiced, and the 

 very great value to the farming community of this branch, of investiga- 

 tion. 



All the researches and experiments of the stations are very thorough 

 and complete, and therefore of almost infinite value to the practical 

 farmer. This fact, together with the vast amount of valuable informa- 

 tion whicli they render to the scientific world, should favorably recom- 

 mend their establishment iu every section where agricultural industry 

 is practiced. 



FIRST YfOEDS OF THE BOTANIST. 



By George Vasey, Botanist. 



The present botanist of the De]>artment having but just entered upon 

 Ms duties, no extended report of operations is possible. 



A great amount of work has been accomplished by my predecessor iu 

 inittiug up and arranging the botanical collections of this Department. 

 A large portion of these are distributed in the cases, on appropriate 

 shelves, numbered in order from 1 to about 200, corresponding to the 

 natural orders. Large quantities of specimens yet remain in packages, 

 awaiting examination and distribution, and the mounting of such as are 

 not yet represented iu the general herbarium. 



Here are deposited the botanical collections of the different exploring 

 expeditions of the Government, together with the numerous private col- 

 lections which have come into its possession. Here should be a repre- 

 sentative of every species of plant growing within the United States, 

 and, as far as practicable, of the plants of other countries. Al- 

 though a large portion of these specimens have but little popular inter- 

 est, they are of great value to the cause of science, as sliowing the re- 

 lationship between different families of plants, recording tlieir geo- 

 graphical range and distribution, and furnishing a means of compiuison 



