28 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



boxiugtlie pine tree for turpentine does not injure the lamber, Tbe 

 kuowled«ie of this fact is estimated to be worth .$2,000,000 to the timber 

 interests. During the course of the timber-test work, the h)ngleaf pine 

 was found to be much stronger than had been previously supposed. 



Civil service and savings.— Secretary Morton greatly encouraged the 

 extension of civil-service regulations throughout the Department, and 

 in two notable cases adopted the method of competitive examinations 

 to fill important places which were expressly excepted. The number of 

 persons in the classified service increased notably under him. 



In his last report Secretary Morton makes the following summary 

 showing the amounts saved by him from the appropriation bills: 



"Thus there will have been covered back into the Treasury since 

 March 7, 1893, two million sixty-six thousand six hundred and sixty- 

 one dollars and nineteen cents ($2,060,061.19) out of a total amount of 

 eleven million one hundred and seventy-nine thousand four hundred 

 and fifty-five dollars and forty-five cents ($11,179,455.45) on hand and 

 appropriated.'' 



Mr. Morton strongly recommended that the amount so saved be 

 applied to the erection of a new and suitable building. 



Secretary Morton was strongly opposed to the distribution of seeds, 

 and recommended that the practice be abandoned. He succeeded in 

 changing the method of distribution, so that the packages were no 

 longer sent out from Washington by a force of Department employees, 

 but from the warerooms of the seedsmen holding the contracts. 



Yearbook— Expositions— Assistant Secretary.— Beginning with that of 

 1894, the form of the Annual Keport of the Department was radically 

 changed in accordance with the act governing the public printing and 

 binding, ajiproved January 12, 1895, so as to appear in two parts. The 

 second and most important part is known as the Yearbook, and the 

 first and two succeeding Yearbooks were edited by Dr. Charles W. 

 Dabney, who had been appointed Assistant Secretary Jauuary 1, 1894, 

 and like his predecessor, Mr. Willits, was specially charged with the 

 supervision of the scientific work. 



To the Columbian Exposition in Chicago succeeded an Interstate 

 Exposition at Atlanta, Ga., in 1895, and an Exposition at Nashville, 

 Tenn., in 1897. At both of these Dr. Dabney was the representative of 

 the Department of Agriculture and was also appointed chairman of 

 the Government Board. 



COMMENCEMENT OF SECRETARY WILSON'S ADMINISTRATION. 



Hon. James Wilson, of Iowa, became Secretary on March 7, 1897, by 

 appointment from President McKinley. 



On March 22, 1897, Col. J. H. Brigham, of Ohio, for several years 

 master of the Xational Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry, was 

 appointed Assistant Secretary. 



