REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 33 
being made in the rooms of the department and sent to members at 
their several residences in Washington, during the sessions of Congress. 
The result of this saving of trouble and shirking of responsibility by 
the Department of Agriculture was that members of Congress were 
either overwhelmed with the burden of a personal distribution and a 
personal response to letters on the subject, at a time when legislative 
duties were most pressing, or had to be at the expense of a clerk for this 
purpose, or else were obliged to transmit the packages as received to 
postmasters and political friends in their respective districts, to be by - 
them subdivided and further distributed—usually where they would do 
the greatest political rather than agricultural good. 
As illustrating the manner in which I at one time hoped to correct this 
serious evil and the causes which have so far hindered its complete 
adoption and full effect, I beg leave to quote from a letter addressed, in 
February last, to certain members of Congress, as follows : 
On assuming the duties of Commissioner of Agriculture, I found that the distribu- 
tion of seeds as heretofore conducted had grown outside of the law to an evil of serious 
magnitude; that, in contravention of the manifest purposes for which the department 
was created, it had included not more of ‘‘new and valuable” seeds than of the com- 
monest kinds already in use, and which could be bought in almost every seed-store, 
not to say country grocery; that it had been extended so as to embrace almost every 
manner of applicant, not less the country merchant whose object was to sell at retail, 
than the bona fide cultivator of the soil; that it was prejudicial to agriculturists them- 
selves, lulling them into an indifference about raising their own seeds—the only safe 
and judicious plan; and last, but not least, that it was (and was so pronounced by 
many of their number) a great, unnecessary, and unwarranted tax on the time, atten- 
tion, and patience of members of Congress. To relieve them of this onerous burden, 
and to bring the action of the department in the matter strictly within the intent and 
letter of the law, I determined to pursue the policy indicated in the circular issued 
July, 1877, and which I had the honor to submit to the consideration of members of 
Congress. 
In this circular, issued, as will be seen, before the assembling of the present Con- 
gress, I requested its members to designate the best men, in an agricultural sense, in 
their respective districts, to receive ‘‘new and valuable” seeds, to be sent out by the 
department. Not only this, but at the request of many members of Congress, the 
department undertook to reply to letters written to them, in which application had 
_ been or should be made for seeds, and to send the seeds to those applicants whom they 
would vouch for, and nominate as intelligent and worthy agriculturists ; and, further- 
more, would answer the letters of those whose requests could not be granted, stating 
to the applicant the reason therefor, and citing the law on the subject. 
A majority of the members have furnished lists, and the seeds have been sent in 
accordance therewith. Had I been able to adhere strictly to this course, much of the 
evil spoken of would, in my judgment, have been eliminated from the pre-existing 
practice. But it hasnow become apparent that the clerical force of the department 
is inadequate to such a task, and I am, therefore, reluctantly compelled to remit, in 
many cases, to members of Congress, the burden of which they have complained, 
making it optional with them either to take the seeds to their rooms and themselves 
to be the distributors thereof, or else to leave it with the department to make the dis- 
_ tribution among those to whom, under the plain construction of the law, it was in- 
' tended they should be sent. 
Thus, for want of clerical aid, I am forced for the time to forego the line of action I 
had mapped out, and must of necessity content myself with the hope that it will grad; 
nally but surely become the undeviating practice, as it is and should be the undoubted 
Seats 
aC A ee Re 
