Complimentary Banquet to Luther Burbank 



The Agricultural Department of the government in Wash- 

 ington, through the Bureau of Plant Industry, is co-operating 

 with forty-tvvo State experiment stations along different lines 

 suited to the locality, especially testing new seeds and plants 

 from home and abroad, demonstrating those which are best 

 suited for the soil and clim.ate of any particular locality. 



Fort>^ million packets of miscellaneous vegetable and 

 flower seeds are annually distributed on orders from members 

 of Congi-ess. Most excellent results have been obtained in 

 the experiments with, and the distribution of, many of these 

 home-grown seeds in naming the class of soil and climate in 

 which they will thrive the best. 



A special appropriation of $10,000 was secured last year 

 for the purpose of co-operation with the experiment stations 

 in California for determining the adaptability^ of various 

 grape stocks to the different soil and climatic conditions of 

 our State. Another appropriation was made for the purpose 

 of investigating diseases affecting plants on the Pacific Coast, 

 particularly with reference to the California vine diseases and 

 diseases of the sugar beet, asparagus, and other vegetables and 

 fruits. 



The department sent to California last year 105 varieties 

 of French phyloxera resistant grape vines for trial in in- 

 fested vineyards. 



I do not think it is generally know^n how large a number 

 of publications is annually issued by the Department of Ag- 

 riculture. Last year there were issued 972 different publica- 

 tions, and the total number of copies of all publications issued 

 aggregated about 12,421,386. Of these publications, about 

 seven million were farmer's bulletins, which treat upon al- 

 most every subject-matter in which the farmer is interested: 

 agriculture, horticulture, viticulture, forestry, dairy, and 



