visitor to the Department. If he will extend his walk to the experimental garden, he will be impressed with other lessons which cannot be learned so well out of books. The whole horticultural division is best comprehended when regarded as a living teacher, to be seen face to face, talked with and listened to. It is an educator, from which may be learned the names of the best fruits; the uses of a thousand foreign plants which are adapted to cultivation upon American soil; the diseases of grapes, pears, peaches, &c.; interesting results in hybridizing; the best methods of pruning, budding, and grafting; and, generally, the best methods of conducting all horticultural and fruit-growing enterprises. A leading object of the horticultural division is to direct attention to such exotic plants as possess useful properties and are capable of adaptation to American climatic conditions. In pursuing this object the superintendent has aided greatly in giving proper direction to the enterprise of such citizens as would introduce new agricultural interests. This aid has been rendered mainly through the medium of official correspondence that is never published, but it has been none the less timely and valuable nevertheless. Coffee plantations cannot be successfully established in localities where the temperature ever falls below 45° F., a condition which nowhere exists in the United States; cinchona can be cultivated where the temperature does not fall below 32° F., a condition which is supposed to exist in Southern California; the tea plant and Eucalyptus globulus will succeed in some portions of the United States, but not in all; the olive will flourish in our Southern States, but its cultivation can scarcely ever be profitable, owing to its slow growth and the ease with which its oil may be counterfeited; the fig may be successfully cultivated as far north as Baltimore, and, although former efforts to properly cure the fruit have not been successful, the advice has been given to experiment with the recently improved artificial mode of drying fruits. These instances are given as illustrations of the character of the information furnished by the horticultural division from time to time in response to inquiries, and it is not the least of the achievements of the Department of Agriculture that this division has given advice that has stimulated enterprise in proper directions and prevented the sacrifice of fortunes in efforts that could only have proved unavailing. The exhibit of the horticultural division at the International Exhibition, 1876, comprised— 1. Thirty-two photographic views of the grounds, showing character. istic groups of trees, the Department building, conservatories, terraces, pavilions, experimental garden, flower garden, and general landscape effects. 2. A collection of economic plants, as per list (A). 3. A detailed plan of the grounds and arboretum, with references, by figures, to the position of families, genera, and species, as per list marked B, which includes nearly all the ligneous plants fitted to succeed in the District of Columbia. Agave Americana.. Agave sisalana Aleurites Moluccana Aloe soco trina. Antiaris toxicaria.. Araucaria Bidwilli. A.-ECONOMIC PLANTS. Artanthe elongata Bixa Orellana. Boldoa fragrans Camphora officinarum Carica Papaya. Capparis spinosa. Ceratonia Siliqua.. Chrysophyllum Cainito Cinnamomum zeylamcum.. Coffea Arabica Musa textilis Musa Cavendishii. Olea Europea Phormium tenax. Photinia Japonica Pinckneya pubens Piper nigrum Psidium Cattleyanum. Saccharinum officinarum. Sanseviera guineensis.. Tamarindus indica Thea viridis.... Cereus giganteus.. Pita fiber plant. Sisal hemp plant. Candleberry tree. Bitter aloes. Upas tree. Bunya nut tree. Matico. ..Bamboo cane. Arnotta plant. ..Ramie. Camphor plant. Tropical papaw tree. Star apple. Croton-oil plant. .Dragon's blood tree. . Cabuya fiber plant. Maté, Paraguaya tea. Physic nut tree. Mammee apple. Cassava, tapioca plant Arrow-root plant. Manila hemp plant. .Dwarf banana. European olive. .New Zealand flax. .Bowstring hemp. .Tamarind tree. Chinese tea plant. ..Gigantic cactus. Tilia Americana. Tilia Americana heterophylla. Tilia pubescens leptophylla. Tilia Europea asplenifolia. Tilia Europea aurea macrophylla. Tilia Europæa cordata. Tilia Europæa dasystyla. Tilia Europea gigantea. Tilia Europea grandifolia aurea. Tilia Europea laciniata. Tilia Europæa maculata. Tilia Europea microphylla. Tilia Europea pendula variegata aurea. Tilia Europæa rubra. Tilia Europæa vitifolia. CAMELLIACEE. Gordonia Lasianthus. Rhus aromatica. Rhus copallina. Rhus cotinoides. Rhus glabra. Pistacia Lentiscus. RHAMNACEÆ. Berchemia volubilis. Ceanothus divaricatus. Ceanothus Fontanesianus. Rhamnus Alaternus angustifolia. Rhamnus Alaternus maculata. Rhamnus alnifolius. Rhamnus Alpinus. Rhamnus Californicus. Rhamnus catharticus. B.-DICOTYLEDONE-Continued. Enonymus Europæus albo fructo. Enonymus Japonicus fol. variegata. Enonymus Japonicus fol. argentea. Enonymus radicans fol. variegata.. Acer Colchicum rubra. Acer coriaceum. Acer Creticum. Acer cristata. Acer dasycarpum. Acer dasycarpum laciniata. Acer dasycarpum laciniata foliis aurea. Acer Japonica atropurpurea. Acer macrophyllum. Acer obtusatum. Acer Opulus. Acer Pennsylvanicum. Acer platanoides. Acer platanoides dissectum. Acer platanoides laciniatum. Acer platanoides Lobelii. Acer platanoides occulatum. Acer polymorphum atropurpureum. Acer Pseudo-Platanus alba. |