DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 615 



als, specimens in natural history, etc. The annual report for 

 this year was prepared in 1866, and edited by J. R. Dodge, who 

 had been engaged on the statistical work of the department 

 since its organization. In 1866 Mr. Dodge was appointed stat- 

 istician of the department, and has since edited all its reports. 



Owing to the large increase in the business of the depart- 

 ment, it was found that the rooms appropriated to its use in 

 the Patent-Office building were entirely inadequate. Congress, 

 therefore, in 1867, upon the earnest recommendation of Com- 

 missioner Newton, appropriated $100,000 for the erection of a 

 department building, on a portion of the government reservation 

 above described. The erection of the building, an ornamental 

 brick structure, was commenced late in the summer of that 

 year. Congress also appropriated $10,000 for the purchase of 

 the private museum of natural history and other objects owned 

 by Mr. Glover, the entomologist, and the collection was accord- 

 ingly transferred to the department. 



On the i Qth of June, .1867, Commissioner Newton died in 

 Washington. John W. Stokes, Esq., the chief clerk of the de- 

 partment, acted as commissioner until November 29, 1867, 

 when Hon. Horace Capron, of Illinois, was appointed commis- 

 sioner. 



One of the first of Commissioner Capron's official acts was 

 the abolishment of the experimental farm, previously deter- 

 mined upon, by which the expenses of the department were 

 at once greatly decreased. Attention was also promptly given 

 to the execution of the plans previously prepared by Mr. Saun- 

 ders, the superintendent of the experimental garden, for the 

 improvement of the grounds of the farm, with a view to produc- 

 ing a pleasing and artistic landscape effect. Embraced in these 

 plans was the planting of an arboretum, comprising a complete 

 collection of all hardy trees and shrubs, arranged in their natural 

 orders. As a result of the joint efforts of the commissioner 

 and Mr. Saunders, the grounds surrounding the department 

 building are now among the most attractive in Washington. 



In 1868 the department building was finished, and in August 

 the records and other property of the department, with the 

 exception of the museum, were moved from the Patent-Office 

 building. The museum was moved a month or two later. 



