Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-10-26

q that of DIR. Thorn AS Taylor in the gallery Of
the library. The visitor. as he passes through
the door into the narrow apartments. is greeted
by not altogether pleasant scent, but he will
soon forget all about this in watching the vet
eran microscopic at work. DIR. Taylor has
charge OF the microscopical division of the de-
partment's work and he is never SO happy as
when at work in his misty little den investigat-
ing the disease of either plant or animal. The
doctor has come to many important concu-
sions during his career He thinks that oleo-
margarine Is purer and healthier than butter
and, though at first you may not be prepared
to agree with him entirely, before you leave
you are likely to have your faith in
butter very much shaken. On the shelves
around the room are many bottles
and instruments of every kind and his
laboratory is truly an interesting place. Plants
have their diseases as well as animals and DR..
Taylor is physician to the plants and pre-
scribes for them, physics them and nurses them
lovingly. He is the family doctor of the plant
world. but he aims rather to prevent disease
than to cure it. The farmer during the past
few years has come to loLk with much favor
upon microscopy as an aid to his work, and is
now more or less dependent upon these obser-
vations to enable him to cope with the many
diseases which his products have contracted or
fallen heir to.
THE FORESTRY DIVISION.
Every one in Washington and great many
people out of it are interested in trees and to
them the forestry division will be Of especial
consequence. This Is the most recently or
ganized bureau of the department, having
been established in 1877. Mr.. b. F. Fernow is
at the head of this work. The preservation of
American forests. which are fast falling be-
meath the unsparing ak Of the lumberman. il
considered matter OF great importance at
his time. The forestry congress, which met
in Philadelphia last week, did much to draw
public attention to the work which was going
on and was participated in by a number of peo-
pie from this city who are interested in the
subject. Forests are not only valuable for the
lumber they supply but their influence upon
climate Is well understood, especially in re-
gard to temperature and moisture Of the air
The object for which this division Is formed"
remarked Mr.. Fernow to The STAR man, lis to
attract attention to the great variety of trees
which abound in this country and to show the
economical and practical uses Of our various
woods 1t seeks to promote an appreciation Of
the value as well as the beauty Of the trees and
to show how to make the forests more profit
able than they are now. It also encourages
tree planting in the city for their sanitary
value, in city parks and school house grounds
for their shade and beauty and in every place
where their presence will tend TO make life
pleasanter and happier"
THE COLLECTION OF STATISTICS.
1t is only natural that where all these inves.
LEGATIONS and experiments are being conducted
there must be statistics, and in the act which
established Department Of Agriculture the
collection OF statistics was specified as one of
its leading objects. The bureau which att end
to this work is under the personal supervision
of Mr.. ]. r. Dodge. 1t reports upon the har-
vest indications from local Investigations of
the conditions of crops, the prices brought by
products of the farm, the cost of transportation,
the stock on hand, the requirements of con-
sumption and stock on hand in the markets of
the world. The work also includes the collec-
ton Of all facts bearing on production, distri-
button. consumption, price. cost and profit.
''Ihs aim of this division" said Mr.. Dodge, sis
to gfVe accurate information to the producer
so as to protect him against the deception of
the Spectator and guide him in the profitable
distribution of his crops"
OTHER DIvIsIoNA
Besides these bureaus already described
there are many others with work Just az i'm
portant. The chemical division looks after the
results Of chemical Investigations into the
nature and properties of soil; the horticultural
division busies itself with looking after flowers,
fruits and plauts; the propagating division
sends slips and bulbs all over the country; the
botanical division sends flower seeds to make
glad the hearts Of lovers Of the beautiful in
every nook and corner Of this big country.