America's Crop Heritage


imported crops, some of which required intensive cultivation.
 Many of the plants Newton investigated were later subjected
to extensive experimentation.' Some of them were found to be
economically impractical while others became the bases of new
crop industries. Newton worked closely with diplomatic representa-
tives abroad to obtain new seed stocks for America, for millions
of dollars were leaving the country each year-spent on foreign
agricultural products.
 An important auxiliary to plant introduction work was the
Division of Gardens and Grounds for purposes of experiment and
propagation of untried plants. William Saunders became superin-
tendent in September, 1862, and remained in that office for
thirty-seven years. He helped to promote many new introduc-
tions, and in contrast to some other enthusiasts, used guarded
judgment in the evaluation of new plants. He furnished plans
for conservatories, and other structures were erected under his
direction. Saunders, born in Scotland in 1822, was well prepared
for his fruitful career in America by studies in the plant sciences
at Edinburgh and by his services to the Royal Gardens at Kew. He
came to America in 1844 and became horticulturist for the Depart-
ment in 1862. As a landscape architect, he designed the park and
garden system of Washington and landscaped many cemeteries in
the eastern United States, including Gettysburg.
 Plea for More Land-During the 1850's, while agricultural work
was still under the control of the Patent Office, officials in charge
of the Agricultural Division had frequently urged that the area
devoted to experimental work be increased. But the country at
that time was not prepared for any such extension of Federal
paternalism. When Newton took office he repeated the request
for more land, and suggested that the Department set up a model
farm to test the adaptability of seeds and plants before sending
them to farmers. It was becoming more apparent each year that
superior varieties and other means of increasing agricultural pro-
duction must be found. Tests of 576 varieties of garden seeds were
conducted in 1867, but the area available was still too limited for
 STea, coffee, opium poppy, vanilla, ginger, castor bean, assafoetida, quassia,
silk, gum arabic, mastic, camphor, the Chinese yam, sweet chestnuts, chufa (or
earth almond), the almonds of southern Europe, the Persian walnut, the cork and
gall-nut oaks, arrowroot, licorice and orris roots, and various hemps and grasses;
fruits included were the prune, fig, date, pomegranate, olive, tamarind, guava,
nectarine, shaddock, and pineapple; other productions were the pistache nut,
Iceland moss, cochineal, indigo, dyer's madder, frankincense, balsam, and Egyptian
senna.