CHAPTER Y. 



NATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTERESTS. 



/. Horticultural Work of the National Department 



of Agriculture, 



Several features of the National Department of Agriculture 

 are of vital importance to the horticulturist. The Botanical 

 Division, particularly in its section of Vegetable Pathology, 

 Division of Entomology and Division of Economic Ornithol- 

 ogy and Mammalogy, are all directly related to work in the 

 garden and orchard. The Seed Division also particularly con- 

 cerns the gardener. The original object of the Seed Division 

 was to distribute rare and new species and varieties, but it has 

 done comparatively little of this work. There is a determina- 

 tion expressed on the part of the Department to increase the 

 usefulness of this Division. Particular efforts are being made 

 to distribute valuable forage grasses and cereals. The gene- 

 ral policy of the present administration in this direction is 

 outlined in the following statement from the Secretary of 

 Agriculture : 



"The distribution of seeds to experiment stations and agricultural colleges 

 has now become an important part of the work of this Division, and the 

 wisdom of this course is so apparent that the policy of placing seeds of 

 new and presumably valuable plants at the disposal of the officers of these 

 institutions will be sedulously adhered to. From them the Department 

 may reasonably anticipate getting such reports, including such data as the 

 date of sowing or planting, the time of maturing and harvesting, the 

 quantity of seed planted, the amount and quality of the product, the char- 

 acter of the soil and climate, as will enable the Department to arrive at 

 reasonable conclusions as to the relative value of seeds so furnished, so 



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