20 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



ade, 80 that thousands of people in different parts of the country, not- 

 ably in the mountainous regions of I^orth Carolina, Tennessee, and in 

 other Southern and Western States, are employed at certain seasons of 

 the year in this enterprise. 



Fears are expressed that some of these plants are becoming extermi- 

 nated in their native habitats, and in respect to some of them — as, for 

 instance, the ginseng plant — the time has come when they may proba- 

 bly be made the objects of profitable cultivation. 



EXPERIMENTS IN ALASKA. 



Something in the line of experimental work might also be undertaken 

 in Alaska, possibly with profit. It is well known that the Department 

 if the Interior has established an agency for the promotion of educa- 

 tion in that Territory. 



It has been suggested that a line of experiments, to be undertaken 

 by this Department, would easily prove whatever of agricultural and 

 horticultural capability may exist in the Territory. No careful atten- 

 tion seems to have been given there, as yet, to this branch of industry, 

 and the resources of the country are quite unknown and undeveloped. 



The Industrial Training School at Sitka would furnish an admirable 

 basis for a station, where could be conducted careful experiments to 

 ascertain the agricultural products best adapted to the climate and^oil 

 of the Territory, and what breeds of cattle and other domestic animals 

 are most suited to its climate and soil. 



Such an experiment ought to extend over a series of years, and the 

 result would amply repay any exi)enditure that Congress may choose 

 to make in this direction. 



DIYISION OF BOTANY. 



The work of this division during the past year has been prosecuted 

 with vigor, and may be classified under the following heads : 



(1) Care and enlargement of the herbarium. 



(2) Publication of botanical matter. 



(3) Distribution of duplicates and foreign exchanges. 



The herbarium contains botanical specimens of all the plants of the 

 United States, so far as it has been able to secure them, and also a large 

 representation of foreign plants. These specimens are a necessity in 

 order that the division may be able to distinguish and determine the 

 names and properties of the i)lants sent in for investigation and identi- 

 fication from all parts of the United States. It is, in fact, a kind of 

 reference library to be consulted whenever occasion requires, and has 

 both scientific and practical importance. The development of this 

 great country is constantly bringing to light new kinds of plants, some 

 of which have uses, medicinal or economical, and information as to their 

 relationship and probable qualities has to be sought for largely through 



