76 DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS. 



fruits grown in the continental area of the United States, together 

 with specimens from eight foreign countries. 



About 500 technical fruit descriptions have been added to the files 

 during the year, together with about 300 accurate water-color paint- 

 ings and 240 facsimile models, in addition to 270 duplicate models 

 prepared for exhibition at the Pan-American Exposition. About 200 

 mounted herbarium specimens and a considerable number of photo- 

 graphic negatives have been added to the collections. 



DISTRIBUTION OF TREES, SCIONS, CUTTINGS, PLANTS, AND SEEDS. 



In continuation of the cooperative work with the Office of Seed 

 and Plant Introduction, a larger number of promising varieties of 

 fruit-producing species — about 400 varieties, representing about 50 

 species — has been received and distributed than in any previous year. 

 These distributions comprised more than 200 varieties of the apple, 

 received from French, German, Swedish, and Australian, as well as 

 domestic sources; nearly 70 varieties of the plum, chiefly of the prune 

 and mirabelle types, from France, Germany, and Austria, and 27 

 varieties of grapes, mostly foreign. 



Through the agency of the comprehensive list of voluntary corre- 

 spondents, which has been systematically developed, revised, and 

 enlarged, such material of this kind as now reaches the Department 

 at almost any time of year can be promptly placed in the hands of 

 intelligent propagators, where it can receive a careful and thorough 

 test to determine its relative value without loss of time. It thus 

 requires but a small expenditure for stock of a promising new foreign 

 variety or species to insure its wide distribution in regions suitable 

 for determining its probable commercial usefulness. 



FRUIT EXHIBIT AT THE PARIS EXPOSITION. 



The continuous fruit exhibit at Paris, referred to in the report of 

 the previous fiscal year, was maintained without intermission until 

 the close of the exposition, October 31, 1900. As a precautionary 

 measure a sufficient supply of apples of the crop of 1899 had been 

 provided in that year to insure a continuous display of this fruit 

 throughout the exposition, even if the crop of 1900 had entirely failed. 

 The crop of 1900 having proved to be of fair quality and quantity, 

 taking the country as a whole, the reserve stock of 1899 was crowded 

 forward to the exposition tables as rapidly as possible, where it was 

 largely replaced during the last half of the exposition period by fruit 

 of the current crop. Enough of the old fruit was reserved to main- 

 tain a continuous show, however, and to provide against any probable 

 emergency, such as the failure of a shipment to reach Paris at the 

 appointed time. 



Four shipments of fruit of the crop of 1900, embracing 265 varie- 

 ties of apples, 130 of pears, 16 of peaches, and 58 of plums, from 15 

 States, were made in August, September, and October. After a thor- 

 ough preliminary investigation it was considered possible, with exist- 

 ing transportation facilities, to forward such shipments from New 

 York to Paris in an average time of not less than ten days, and the 

 shipments were arranged for on that basis. It is gratifying to record 

 that none of the four shipments made was longer than ten days in 

 transit, while that which contained the largest quantity was delivered 

 at the exposition eight days and nineteen hours after leaving New 



