America's Crop Heritage


resulting complaints led to a court martial for Elliott and the
issuance of a general order forbidding the transportation of live-
stock aboard public vessels.
 The Navy kept a squadron in the Mediterranean, and many
plant items were sent back from that region. The orders of the
Navy Department to Commander William Crane in 1827, furnish
a typical example.

 It will probably be in your power, while protecting the commercial, to add
something to the agricultural interests of the nation, by procuring information
respecting valuable animals, seeds, and plants, and importing such as you can,
conveniently, without inattentions to your more appropriate duties, or expense
to the Government. There are many scientific, agricultural, and Botanical institu-
tions, to which your collections might be profitably intrusted, and by which what-
ever you procure will be used to the most extensive advantage of the country.
Among those is the Columbian Institute of this city.

 In 1824, Captain John Harris, USN, brought seeds of the large
 type of lima beans from Peru. The bean became quite popular in
 subsequent years. The American Farmer published instances of
 clover and alfalfa importations by naval officers. Ballard, a captain
 with the Mediterranean Squadron, brought about five bushels of
 lupinella from Italy and distributed it among friends near
 Annapolis. Commander Jacob Jones sent a keg of alfalfa seed from
 Valparaiso in 1827 to John S. Skinner, a postmaster and editor
 of the American Farmer.
 Skinner, a former naval officer, was with Francis Scott Key at
 the bombardment of Fort McHenry and is said to have had a part
 in writing the National Anthem. For nearly half a century he en-
 listed the aid of prominent naval officers in bringing foreign live-
 stock and seeds into America. The seeds Skinner received were
 liberally distributed under his frank as postmaster.2
 The House of Representatives passed a Resolution in 1830 re-
 questing the assistance of the Navy and our officials in foreign
 countries in securing new varieties of sugar cane and other plants
 suitable to the American soil and climate. Under Lieutenant-
 Commandant Boerum, the West India Squadron procured several
 varieties of sugar cane from the Island of Trinidad. These cut-
 tings were brought to Pensacola and distributed by the governor
 of Florida.
 'Skinner's editorial in appreciation of the services of naval officers ma) be
 found in Albert Lowther Demaree, The American Agricultural Press, 1819-60. New
 York: Columbia University Press, 1941. Pp. 253-54.