s 
108 AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 
REPORT OF THE BOTANIST. 
Sir: I have the honor to present the following report of botanical 
transactions of the past year, and of the present condition of the herba- 
rium under my charge. 
The additions to the herbarium, comprising upward of four thousand 
species of plants, have been derived from the following sources: From 
the Smithsonian Institution, through the admirable system of scien- 
tific exchanges so extensively carried out under its supervision, a large 
and valuable collection of dried plants, mainly Russian, sent by the Im- 
perial Academy of St. Petersburg. This collection, authentically labeled, 
comprises one thousand three hundred and forty-eight species, and is of 
special interest as representing a flora in many points analogous to our 
central and western districts. Also, from the same source, a set of Ger- 
man plants, including about four hundred species, seut by Professor 
Paul Reintz, who, in his accompanying letter, requests in exchange sets 
of American plants. 
Besides these large packages, numerous smaller miscellaneous collec: 
tions have been received, from time to time, through tbe Smithsonian 
Institution, both from this country and from abroad, | including a variety 
of fruits, woods, fibers, and other vegetable products. 
Protessor Wm. Boeck, of Christiana, Norway, on his recent visit to 
this couhtry, presented to the Department a choice. set of plants col- 
lected by him, during the previous season, in the high mountain districts 
of Norway. 
On the joint recommendation of Professors Torrey and Gray, a very 
fall collection of Cuban plants, containing one thousand seven bun- 
dred and fifty species, was procured from the enterprising botanical 
collector, Mr. Charles Wright. A large number of these are recent 
discoveries, now in process of publication in the Revisio Flora Cubana, 
and the entire set serves to represent the main features of the West 
India flora. 
Of North American plants, contributions have been received from a 
great variety of sources, of which the following may be enumerated as 
the most important, viz: A very choice collection from Southern Ari- 
zona, collected by Dr. Charles Smart, while stationed as army surgeon 
in that district, in 1867. The set presented to the Department, embrac- 
ing vearly three hundred specimens, includes many very rare plants, 
and probably several undescribed species. 
From Dr. C. H. Alden, United States Army, has been received a col- 
lection of one hundred and seventy-five species, made during the pre- 
vious season in Wyoming Territory. 
A numbered set of Rocky Mountain plants was sent to the Depart- 
ment by Dr. J. T. Scovell, of Central City, Colorado, with the request 
to return the names of the plants so numbered. 
From Mr. J. E. Johnson, of St. George, Utah, have been received, from 
time to time, interesting speciméns of live plants, aud secds of such as 
are peculiar ‘to that remote district. 
The explorations of Dr. Edward Palmer, continued during the past 
season in Southeast Utah, Western Arizona, and Southwestern Cali- 
fornia, have made large additions to the botanical material tor elucidating 
the peculiar flora of those districts. Quite a number of new species 
are contained in the collections heretofore received, which are now being 
studied and collated, with a view to their early publication. The numer- 
