18 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



"The design is," wrote Dr. Loring in liis report, "by establishing a 

 permanent system of efficient and prompt collection of cunent statis- 

 tics to be able to present instantly and accurately the current changes 

 in crop areas and conditions and in the production of breadstutfs, 

 meats, industrial products, and all the results of agricultural labor." 



The publication of transportation rates was begun in the monthly 

 reports by the direction of Congress, and a European agency was estab- 

 lished for the collection of statistics showing the prospective demand 

 for American produce, especially grain and meats. E. J. Moifat was 

 appointed as agent at $2,500 a year. He had his office with the 

 American consul-general in London. 



The Bahia seedless oranges were propagated extensively in the con- 

 servatories at Washington at this time, and young plants were sent to 

 California and other States. Mr. Saunders estimated that the Division 

 of Gardens and Grounds was sending out yearly 100,000 plants of all 

 kinds. Increasing quantities of seeds were distributed, reaching in 1 883 

 a total of 2,467,230 packages, of which 76,232 packages were tobacco 

 seed. 



COMMISSIONER COLMAN'S ADMINISTRATION. 



Hon. Norman J. Colmau, of Missouri, was appointed Commissioner 

 by President Cleveland and took his place on April 3, 1885, 



Norman J. Col man was born near Eichlield Springs, N. Y., May 16, 

 1827. He obtained an academic education, then went to Louisville, Ky., 

 where he taught school, attended the Louisville Law University, took 

 the degree of bachelor of law and his license to practice, and located 

 at New Albany, Ind., where he began the practice of his profession in 

 partnership with M. C. Kerr (his former room and class mate), who 

 became Speaker of the House of Eepresentatives of the United States 

 and died while holding that office. They soon obtained a fine practice, 

 and Mr. Colman was elected district attorney, which office he held one 

 year, and then removed to St. Louis, Mo., continuing the practice of 

 his profession. But having a strong love for rural pursuits, he pur- 

 chased a country home, and began the publication of an agricultural 

 paper under the name of Colman's Kural World. In the civil war he 

 was a Union man, and lieutenant-colonel of the Eighty-flfth Regiment 

 of Enrolled Missouri Militia, In 1865 he was elected to the Missouri 

 legislature. In 1868 he was nominated by his party (Democratic) for 

 lieutenant-governor, but n-ith his entire party ticket was defeated. In 

 1874 he was again nominated for lieutenant-governor and was elected. 

 He was a member of the board of curators of the State University lor 

 sixteen years. He was i)resident of the State Horticultural Society, of 

 the State Live Stock Breeders' Association, of the State Board of 

 Agriculture, and of many other State and National associations organ- 

 ized to advance the interests of the farmer. In 1885, when appointed by 

 President Cleveland to be United States Commissioner of Agriculture, 

 he enlarged the sphere of the Department, adding several important 

 divisions. Under his administration it became one of the Executive 



