Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-18


be held the chief and important func-
ton of the great department. the ramih-
cations of which touch the hearthstone
of every American home Officials ana
clerks busy with animal industry, plaht
industry, chemistry, soil. entomology.
biology and other deep subjects. who
hear their department described as
the place where they send out seeds.
drop their pens for moment and let
expressions of disgust. hopelessness or
helpleSsnesS overspread their faces.
However. this seed distribution function
Of the Department of Agriculture is in
teresting. b. T. Galloway, who was CHER
of the bureau OF plant industry before
higher departmental honorS came his
way once told the Rambler that the pur-
chase and distribution Of seeds and
plants by the government dates back TO
colonial times AS early as ll4o the Brit
ish parliament granted 100000 to pro-
mote the cultivation of indigo and other
crops in the American colonies, and the
assemblies of the various colonies appro-
priated small sums to encourage the cul-
tivation of plants new to the country,
such as hops in Virginia, mulberry trees
for silk culture In Georgia and vineyards
for the establishment of an American
wine industry.
1t was about two years ago that Mr..
Galloway sent to Secretary Wilson some
data which he had found concerning the
early distribution of plant seeds in this
country. He said that Benjamin Frank
lin, while in England as agent for Penn
sylvania, sent home s!lkworm eggs and
mulberry cuttings. Thomas Jefferson
during the FIVE years he represented this
country as minister to France-l1S4 TO
17S9-forwarded numerous seeds. samples
of grasses, rice, peppers and olives TO
correspondents at home, especially to the
Society for the Improvement of Agricui-
ture at Charleston, S. c. 1t was to this
society that he sent samples of rice seed.
from which some of the best rice in the
world was raised in the Carolinas Other
representatives of our government in the
early days Of its history followed the
example Of Franklin and Jefferson. until
during the administration Of John Quincy
Adams instructions We're given to all
United States consuls to forward rare
% ants and seeds to Washington for dis
tribution The Botanic. Garden was later
established in Washington in which We're
grown many of the rare and interesting
plants imported from foreign countries
and considerable quantities of such seeds
and plants were distributed by the COM
missioner of patents.
Yet, Notwithstanding all these efforts
to introduce new and valuable plants
into the United States it Is true that
many of the fruits and vegetables with
which we are now so familiar were
scarce or altogether unknown to our
forefathers in the early part of the
nineteenth century. The illustrated
seed catalogues which now come to
US in such numbers were unknown and
there were but very few nurseries.
seed farms or seedmen. Farmers col
,ected their own seeds. with the een-
eral result that there was no improve
1nent from year to year. Even on the
farms the art of selecting the best
seeds was not understood except
among the most skillful husbandmen.
But in the early part of the nineteenth
century the agricultural fair began to
cut somewhat of a figure in rural life
and various societies for the promo
ton of agriculture We're organized. A
society of this kind was organized in
Washington in 1909. There were 4
few important agricultural improve
ment societies previous to this. The
society at Charleston had been organ
lied in 1854. one at New York in 1855.
one at Philadelphia in 1871 and one at
Boston in 1892.
The official distribution of seeds by