Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-03


and the government offices there were es-
tablished IN other quarters. The patent
office, on the invitation of the mayor, Col.
Peter Force, and the councils. occupied a
portion of the city hall, and was here dur
ing the years 1880, and until the spring
of 1870 when the building on the north side
of F street fronting on Sth street, though
unfinished was in part occupied by 1t.
Mr.. Ellsworth was a farmers friend. and
in addition to the specific business of the
office received from representatives abroad
distributed to enterprising agriculturists
throughout the country. In his reports he
urged the support of the government in this
direction and otherwise.
Thus it may be said that the actual birth
OF the agricultural division took place in
the city hall, the building used for munich
pal, judicial, military, religious. literary
society and other purposes Mr.. Ellsworth's
arguments and suggestions prevailed, and
by the act of March 3. 1889, the first spe-
cific appropriation of $1,000 was made for
collecting and distributing plants and seeds,
prosecuting agricultural Investigations and
procuring statistics. 1t may be ina ined
now little was accomplished. but it Was the
entering wedge, and in the following decade
for like purposes, appropriations of few
thousand dollars were made annually, with
one or two exceptions.
Mr.. Ellsworth in 1S41 reported that 30 600
packages Of seed had been distributed, and
the agricultural statistics were being pre-
pared from the census of 1870 In 1912
these were published, with a number of
|
science. From this time on much attention
was given to the farmers interests, that
portion of the commissioners report, often
taking up from 400 to 500 pages and finally,
When two parts were requi ed, the agricul
tnral report was larger than that devoted
to mechanics, the annual appropriations
Tor this branch In the COS Increasing to
$780,
Increase in the Work.
AS bureau of the State Department the
patent office, in which was the germ of the
Agricultural Department. continued till
1S49, when it became bureau of the Home,
afterward Department of the Interior The
agricultural work, the collection of statis-
tics. preparation and publication of articles
IN the interest of the planter and farmer
Increased from year to year. In this year
Mr.. F. 6. Skinner, the publisher Of the
American Farmer, was collector of agri-
cultural statistics. and two years after DR..
Daniel Lee of Georgia was placed in charge
or this work. Mr.. d. j. Browne of New
Hampshire came next, in 1865, and two
years later he, with Townsend Glover of
New York and II. c. Williams of New
York, were each receiving 5000 per year
In what was popularity known the seed
DIVISION, then having five other employees.
It was about this time that that portion of
the mall. fronting Missouri avenue between
az and 9Th streets north of the old canal.
was taken as a propagating garden. In
! this decade the United States Agricultural
ings here from 1852 down to 1860 brought
together representatives from many state
associations. These warmly Endorsed the
work and advocated the enlargement of it
by making 1t an independent bureau or de-
partment, and also urged the establishing
of agricultural colleges. The efforts of Mr.
j. NJ. Morrill,, for several terms on the agri
| culture committee of the House. in extend
| ing aid to agricultural colleges from 1856
were finally successful the act going
through in 1862. Marshall P. Wilder, the
president of the National Society. and
Isaac Newton of Pennsylvania were active
during the administrations of Presidents
| Fillmore, Pierce and Buchanan to that OF
Mr.. Lincoln in urging that it was the duty
of Congress to extend the work. When, in
| 1861, Nj. Lincoln made Mr.. Holloway Of
Indiana commissioner of patents, Mr.. New
ton was made chief of the agricultural sec
| ton of his office. The benefit of the seed
room" had been noticed by many, and those
members of Congress and of the cabinet
and the bureau offices who had been put
| to the trouble of supplying their constt-
uents with seed and agricultural information
were relieved thereby. Mr. Holloway warm
| ly Endorsed the efforts of Mr.. Newton to
improve the service. and in his first report,
in 1861. he urged the establishment of an
agricultural department.
Department Established.
This recommendation was favo-ably act
ed on, and the department established
by act of May 10, 1862. Under this act Mr..
agriculture ito acquire and to diffuse
among the people of the United States use
full Information on subjects connected with
agriculture in the most general and COM
prehenSfVe sense of that word, and to pro-
cure, propagate and distribute among the
people new and valuable seeds and plants"
The propagating garden before mentioned
was deemed too small by him. and the pres
ent agricultural grounds We're assigned him
for an experimental farm. This, however,
was in the possession of the military as a
cattle yard for the army, and it was not
until the close of the war dhe summer of
1869 that he could get possession. Mr..
VIM. Saunders was, upon the elevation of
the division into department in 1862,
placed in charge of the propagating garden
and he has been continuously connected
with the department since = thirtyeight
years-being the superintendent of the
grounds. He published the first bulletin of
and aims of the experimental garden, with
a catalogue. Mr. Isaac Newton, jr, one
of the original force under his father, re-
Gently returned to the department under
temporary appointment: James Kerr, Alex
Mckericher and Mr.. Holly have been for
about thirty years in the service
Under Commissioner Newton a building
on F street between 9th and 18th streets
was rented and occupied by his force, as
was also one on 9th street, near f street
as seed room 1t is worthy of note that
in 1864 Mr.. Newton suggested that daily
weather reports be furnished by telegraph
for the benefit of agricultursts. He also
called attention to the beet sugar industry
IN France, suggesting its trial in this coun-
try.
The present department grounds went
into the possession of the government, I'M
der Newton, in July, 1865, and was first
used experimental farm with Mr..
Isaac Newton, jr., in charge. Late as it
was number of tests were made that year
and quantity of seed saved for distribu-
ton. 1t was here that Commissioner New
ton suffered the sun stroke. in July, 1866,
from the effects of which he died the fol-
lowing year. During his term 1S81-67, the
work had been rapidly increasing and the
foundations laid for the future, including
the library and museum, and when Col
Capron succeeded him there We're several
divisions.
Building Constructed.
1t was under Colonel Capron that the de-
partment building was erected. In 1865, on
the mall, and the force moved thereto.
The experimental farm was converted into
an arboretum. Since Colonel Caprons time
the commissioners have been Frederick
Watts of Pennsylvania, w. G. LIE Due of
Minnesota, George B: Loring Of Massa-
chusetts and N. J. Colman Of Missouri
In 1889, during the incumbeucy of