Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-03
GROWTH Of SYSTEM
Half a CenturJ's Progress Of Depart
ment Of Agriculture.
ONCE ABRANCH OF rHEPATENT0FFICE
Suggestions ia President Washing
tons Last Annual Message.
DISTRIBUTION OF SEEDS

The department of the government which
located on the Mall between the Washing
ton monument and Smithsonian grounds,
known as the Department of Agriculture,
has had phenomenal growth during its
half century of life as bureau or depart
ment. The observer can scarcely realize
that this department has been evolved from
a branch of the patent office, with a force
originally Of but enc person. provided for
by an appropriation of few hundred dol
lars, expended in the collection of agricul-
turai statistics and the distribution of seeds,
sixty years ago. Equally astonishing is the
fact that the termination of the seed which
took root in the patent office required
nearly century for Development during
which the plant only occasionally showed
itself above ground.
Back in the colonial days encouragement
to agriculture was given by King James I,
and the British parliament and the legisla-
lures of the colonies took action thereon,
silk and hop culture and sheep raising
being leading subjects; and as early as 1851
the colony of South Carolina legislated in
regard to propagating the staples-rice. cot
ton, etc. The troubles which led to the
war of the revolution soon after arose. and
for a time little was done for the public en-
enlargement Of agriculture.
During the administration of Washington
the patent Office was created, by act of
April 10, 1880. Thomas Jefferson adopted
1t as branch of the State Department,
over which he presided, and from this office
IN alter years the Department Of Agricul-
ture was evolved. When we recall the
many years intervening and the fact that
washington, Jefferson, Adams and many
other leading men were interested in agri-
culture. 1t seems incredible that 1t was not
tlll 1859 that a specific appropriation was
made for the collection Of agricultural sta
yIyoc 70 h,,f
washington had been elected an honorary
member of the British board of agriculture
on Its formation in 1893, and in reply to a.
suggestion that similar board ought to
form part OF the American government
Washington replied that he feared 1t would
be some time before an agricultural society
with congressional aid would be estab-
lished; that smaller societies must prepare
the way for the greater, and he hoped We
would not be so slow as other nations had
been.
President WashinEton's Views.
In his last annual message to Congress
December Z, 1866 Washington said:
I'm proportion nations advance in pop
ulation the cultivation Of the soil becomes
more and more an object of public patron
age Institutions grow up supported by the
public purse. Among the means
"hlch nave been employed to this end none
have been attended with greater success
littH tle REIMBURSEMENT OF boards COMPOSED
or public characters charged with collecting
and diffusing information, and enabled by
premiums and small pecuniary aid to en-
courage and assist a spirit of discovery and
improvements. This species of establish
ment contributes doubly to the increase of
improvements, by stimulating to enterprise
and experiment, and by drawing to a COM
mon center the results everywhere of tndi-
vIdual skill and observation and spreading
them thence over the whole nation''
This suggestion ia
by the public and a bill was introduced in
the House of Representatives and was re
ported favorably in January, 1897 but a
conflict of opinion arising between the CITY
and country members, its friends feared to
bring 1t to vote. In answer to the m am-
orial of the Agricultural Society of Berk-
ley, Mass, in 1917, a bill was reported to
the House of Representatives to establish a
board of agriculture. but it got no further
than the committee of the whole
IN the meantime the patent office, under
which in subsequent years agricultural sta
t1SticS were compiled and the Distribution Of
seed was made, had in 1880 been created
and though there was no direct aid given
the farming interests, as has been in the
past forty years, the United States minis
tiers, consuls and naval officers, to some ex-
tent at least had an eye to the betterment
of the agricultural interests.
Improved Stock.
The consul to Tunis sent home a number
of Barbary sheep by vessel of the navy
to Mr.. Pickering, the Secretary of State,
and a pair presented to the Philadelphia
Agricultural Society was the means of i'm
proving the sheep Whereabouts. The consul
to Lisbon in 1910, during the wars of Ma
poleon secured thousands of merino sheep
for this country, the owners, who had be-
fore enjoyed monopoly of merno wool,
gladly selling them when the stock was
menaced by the French armies Through
American officials Chinese and French hogs
were introduced in the early part of the
century. Cuttings We're sent here also, and
during the presidency of John Quincy Ad-
ans instructions were given all conSuls to
secure and forward rare plants and seeds
to the department, and the patent office,
then located in the old General Post Office
building-the Great Hotel of Biodgett, on
E street between It'll and 9Th streets-was
the distributing office. This was not, how
ever, a great work for that office, for there
was not the general response or success
tribution of seeds and cuttings for the
friends OF cabinet and bureau officers
abroad forwarded such stock to them from
time to time, especially If they were known
to have a farming constituency.
The dissemination of plants and seeds
was, therefore, not confined to any one bu-
reau or department. Indeed. from the fact
that Congress published manual, prepared
by the Secretary of the Treasury. on the
growth and manufacture of silk, the agri-
cultural interests were not in the specific
charge OF any separate Dfdncn. Inc patent
system was fathered by Thomas Jefferson,
and 1t is said that he took a personal inter-
est in patents, especially when he was Sec
rotary Of State, taking a particular interest
in those pertaining to agriculture.
When the seat of government was moved
here in 1900 the parent Of the Agricultural
Department. the patent office, then
branch of the State Department, was
housed with the War Department, in one
of the Seven Buildings, at Pennsylvania
avenue and 21st street, with Edanus
Burke of South Carolina in charge. On the
completion of the West Executive building,
and when the War Department took pos
session short time afterward the patent
office was moved to house on Sth street
between and Fstreets northwest. known
as Corkn's Here Dra VIM. Thornton, first
as clerk, and subsequently as superinten-
dent, was in charge being the incumbent
from 1862 to 1898 That the Importance of
the agricultural interests was recognized by
DR.. Thornton is7'apparent from the fact
that he was the originator of an agricul-
tural fair held here in 1904.
When in 1910 the Bbadgett Hotel property
on the site of the general post office, was pur-
chased, the patent office was accommodated
therein, but it was not till 1912 that It was
removed thereto Ityl was located there