588 [Assembly 



sum than is annually expended for agricultural purposes by any 

 other government of the globe. 



In the disbursement of the last three appropriations by Con- 

 gress for the purposes above stated, aside from the other duties 

 incumbent upon this Bureau, it has been the object to promote, 

 as far as practicable, the paramount interests of the farmers and 

 planters of this country, in the improvement and augmentation of 

 their crops and live stock, the introduction of nevr and valuable 

 products, the amelioration of the exhausted and unimproved soils 

 of the States lying along the sea-board and the Mexican gulf, in 

 developing the agricultural resources of those States bordering on 

 the Pacitic, the Mississippi and its tributaries, the great lakes and 

 the Canada frontier, in order thereby to produce larger quantities 

 and of better qualities of our chief staples for export and domestic 

 use. In order, therefore, more efiectually to carry out this object, 

 various circulars were issued by the Commissioner of Patents and 

 sent to important persons in this country, as well as to our diplo- 

 matic and commercial agents, missionaries, officers of the navy, 

 and other public functionaries abroad, for the purpose of dissemi- 

 nating and eliciting agricultural information, and for the procure- 

 ment and distribution of cuttings and seeds. Through some of 

 these agencies a species of " reciprocal exchange" of seeds, &c., 

 has been established, and partially carried into effect, with all 

 the principal countries of the globe. In addition to this, the sub- 

 ject seemed to be of sufficient importance last autumn to justify 

 the sending of an accredited agent to Europe, in order to make 

 the best selection of seeds directly from the growers, as well as 

 such new varieties and species as had recently been introduced 

 from distant parts as would be likely to succeed in the United 

 States. Consequently a large quantity of valuable seeds, trees, 

 and cuttings were procured, which since have been distributed 

 for experiment in every section of the Union. It is confidently 

 expected by many that this measure will result greatly to the 

 benefit of our agriculturists. Similar benefits are also hoped for 

 from the dissemination of approved varieties of Indian corn and 

 other seeds, produced in certain sections of the country which 

 were not generally known in others, for instance j a valuable va- 



