20 KEPOET OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTUIIE. 



lectors on the govemnieut sttrveys, and consequently our most important 

 means of acquiring knowledge of the vegetation of the Western Terri- 

 tories has been cut off. As has been stated, in this department full and 

 complete information should be obtainable respecting the vegetable 

 productions of all parts of our country. As explorations are pushed 

 forward into remote sections, and new portions of our temtory are 

 brought under the influence of civilization and cultivation, new plants 

 are discovered, and this division should have the means of keeping fully 

 up with the progress of discovery, if not of itself exteniUng these dis- 

 coveries. 



There are certain portions of our country, notably ^Jrogon and Wash- 

 ington Territories, regarding the vegetation of which this division is 

 very deficient as to information and specimens, and means are very 

 much needed to place a good botanical collector in the field in these 

 regions in order to supply these defects. We have meutioned the dis- 

 tribution of wood and botanical specimens which have been made by 

 this division. There is a large field in this direction in which this divis- 

 ion could greatly facilitate the advancement of intelligent agriculture. 

 The young men wTio are now being educated in our Agricultural Col- 

 leges should have some knowledge of the prominent vegetable produc- 

 tions of the different parts of the world, and this knowledge can be best 

 and most easily obtained by inspection and study of the objects them- 

 selves as they are i)resented in the museum and herbarium, and this 

 department should have means at command to aid these institutions in 

 this higher agricidtural education. Very few young men iii our north- 

 ern colleges are acquainted with the cotton-plant, rice, or sugar-cane, 

 even as they should be represented in museum specimens. 



This department should be made a center of diffusion for these and 

 other objects of agricultural or economic interest. 



It is not necessary to go into details respecting our immense forest 

 wealth, in its variety of 400 species of forest trees, nor to a considera- 

 tion of the wants of a system of forest conservation, but we may say 

 that this subject properly comes within the domain of this department, 

 and that both scientific and practical talent shoukl be employed in its 

 management, 



A very creditable beginning has been made in our grounds toward 

 an arboretum, in which should be presented in a living state specimens 

 of all the trees and shrubs of this country which can be grown in this 

 climate. But the enlargement of this arboretum has been sus])eiided 

 for several years on account of a want of means to jjrovide the very 

 small necessary outlay. The wants and interests of the arboretum 

 could be gi-eaily promoted if this division could keep in the field one or 

 more intelligent and capable botanical collectors, who would be able to 

 obtain and send forward specimens of trees, shnibs, seeds, and fruits, 

 so that here at the iiatioual capital there miglit be a full representa- 

 tion of the vegetable i^roductions of our country. 



