Bonanza Years


confer upon policy matters with the superintendent of the Experi-
mental Gardens and Grounds. The divisions of Vegetable Physiol-
ogy and Pathology, Agrostology, and Pomology also were con-
solidated into the Office of Plant Industry. A subsequent order
included the Section of Seed and Plant Introduction, and in 1901
the Office was designated as the Bureau of Plant Industry.

 DISTRIBUTION OF SEEDS AND PLANTS
 Changes in seed and plant distribution due to the reorganization
became apparent in 1898. All seed distributing agencies were
placed under the Assistant Secretary. The Division of Gardens
and Grounds practically abandoned the testing of new plants
because state experiment stations were better equipped and better
located for these tests. The government discouraged attempts to
grow rubber plants in Florida because the climate was not warm
enough, and interest in tropical plants subsequently declined.
 Wilson desired to return to the original purpose of seed dis-
tribution, that of developing new crops. Seedsmen, too, urged the
discontinuance of the general seed distribution. The immediate
aims were to find beet varieties sweet enough to produce
sugar, drouth- and rust-resisting grains, grasses and forage plants
for the West, tea plants for the South, the date palm for Arizona,
and rubber plant study for the new colonies. The Division of
Gardens and Grounds continued large distributions of strawberry,
grape, camphor, tea, olive, privet, and fig plants. William Saun-
ders, who died in 1900, was succeeded by B. T. Galloway as head
of the plant work in the Department.

 THE WORK OF PLANT EXPLORERS
 Probably the most important result of establishing the Section
of Seed and Plant Introduction was the employment of "Special
Agents," or agricultural explorers. The men contributed meas-
urably to the progress of plant introduction during this period
through their plant discoveries in foreign countries. They were
trained to recognize plant diseases and pests and to judge the
value of certain plants in solving agricultural problems. Each
explorer specialized in a particular crop or agricultural area. The
designation "Special Agent" was dropped by O. F. Cook, while
he was head of plant introduction, because the name aroused
suspicion in foreign countries.