the southern States is far greater than the general average for the United States, as the following table will show:

The large proportion-almost three-fourths-of unimproved land in farms, in addition to the unimproved public lands, illustrates pointedly the necessity that vastly more labor be applied to their cultivation. The most populous States in the Union have the smallest farms, commanding the highest price per acre; and the value per acre is, as a general fact, inversely proportionate to the size of the farms. Thus the farms of Massachusetts average 94 acres; of Rhode Island, 96; of Connecticut, 99; of New York, 106; of Pennsylvania, 109; and of Ohio, 114 acres.

Every head of a family should have a homestead if possible. Thus an incentive to industry is created, and a spirit of enterprise encouraged, that will soon double the products of the country, increase the wealth of the States, and add to the resources of the nation.

In this new order of things I feel the importance of the position which this department should assume towards the people of the States now reassuming their former relations with the rest of the country. With the question of reconstruction, or, more properly, reorganization, I have no concern; believing the subject to be in competent hands, and that its final and satisfactory settlement will be accomplished in due time. I shall, therefore, cheerfully put forth my exertions, to the best of my ability, in aid of measures of reconciliation and for the advancement of the interests of agriculture throughout the whole country, believing that branch of industry to be the foundation of the prosperity of all nations, and the fostering of its interests by the government to be absolutely essential to such prosperity. History furnishes abundant illustrations of this truth.

The southern States will need much aid and encouragement in the coming season. Their favorable climate and prolific fields should invite capital and stimulate labor. In no other section can crops be cultivated with less labor,

nor are there any crops more remunerative than such as are peculiarly adapted to that section of the country. Their cotton is the best that has yet been produced in any country, and their sugar crop is one of great importance-Louisiana alone having produced in 1859 221,726 hogsheads of sugar and 13,439,772 gallons of molasses.

I have endeavored so to conduct the affairs of this department as to commend it to the favorable consideration of Congress and the approval of my countrymen, not doubting that its operations will be duly appreciated, and its labors ultimately crowned with complete success. I shall seek to increase its practical value and extend its influence, and hope it may continue to receive the liberal and fostering attention of Congress, and that those engaged in agriculture may be thereby stimulated to greater exertions and higher aims.

Our country possesses an advantage in soil and climate unsurpassed by any other on the globe for cultivating and perfecting all the necessary elements of subsistence and comforts for our entire population, with luxuries in abundance for the most cultivated tastes. With our extended and daily increasing system of internal improvements a failure of crops in one section of the country would scarcely be felt. These vast resources and appliances which spring into exist ence at the bidding of an industrious and energetic people daily add to the wealth and greatness of the nation, enhancing the happiness of the people; hence all are alike interested in the success of agricultural science; and if those engaged in it will pursue it with half the energy that characterizes those in other pursuits-availing themselves of all means of improvement, profiting by the prac tical experience of the most successful, and managing their farms systematically upon business principles-abundance and wealth will be their sure reward. From the wealth thus created and diffused throughout society will come with grateful pleasure the taxes for the support of the government and payment of the national debt, which, under equal and just laws, will be entirely extinguished with unprecedented celerity.

During the past year I have availed myself of the services of Messrs. V. D. Collins and John II. Klippart, gentlemen of skill and intelligence, well known to be devoted to the interests of scientific and practical agriculture, to visit parts of Europe and Asia, at a very small pecuniary outlay, compared with the advantages to be derived from their labors in the investigation of questions of present importance in the agriculture of this country. No reports having yet been received, the results of their labors will be given in detail in the agricultural report for 1865.

A very malignant disease among cattle, called the "rinderpest," or cattle plague, has been prevailing for some time, with fatal effect, in Russia, Great Britain, and other European countries. Its ravages have been exceedingly severe, destroying in many instances whole herds of the most valuable ́and carefully bred cattle of Europe. It seems to be both contagious and infectious, aud much apprehension is felt for the safety of the cattle of this country. The importance of the subject seems to demand the immediate action of Congress, prohibiting the importation of farm-stock during the prevalence of the disease.

The rooms now occupied by this department are entirely inadequate for its

accommodation, being located, in part, in the Patent Office building, with other rooms in buildings disconnected from it. The increasing demand of the Bureau of Patents for additional room must shortly render it a matter of necessity to surrender the rooms now occupied by this department. For the better arrangement of the increasing collection of specimens in the museum, or object-library, and for greater convenience in the transaction of the business cf the office, additional and more contiguous accommodation is highly desirable. I trust, therefore, that Congress will take measures for the erection of a suitable building, at as early a day as possible, for the use of the department.

Large quantities of new and valuable seeds, cuttings, and plants have been distributed during the last year throughout the country, in order to test the adaptability of such varieties to the various soils and climates of the different sections. These experiments, whenever they have proved a success, have been of inestimable value, not only improving qualities, but also increasing the crop productions per acre, and inciting to emulation in the introduction of new varieties.

In the distribution of seeds, 234,945 packages have been delivered to senators and representatives in Congress, 119,693 to agricultural and horticultural societies, and 408,593 to regular and occasional correspondents, and in answer to personal applications-making a total distribution of all varieties of seeds of 763,231 packages.

The distributions from the experimental and propagating garden during the past year have been mainly confined to varieties of the small fruits, such as grapes, strawberries, gooseberries, raspberries, and currants. Of these about 35,000 plants have been distributed through the usual channels.

The process of testing the respective merits of varieties of fruits is in active progress, so far as the capacities of the garden will permit. Additions are constantly being made to the list of plants selected for the above purpose. It is my constant endeavor to preserve the distinguishing feature of the garden for the propagation and dissemination of specialties, under intelligent supervision, and avoid its degeneration into a commercial nursery.

A new propagating house has been erected, substantially fitted with the most improved facilities, and is now in successful operation.

For the purpose of ascertaining whether among the many valued fruits of tropical regions there may be any worthy of artificial culture, I have had an apartment in one of the green-houses arranged in a suitable manner for their growth, and have opened a correspondence towards securing as complete a collection of these plants as practicable.

The assignment to this department of reservation No. 2, lying immediately west of the Smithsonian grounds, for the purpose of an experimental farm, has afforded an opportunity for the initiation of a series of experiments designed to test the value of foreign cereals, forage plants, and garden vegetables.

The grounds, with an unbroken soil of somewhat tenacious clay, came into my possession about the middle of April, quite too late to admit of being put in proper tilth for obtaining the best results during the present season. A few acres, duly fertilized and suitably pulverized, were planted with 346 varieties of

seeds, including 18 kinds of Indian corn, 34 of beans, 13 of peas, 77 of potatoes, (52 of which were seedlings,) 33 of melons, and many varieties, respectively, of tomatoes, beets, and other vegetables.

Specimens of cotton matured quite perfectly with the aid of fertilizers and high culture. Some of the foreign seeds promise to be acquisitions to our agriculture, either by virtue of excellence in quality, productiveness, or adaptation to special uses, soils, or climate. Further experiments will develop more completely and accurately their peculiar characters and values.

During the autumn the remaining portion of the grounds has been seeded with grasses and cereals, especially with wheats, embracing sixty-two varieties, from France, Prussia, Russia, Great Britain, Chili, and China. Valuable results are confidently expected to accrue eventually from these experiments. An office and stable have been erected, at small expense, and a supply of Potomac water brought upon the premises.

The donations and additions to the museum have been increased to such an extent during the past year that the two small rooms appropriated to that purpose have been completely filled, and many of the most interesting specimens of fibres, sugars, seeds, &c., cannot be exhibited for want of space, and are therefore unavailable to those desiring to study them. The museum has been enriched by specimens of sheep and domestic poultry, showing the true types of the various breeds, and to what purpose each breed is specially adapted.

In my former report it was recommended that the collection of insects, birds, and model fruits belonging to Mr. Townend Glover, entomologist of the department, should be purchased by the government, and made the nucleus of a national agricultural and economic museum. This subject is earnestly pressed upon the attention of Congress.

The sum of five hundred dollars has been expended in sending Mr. Glover to Paris, to represent the interest of this department at the exposition of insects useful or injurious to the crops, which was held at the industrial palace, under the patronage of the minister of agriculture of France; where I am happy to say he received the first premium of the large gold medal of the Emperor Napoleon for his yet unfinished work on the insects of America, a work as original in its plan of arrangement as it will prove to be valuable in its proposed remedies for the destructive insects. He was nearly four months. absent, and on his return brought specimens of the various silk cocoons and silk-producing insects, together with prepared skins of animals and game birds which are susceptible of domestication, and may with advantage be introduced and acclimated in this country. It is sincerely to be hoped that a portion of the propagating grounds, or some other convenient place, may be set apart for the purpose of commencing a garden of acclimation, from whence the llama, cashmere goat, and the improved breeds of domestic fowls, might be distributed to different parts of our country.

The ailanthus silkworm, which has succeeded so well in France, has been reintroduced this year from Paris. This insect may now be considered as perfectly acclimated, and the silk produced by it is very strong and of good quality.

Since my last report the laboratory has been fitted up and provided with

apparatus and other means of investigation. In regard to the practical results obtained I would refer to the report of the chemist, as showing that some original investigations have been made, and many questions answered which have been propounded by farmers, technologists, sugar-producers, and others, in all parts of the country.

Minerals, ores, and geological specimens have been received by mail and otherwise, in considerable quantities. Such as proved valuable, and could be properly identified as to locality, were retained as a nucleus for a mineralogical cabinet.

The field open for chemical science never was so great as at the present time. Chemistry being indeed the life and soul of an intelligent, rational agriculture, the governments of Europe-Germany taking the lead-impressed with this unquestionable fact, have established experimental agricultural stations, consisting of an experimental garden and a complete analytical laboratory. The chemist, provided with assistants, institutes on the spot such original experiments, and tests such theoretical problems in reference to agriculture, as would seem most prolific of benefit to the farming community and the world at large. To instruct the farmer as to the difference between robbing and tilling the land, to teach him to understand and take a lively interest in the practical experiments above alluded to, travelling teachers have been appointed, connected with these agricultural stations, whose office it is to impart useful knowledge to the masses by lectures and conversations. Thus every one may gradually be prepared to receive and profit by the rich stores of science open to every intelligent farmer. Such is the appreciation of chemical science in Germany, where schools and private laboratories so abound, that at the present time two large laboratories on the most complete scale, are in the course of construction at Berlin and Bonn, at the expense of the state.

In the collection of statistics, during the past year, unusual attention has been given to farm stock. The waste of horses and mules by war, and the army consumption of meats, excited fears of deficient supplies of domestic animals, rendering necessary a reliable exposition of the number, price, and value of each kind in the several States-a labor undertaken with much care, and accomplished, it is believed, notwithstanding its difficulty, with a fair measure of success.

The tables of statistics resulting from these labors are applied to important uses-foiling the designs of speculators and correcting their misrepresentations ; enabling the farmer to obtain the worth of his cereals, wool, meats, and other agricultural products; and directing the purchaser of store animals in what quarter to obtain most easily and cheaply his needed supplies for fattening. Accurate statistics, affecting commercial dealings in farm products, may thus prove of immediate and almost incalculable service to the agricultural eommunity.

I may here remark that this system of collecting, compiling, and publishing farm statistics is attracting the attention and eliciting the commendation of European nations, and that many of their most practical statisticians acknowledge freely its superiority over prevailing European systems.