Federal Promotion of Crops


 THE TREASURY CIRCULAR OF 1827
 The second Treasury circular was largely the work of John
 Quincy Adams. Months before this circular was issued, Adams
 noted in his diary that he had discussed the matter at some
 length with friends and ". .thought we might venture upon some
 small expense to collect certain specific seeds or plants and have
 them planted in the garden of the Columbian Institute." Adams
 suggested to Southard, Secretary of the Navy, that a circular letter
 be sent to the captains of our public ships requesting that they
 lend their assistance in cooperation with the consuls to effect the
 object. He also recommended that an alphabetical list be made of
 the plants recommended for importation, their uses and the coun-
 tries from which they would be procured.
 As in the previous circular, no expense could be authorized,
 but the hope was expressed that Congress might make some pro-
 vision to defray expenses incurred.1 The second circular went into
 much more detail than did the first. Information on the cultivation,
 the preferred climate and soil, the propagation, and the uses of
 each plant was requested. Southard endorsed the circular with a
 request for cooperation addressed to the ships of the Navy. Detailed
 directions for putting up and transmitting seeds and plants accom-
 panied the circular. These were necessary to insure the live arrival
 of seeds and plants in the United States from distant overseas
 locations.
 Probably such materials were to be sent to Washington to be
 placed in the government botanic garden, which Adams is sup-
 posed to have established for receiving and distributing them.
 This was the nucleus of the botanic and propagating gardens which
 were greatly expanded a quarter century later. (3)

 ASSISTANCE OF THE NAVY
 Before a special office for plant introduction was established,
the Navy had greater opportunities to render voluntary assistance
in this work than did any other department of the government.
Captains of merchant and naval vessels often owned farms, and
used their positions to bring livestock and plants from abroad for
trial. Navy Captain Jesse Elliott, for example, overindulged his
interest in foreign livestock to the extent of giving his animals
preferred passage aboard ship to the discomfort of his men. The
 'See Appendix Sections I, II, and III.