REPORT OF CHIEF OF SEED DIYISION. 



Sir: In accordance with your request I herewith, submit my second 

 annual report. So fax as I have been able I have endeavored to aid 

 you in complying with the spirit and letter of section 527 of the act 

 of Congress creating the Department of Agriculture, which provides 

 that ' ' the purchase and distribution of seeds shall be confined to such 

 as are rare and uncommon to the country, or such as can be made 

 more profitable by frequent changes from one part of the country 

 to another, * * * and to promote the general interest of horti- 

 culture and agriculture throughout the United States." 



By reference to the tabulated statement with which the present re- 

 port is concluded, it will be seen that, aside from the usual distribu- 

 tion to members of Congress and miscellaneous applicants, a regular 

 system of distribution has been begun to experiment stations, agri- 

 cultural colleges, agricultural societies, and to graduates of agricult- 

 ural colleges who are now engaged in farming. The reports usually 

 received from those to whom the seeds have been sent being as a 

 rule not only exceedingly limited in number but somewhat imper- 

 fect, so far as they relate to the adaptation of new and valuable seeds 

 to the various localities to which they were sent, it was deemed advis- 

 able to issue circular letters of inquiry with the view of subsequently 

 tabulating the replies for j)ublication in the annual reports. The 

 responses received at this comparatively early date indicate that the 

 plan will be successful, and the amount of practical information for 

 use in the annual rejports of this division will eventually be greatly- 

 increased. 



In addition to the reports from experiment stations, agricultural 

 colleges, and agricultural associations on seeds sent out hj this divis- 

 ion, I also present a condensed report on grasses, grains, and vege- 

 tables from States and Territories. While in some instances these 

 rejDorts are not as full as could be desired, they indicate to some ex- 

 tent the result to be attained when the system is further perfected. 

 Some of the reports received were valueless on account of the failure 

 to give names of varieties. 



An earnest and measurably successful effort has been made to dis- 

 tribute seeds in the special localities to which they are presumably 

 the best adapted. The directors of many of the agricultural experi- 

 ment stations have expressed themselves as being well pleased with 

 the hearty co-operation now existing between experiment stiitions 

 and this division of the departmental service. Good results are likely 

 to accrue to the agricultural interests of the nation, particularly when 

 the present system of reports of experiments shall be still further 

 perfected. The special study of the needs of the various sections to 

 which the seeds are sent has proved to be a ver^y^ essential part of the 

 work to be performed, since it is a well-known fact that although 

 some seeds do well in one locality and under certain climatic condi' 

 tions, they prove to be utterly worthless in others. 



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