The National tribune., 1899-08-17

individuals were put in charge of the collec-
tion of statistics and distribution OF seeds IN
the Patent Office, until the Lincoln Ad-
ministration in 1861, when the Hon. David
P Holloway, of Indiana, became Com,
| missioner of Patents, and in his first annual
| report made vigorous argument for the
establishment of a separate Department OF
the Government to deal with the interests
of agriculture and the productive arts.
Congress very soon took up the suggestion,
and an act was passed, approved May Is,
1862, creating the Bureau of Agriculture,
and providing for its administration, with
Commissioner at its head At the same
time another act was passed, called the
Morrill, law, for the establishment OF Agri-
cultural Colleges, and these two acts of
Congress taken together may well be con-
sidered as the practical organic foundation
of the present Department with all its wide
spread ramifcationS.
COMMISSIONER NEWTON.
The Hon. Isaac Newton, who was the
last Chief of the Section of Agriculture in the
Patent Office, was appointed the first Com
missioner by President Lincoln. He took
charge in his new capacity on July 1, 1862,
when the law establishing the Department
went into effect. He had at his disposal
propagating garden at Sixth street and
Missouri avenue northwest, in the City of
Washington, also 40 acres of land as an
experiment farm. the same which is now
OcCupleQ Dy tIe department. lOI a ullleIellI
purpose. Commissioner Newton had
great deal of difficulty in getting his new
Department in running order, with Super
intendent of the Propagating Garden, who
is Mr.. William Saunders, still with the De-
partment, and Department Chemist, as
his chief assistants.
In 1863 Statistcian was appointed in
the person of Mr.. Lewis Bollman, and an
Entomologist, Prof. Townsend Glover.
Commissioner Newton imported choice
wheat and made experiments with various
cereals and the growth of cotton, and was
active in the distribution of packages of
seeds, bulbs and vines. He died suddenly
in 1867, as the result of sunstroke, in his
experiment field.
COMMISSIONER CAPRoN.
Gen. Horace Capron, of Illinois, was ap-
pointed to fill the vacancy. He paid much
attention to the questions of steam plowing,
beet sugar making, and the problem of
silk culture. He established a system of
exchanges of seeds and plants with manyof
the Governments of Europe, Asia and South
America. He had a chemical laboratory
fitted up, and made large collections of
grasses, forage and fiber plants from the
far West. 1t was at his instigation in 1868
that the work of the Fish Commission was
inaugurated. He also made an investiga-
ton of the Texas cattle fever and recon-
mended the establishment of a Division of
Veterinary Surgery, and the propagation
of the cinchona plant. 1t was with uni
versal regret that Gen. Capron retired from
his Office by resignation, June 27, 1871, as
the Department had made long strides in
usefulness and extent of its operations
under his intelligent and businesslike
management The main building of the
Department was completed and occupied
during Commissioner Capron's term.
COMMISSIONER WATTS.
Judge Frederick Watts, of Carlisle, Pa,
was appointed by President Grant to fill the
vacancy
At the beginning of Commissioner Watts
term of Office we find in operation the Di-
vision of Chemistry, Garden and Grounds,
Entomology, Statistics and Botany. This
enumeration shows how limited the field
of operations was at that time compared
with the work of today. He inaugurated
the Division of Microscopy, and among