No. 4.] FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY. 25 



with great regret that the secretary,, owing to previous 

 engagements in the west, was unable to accept your cordial 

 invitation. Knowing the high standing of your organiza- 

 tion and the important work it has accomplished for agri- 

 culture during these many 3'ears, he was especially reluctant 

 to miss an occasion of this nature. I regret exceedingly, 

 on 3 our account, that the secretary is unable to be here, for 

 he could have described to you much more forcibly and 

 entertaininglj' than I the important work that is being so 

 successfully carried on under his masterful direction. I 

 shall not attempt to cover the department's operations as a 

 whole, for that would require too much time. I shall 

 merely touch upon special phases of the work, directing 

 your attention more particularly to what is being done in 

 the way of introducing into the United States certain prod- 

 ucts of foreign agriculture not found here originally, but 

 nevertheless capable of being grown to advantage in some 

 portion of this vast country, varied as it is in soil and 

 in climate. The diversification of American iagriculture by 

 the introduction of such products from abroad is to my mind 

 one of the most valualde and interesting; features of the 

 present policy of the department. 



o 



Egyptian Cotton. 

 In the mills of New England large quantities of Egyptian 

 cotton arc used each year in the manufacture of certain of 

 the finer grades of cotton goods, such as hosiery and knit 

 fabrics. We annually expend from $0,000,000 to $7,000,- 

 000 in the importation of this cotton. It has an exceedingly 

 fine, silky fibre, answering purposes not met b}^ our Amer- 

 ican cotton, either upland or sea-island. For several years 

 experiments have been conducted under the supervision of 

 the department to ascertain if Egyptian cotton could not be 

 grown in the United States, and the large sum that has to 

 be paid for importations saved to our people. Careful trials 

 have been made to this end with selected varieties procured 

 from Egypt, and after repeated breedings such success has 

 been obtained as to warrant the belief that Egyptian cotton 

 can be produced here on a commercial scale. During the 



