EEPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 35 



be successful, and that valuable practical information will thus bo 

 secured for diffusion among the people. 



Of the new and valuable seeds introduced from foreign countries, 

 which have been distributed during the fiscal year ending June 30, 

 some of which are likely to prove of great value to the agricultural 

 interests, are several varieties of Russian forage plants and forest- 

 tree seeds, and several of wlieat from Southern, Central, and North- 

 ern ICurope. Increased attention has been given to the distribution 

 of native and foreign plants. An earnest and measurably successful 

 effort has been made to distribute seeds in the special localities to 

 which they are best adapted. 



This Department is in receipt of numerous letters from the direct- 

 ors of agricultural experiment stations expressive of their satisfac- 

 tion at the hearty co-operation now existing between the Department 

 and themselves in regard to present system of distribution, by which 

 they are the first to receive seeds of new and rare varieties, and of 

 the good results to the country at large that will surely be realized 

 therefrom. 



Just cause of complaint has heretofore existed that the seeds de- 

 signed for distribution in the Gulf States and California have been 

 received at too late a date for the customary time of planting. To 

 remedy this, the putting up of the seeds designed for general distri- 

 bution has been begun at a much earlier date than usual, and suffi- 

 cient additional storage has been provided for the seeds that are ready 

 for mailing. 



Recognizing the fact of the tendency to overcrop and exhaust the 

 soil, and that comparatively little attention is paid by very many 

 farmers to either the preservation of the fertility of the soil or to 

 the proper care and selection of seed (both being direct causes of a 

 continuously diminishing average yield), it becomes necessary, for 

 the welfare of the nation, that the General Government, which is 

 largely based on its agricultural resources, should lend its influence 

 in remedying this evil, so far as it is possible, by the diffusion of in- 

 formation bearing upon these topics, as well as by the importation 

 and interchange of seeds of a high grade of productiveness that will 

 tend to increase the annual average yield. 



To show the extent of the distribution of seeds alone and its poc- 

 sible value in increasing the total annual production, and indirectly 

 the prosperity of the people, it may be stated that for the fiscal year 

 ending June 30, 1886, there were sent out from this Department 

 4,267,165 packages of seeds, embracing vegetable, flower, field, text- 

 ile, &c. 



Another evidence of the improvements introduced into this divis- 

 ion is the attention now given to the nature of the soils and the cli- 

 matic differences and the better adaptation of the seeds to special 

 localities, and also in the fact that every effort consistent with the 



