40 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



liaviug retired from the Department, the museum was phiced in charge 

 of Dr. Vasey, the botanist, wiio remained in charge until it was trans- 

 ferred to the nuiseum building, in the southeast corner of the Agri- 

 cultural grounds, erected to make room for ad<litious at the close of 

 the first Atlanta Exposition. Subsequent to removal, Prof. Spencer 

 F. Baird, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, as the lawful custo- 

 dian of all Government collections, transferred to the National Museum 

 for safe-keeping some of the more valuable exhibits in its possession. 

 This was under the law which gives the National Museum complete 

 control over all Government museums. 



The first curator of the Museum was Robert G. Blaine. His suc- 

 cessors have been H. R. Branham, Nathaniel Shatswell, James M. 

 Watt, and Nathaniel Shatswell, reappointed. 



