BUREAUS, DIVISIONS, AND OFFICES. 37 



The division lias for its object a study of normal and abnormal life 

 processes of plants. It seeks by means of both field and laboratory 

 investigations in i)lant physiology, plant breeding and selection, and the 

 morphology and classification of fungi, to determine the causes and 

 methods of prevention of plant diseases, the amelioration of economic 

 plants, and rational methods of growing commercial crops. B. T. Gal- 

 loway, the present chief, was appointed chief of the section of vegetable 

 pathology November 1, 1888, and August 8, 1894, was made chief of 

 the division as it now exists. 



OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



The Office of Experiment Stations, established in 1888, represents the 

 Department in its relation to the experiment stations, which are now 

 in operation in all the States and Territories. It seeks to promote 

 the interests of agricultural education and investigations throughout 

 the United States. It collects and disseminates general information 

 regarding the colleges and stations, and publishes accounts of agri- 

 cultural investigations at home and abroad. It also indicates lines of 

 inquiry, aids in the conduct of cooperative experiments, reports upon 

 the expenditures and work of the stations, and in general furnishes 

 them with such advice and assistance as will best i^romote the pur- 

 poses for which they were established. It is also charged with the 

 investigation of the nutritive value and economy of human food. Tlie 

 directors have been W. O. Atwater and A. W. Harris. A. C. True is 

 the present director, appointed September 2G, 1893. 



OFFICE OF FIBER INVESTIGATIONS. 



Fiber investigations were begun in the Division of Statistics in 1889, 

 and in 1890 the Office of Fiber Investigations was established. It col- 

 lects and disseminates information regarding the cultivation of textile 

 plants, directs experiments in the culture of new and hitherto unused 

 plants, purchases seed and plants for limited distribution for experi- 

 mental purposes, and investigates the merit of new machines and pro- 

 cesses for extracting the fiber and preparing it for manufacture. 

 Chas. Richards Dodge has been special agent from the beginning, and 

 his appointment as special agent in charge of the office dates from 

 January 1, 1891. 



DIVISION OF PUBLICATIONS. 



The Division of Publications was established in 1889 as a section of 

 the Division of Statistics, which had originally been charged with the 

 work of editing the Department reports. In 1890 it was organized and 

 separately appropriated for as the Division of Records and Editing, 

 becoming the Division of Publications in 1895. This division has entire 

 supervision of the editing, printing, and publishing of the Department, 

 and the distribution of all publications, being especially charged, fur- 



