National Republican., 1882-04-25
THE AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT.
RushIng for work-GencraI Cnrnian, SUI
pcrIntcndsnt saunders.

A REPUBLICAN, sprig paid q visit yesterday to
the Agricultural Department 70 ascertain what
was being done for gentle spring and summer IN
this important branch ftho Government service.
In the reception room were the usual number Of
applicants for work waiting to have word with
the chief clerk General Carman. who, by the way,
is possessed of rare quality of patience The
pressure by the hundreds who flock to the De-
partment to ask for work is remarkable. Passing
out to the Office ofthe hortlcuturist and supern-
tendent, Mr.. william Saunders this fine old Scotch
gentleman was found engaged in arranging orders
and laying out the days work for his employees.
" Has the suOw-stOrm Of sunday injured your
plants and flowers that were blooming SO nicely
last week." asked the reporter
"The present snow storm will do some damage
by breaking down such hyacinths and tulips as
are in flower, but they will come up again under
the influence Of warm sun. Beyond that ! do
not see that our flowers have sustained any dam
age
What about the fruit CROP do you think that
No, The peaches in this section are too far ad.
vaneed TO be seriously injured, the fruit being for.
ward and the blossoms faded. on the other hand
apple aud pear blossoms are not quite far enough
advanced but few of the flowers being fully eN-
panded."
The next place visited was the new building re-
Gently erected by order of the Commissioner to
store the exhibits from the ATLANTA Cotton Expo.
sition which were presented TO the Agricultural
Department at the close of the exhibition last
winter. The main building is 02 feet front, lOo
feet in length, q feet pitch, with row of sky
lights on either side of the roof. The
walls are waiuScoted with white pine about
S feet high, and then plastered about feet above
the woodwork aud painted u deep sky blue.
There two Offices, one 10 by l6 feet, the other
30 by 10 feet Horace HHight, the well.known
painter, has the confuct for finishing UP the job
of painting and graining and the ornamental and
fancy work In this large room is stored the car
goes of seeds for the overflowed Districts Of the
Mississippi Valley recently purchased by General
Carman. Mr. Andrew Glass, who for a number Of
years was superintendent Of the seed room of the
Department, has under his charge the packing
and shipping of the seed. He commences to-day
with large force 10 pack them, and says he will
have them shipped and at their destination In
view to meet the immediate demands of the sec.
tion for which they are intended"
How viii you ship the seeds2" asked The RE-
PUBLICAN.
"By mail (" snid the expert seed. packer, ~ sup.
pose the COmmi sionCr will designate some re-
spOnsihle person in each county, to whom they
vi be shipped, to distribute them us needed. In
this building will be stored the articles which were
presented to the Government by the Cotton Expo
stion ut Atlanta, Ga. At III exposition the South
ern railroads made elaborate exhibits of the re-
sources OF the localities through which they pass
| These exhibits were offered to the Department OF
| Agriculture, the roads packing and shipping the
| goods TO Washington. Tue materials consist IN
part Ot full collection of woods, with samples OF
manufacture made from the same. Samp es from
various coal mines give evidence of the abun-
dance of fuel yet to be brought to light The vali.
ous building stOnes iron aud other ores cluys AMI
collection OF botanical specimens of the forest trees
of The South will be exhibited on the walls. II is
proposed to arrange these exhibits precisely as
| they appeared at Atlanta"