DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 6ll 



cial and miscellaneous statistics, but no statistics of the agricult- 

 ural productions of the year. In the report for 1850 occurs the 

 same important omission as in that for 1849; but m tnat f r 

 1851 appeared the agricultural statistics of the seventh census, 

 unaccompanied, however, by any analysis, comparison, or other 

 comment. In November, 1852, Mr. Ewbank retired, and was 

 succeeded by Hon. Silas H. Hodges, of Vermont, Mr. Lee re- 

 maining. In the report for 1852 no attempt was made to add 

 to the value of the census figures, and the reader was left in 

 ignorance whether the agricultural productions of that year were 

 greater or less than those of the census year. In'the report for 

 1849 Mr. Lee introduced meteorological statistics, and the space 

 accorded to this specialty annually increased during his editor- 

 ship of the reports. 



On the 25th of March, 1853, Mr. Hodges was succeeded as 

 commissioner by Hon. Charles Mason, of Iowa, and soon after 

 Mr. Lee, as editor of the reports, was succeeded by D. J. Browne. 

 In Mr. Mason's four reports, for the years 1853, '54, '55, '56, 

 agricultural statistics have no place, the editor entertaining the 

 same views as his predecessor concerning the value of statistics 

 not collected by the States, or through an annual visit by the 

 census marshal. 



The annual appropriation, which, up to and including 1853, 

 had never exceeded $5500, was, in 1854, increased to $35,000, 

 and it has never since been less than that sum. 



In the list of plants ordered to be imported, in 1854, and which 

 were imported in that and the following year, were two plants 

 of Chinese origin the Chinese yam, and the Chinese sugar- 

 cane. In 1856 a portion of the government grounds in Wash- 

 ington, lying between Four-and-a-half and Sixth Streets, and 

 Missouri Avenue and the canal, embracing five acres, was set 

 apart for the propagation of the seed of Chinese sugar-cane, 

 otherwise known as sorghum. Large quantities of the seed 

 produced on this ground were distributed in 1856 and 1857. 



The subject of entomology, as related to agriculture, had 

 received some attention from the Commissioner of Patents, 

 prior to 1854. In that year Commissioner Mason employed 

 Townsend Glover to investigate and report upon the habits of 

 insects injurious and beneficial to vegetation, especially those 



