656 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE, 
the co-operation of the directors of the Experiment Stations of the 
various Wiates and Territories. 
Without such a check, new names for old varieties unworthy of — 
dissemination will continue to be increased, and extravagant notices 
of so-called new things will be continued. The primary object of 
the Department in procuring and distributing soa is to substitute 
superior varieties for those which have deteriorated by reason of re- 
peated planting in localities where each does not maintain its orig- 
inal vigor or standard of excellence. In this connection I desire 
again to call the attention of intelligent cultivators who may receive 
one or more varieties of seeds, to the importance of making a care- 
ful report of the adaptation of each to the locality and soil, with the 
view of furnishing the Seed Division of the Department of Agricult- 
ure with an array of facts of great practical interest for compilation 
and future reference, and for guidance in making purchases for 
subsequent distribution. This is one of the many reasons why all 
important facts connected with the cultivation of new varieties should 
be carefully noted, and the result (with name of variety) promptly 
reported early in the month of December of each year, in order that 
the deductions therefrom may be embodied in the annual report. 
During the past year increased attention has been given to send- 
ing out blanks for reports on the merits or demerits of the most im- 
portant and valuable seeds distributed from this Division. The re- 
plies to these queries are condensed and arranged according to 
varieties and localities and kept on file, thus enabling the Seed Di- 
vision at any moment to furnish information upon seeds sent out by 
the Department. These reports for the present year have been in 
the highest degree satisfactory, and a growing desire is manifested 
from all parts of the country to obtain Department seeds, as being in 
every respect reliable. We would here call the attention of those 
sending such reports to the necessity of noting the names of the 
varieties received. Many reports that are highly satisfactory as to 
germination, quality, and productiveness of the seed can not be 
made available and are useless because the name of the variety is 
not given. 
The Department still continues the system inaugurated some years 
since of exchanges of seeds with foreign countries, as has been shown 
by a former reference, and by this means useful and ornamental 
leaks are procured and international courtesy fostered, for it is a 
noticeable fact that in the equitable interchange of seeds and plants 
which have taken place between our own Government and those of 
foreign countries our friendly relations therewith have been greatly 
strengthened and promoted. In no Department of the General 
Government has the expenditure of so small a sum been productive 
of so much good as that expended in the introduction and dissemina- 
tion of valuable seeds and plants, thus verifying the French maxim, 
‘‘Ye don d’une plante utile me parait plus précieux que la découverte 
d’une mine d’or, et un monument plus durable qu’une pyramide.” 
(‘The gift of a useful plant is much more precious than the discovery 
of a gold mine, and a monument more durable than a pyramid.”) 
Perhaps it may be safe to say that at no time since the establish- 
ment of the Department of Agriculture has the correspondence of 
the Seed Division been of more interest or of greater importance to 
the interests of agriculture than at the present time. 
It embraces a wide field of inquiry, experiment, and facts, derived 
from both domesti¢ and foreign sources. The accounts of experi- 
