af © ys on 4 ee, ee ‘heed . .~ 
. ; dy Dix: ‘ ‘ on : é ; 
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= ied 
be , accomplished i ina shortér tine in a few stations established for 
srence to the native grasses, and a rebnthascton of the appropri beh 
for grass investigation is earnestly recommended, 
_ About 6,000 specimens of plants have been mounted and added to 
» the herbarium during the year, and 36 packages have been distrib- 
uted among agricultural colleges and institutions, and to individuals 
for exchange. The herbarium serves a double purpose. It is neces- 
_ sary for consultation and comparison in determining the names of 
_ specimens which are the subject of inquiry and investigation, and it 
‘ipo highly important in a scientific point of view, as being a repository 
of botanical specimens of the productions of the country. A large 
7 majority of all the known plants of this country are already repre- 
it~ 
‘sented in the herbarium. But it is still deficient in the plants of 
fr ‘many sections, mainly in such kinds as are strictly local and re- 
% stricted in their range and not obtainable through the ordinary 
a channels. 
. For the past ten years there has been no botanical work performed 
¥ -in connection with the Government surveys. Previously it was the 
practice to have naturalists connected with the surveys and explora- 
tions, and the botanical collections made by them were finally de- 
posited with the Department of Agriculture. In this way the 
_herbarium was enriched, and a stock of duplicates for distribution 
was accumulated. Since the abandonment of natural history in the 
surveys, the enlargement of the herbarium has depended on a small 
annual appropriation for this purpose. There is now urgent need 
for more Government aid in the prosecution of botanical work. The 
Government herbarium should be made to contain a complete repre-- 
- sentation of all the plants known to grow within the limits of this - 
-_ country. It also needs the services of specialists in the elaboration 
_ of certain orders. Therefore, for its improvement in the directions 
-. mentioned, and to make it more useful to science and to practical 
agriculture, I recommend that the appropriations for this division 
be suitably increased and that an increase be made in the working 
_. force. 
OR de 
SECTION OF VEGETABLE PATHOLOGY. 
To the section of vegetable pathology are referred for investiga- 
es tion all questions relative to the diseases of fruits and fruit trees, 
grains, and other useful plants, due to parasitic fungi, which are 
: _ familiarly termed “rust,” “‘smut,” “mildew,” “plight,” “rot,” ete. 
In accordance with my recommendations to Congr ie at its last ses- 
: sion, this section was regularly established by law, provision was 
made for achief of section, with an assistant, and a small appropria- 
' tion, necessary for the prosecution of its work, was granted the De- 
partment. 
