20 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



and Piedmont, Cal. These were discontinued after a yeai , and the work 

 was carried on at "VYashiugton, D. C. 



Commissioner Colinan, in his reports, suggested the commercial cul- 

 tivation of medicinal and similar plants, naming rhubarb, licorice, 

 arnica, belladonna, digitalis, popp}> ginger, cinchona, vanilla, jalap, and 

 sarsaparilla. He called attention to the possibilities of agriculture in 

 Alaska, the rapid inroad upon the forests for supplying railroad ties, 

 and the planting of trees in the plains. 



Scientific discoveries —The sale of counterfeit butter was arousing the 

 interest of farmers, and prosecutions under the law forbidding it were 

 in progress. Dr. Taylor, the Department microscopist, reported the dis- 

 covery of characteristic differences between the crystals of lard, beef 

 fat, and butter, as seen under the glass. This discovery was recog- 

 nized in a report of the American Association of Microscopists as a 

 valuable factor in the determination of the genuineness of butter 

 offered for sale. The application of scientific methods to sugar making 

 was successfully carried out, the diffusion process was tried in making 

 sugar from cane, and a resultant increase in the yield of 40 pounds of 

 sugar to the ton of cane- was reported. 



War on contagious diseases.— The Bureau of Animal Industry lacked 

 State cooperation in exterminating contagious diseases, because the 

 whole burden of destroying infected animals was thrown upon the 

 State. In 1887 legislation was secured remedying this defect in the law 

 and appropriating $300,000 for the Bureau, with a provision that any 

 part of the money might be used to jjay for animals it was found neces- 

 sary to kill. Good progress was at once made in stamping out pleuro- 

 pneumonia. Within the first year 35,4:51 herds, over 300,000 head, 

 were inspected, and 8,139 animals were slaughtered and i)aid for. The 

 total expenditures of the Bureau for 1888 were $499,975.32, against 

 899,985.56 in 1887. 



THE DEPARTMENT RAISED TO THE FIRST RANK. 



On February 9, 1888, the Department was raised to the first rank in 

 the executive branch of the Government. This was largely due to the 

 efforts of the l!^atioual Grange, an organization founded in 18G8 by 

 gentlemen connected with or specially interested in the Department. 



At the meeting of the National Grange in Chicago, in 1876. resolu- 

 tions wei'e passed asking the recognition of the work as of e<]ual 

 importance with any branch of the service. In part these resolutions 

 were as follows : 



Whereas the agriciiltur;il masses compose one-half of the population of the free 

 States of America upon whom ultimately rest the taxes which sustain the Govern- 

 ment. - * - 



Resolred, That American agriculturists demand that they shall be recognized as a 

 real factor in the (iovernment by the establishment of a bureau of agriculture, to be 

 presided over by a Cabinet officer, who shall organize the same upon a plan to be 

 devised by the Avisdom of Congress, which shall embrace to the fullest the agricul- 

 tural iuterests of 20,000,000 of people. * * *- 



