34 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



division, experiment station. Its duties are to make investigatious as 

 to the existence of contagious pleuro pneumonia, and otlier dangerous 

 communicable diseases of live stock; to make original investigations as 

 to the nature and prevention of such diseases, and to superintend meas- 

 ures for their extirpation; and to report on the condition and means of 

 improving the animal industries of the country. The Bureau also has 

 charge of the inspection of import and export animals, of the inspec- 

 tion of vessels for the transportation of export animals, and of the 

 quarantine stations for imported neat cattle; supervises the interstate 

 movement of cattle; and inspects live stock and their products slaugh- 

 tered for food consumption. D. E. Salmon has been chief of the Bureau 

 since its organization ; appointed May 31, 1884, 



DIVISION OF GARDENS AND GROUNDS. 



The i^ropagating garden, started in 1858, was turned over by the 

 Commissioner of Patents to the Department of Agriculture shortly after 

 the creation of the Department in May, 1862, and the Division of Gar- 

 dens and Grounds was organized as an experimental garden by the 

 appointment of Mr. William Saunders, of Pennsylvania, as horticultur- 

 ist superintendent, in September, 1802. The superintendent is charged 

 with the care of keeping the lawns and other ornamentations of the 

 park, and with all duties connected with the introduction and propaga- 

 tion of desirable economic plants, and their dissemination in suitable 

 climates throughout the States. 



William Saunders has been superintendent since the establishment 

 of the division, thirty-six years ago, and is the only person now con- 

 nected with the Department who was appointed by the first Commis- 

 sioner. After the reservation now occupied by the Department was 

 seemed, he furnished the plans for the laying out of the grounds, and 

 the conservatories and other buildings were erected under his direction. 

 The present superintendent has been from the first intimately connected 

 with the organization of the Department. For over twenty years he 

 served as vegetable physiologist, pomologist, and adviser on all matters 

 relating to soils and soil culture, and farms and gardens and every- 

 thing i^ertainiug thereto, performing duties on matters which are now 

 conducted by divisions specially formed for the purpose. 



DIVISION OF CHEMISTRY. 



The Division of Chemistry, established in 1862, makes investigations 

 of the methods pi'0])osed for the analysis of soils, fertilizers, and agri- 

 cultural products and such analyses as pertain in general to the inter- 

 ests of agriculture. It also conducts researches on all subjects in which 

 chemistry and agriculture are conjoined. The study of the composition 

 of human foods and their adulterations is one of the chief functions of 

 this division. It can not undertake the analyses of articles of a mis- 

 cellaneous nature, but application for such analyses should be made to 

 the directors of agricultural exj)eriment stations of the different States. 



