1895.] Botanical Work of the Government. 267 
established by the last Congress, but the act does not go into 
effect until the first of July. Until that time the work is a 
part of that of the Division of Botany. The function of the 
new division, which deals with forage plants as well as grasses, 
is to instruct and familiarize the people with the habits and 
uses of these plants, to conduct investigations relative to their 
natural history and adaptability to different soils and climates, 
to introduce promising native and foreign kinds into cultiva- 
tion, to identify all grasses and forage plants sent in for iden- 
tification, and reply to all correspondence relative to these 
plants. For this work $15,000 has been appropriated, and 
the following staff has been provided: 
Professor F. Lamson-Scribner, Chief of the Division. Pro- 
fessor Scribner is now engaged in the preparation of a Hand- 
book of the Grasses of the United States, in which it is de- 
signed to describe and illustrate all of our species of grasses. 
The illustrations thus far prepared are of the highest order of 
excellence. 
Mr. T. H. Kearney, ¥r. (Univ. of Tennessee; Columbia 
College), is assisting Professor Scribner on the Handbook. 
Mr. Fared G. Smith (Univ. of Nebraska) will have direct 
charge of the outside work of the Division. 
4. DIVISION OF ForEsTRY. This Division is in a some- 
what different position from all other Divisions in that they 
deal with existing interests, while the Forestry Division has 
still to create an interest in its subject. Besides scientific in- 
vestigations, therefore, a considerable amount of propaganda 
work is carried on and the scientific work has until lately been 
rather on uncertain lines and desultory. Within the last three 
years, however, a more definite policy in this respect has 
been inaugurated and systematic work is carried on, having 
in view the laying of a theoretical basis for future forestry 
practice. 
r. B. E. Fernow, as Chief of the Division, has charge of 
the administrative work, and also is very actively engaged in 
arousing and organizing public sentiment in favor of a rational 
forestry policy. : ; 
Mr. Chas. A. Kieffer (lowa Agric. College) is Assistant 
Chief, and in addition to his official duties is chargec with all 
questions relating to western tree planting, and especially with 
conducting a series of forest planting experiments in co-oper- 
ation with agricultural experiment stations in Kansas, 
braska, the Dakotas and Colorado. 
