National Agricultural Library Collections: Special Collections--Index to the Manuscript Collections, Search Results

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	Index to the Manuscript Collections--Search Results

83 record(s) found Collection Number: 1 Collection Name: Agricultural and Pomological Club of King George County, Virginia, Manuscript Earliest Date: 1871 Latest Date: 1876 Linear Feet: 0.5 Collection Description: The Agricultural and Pomological Club of King George County, Virginia, Manuscript consists of the handwritten record book of the club's meetings from 1871-1876. It contains entries on the establishment of the club including its constitution, by-laws, officers, and membership. There is a handwritten index of names and subjects listed in the book. Some of the subjects of meetings include seeds received from the secretary of agriculture for distribution among club members; canning; commercial fertilizer; implements; plowing; crops; grapes; hay; improvement of farms; fences and fence laws; immigration; labor; land; manures; potatoes; and sheep husbandry. Members present at first meeting included Col. Edward T. Tayloe, Maj. John D. Rogers, John F. Dickerson, John P. Robb, Fielding Lewis, Horace D. Ashton, Michael Wallace, Thomas T. Arnold, Julien J. Hason, and William I. Brown [sic]. The Virginia Historical Society Library owns a related eight-page manuscript, "Proceedings at a meeting held at the court house, on Saturday the 11th of November, 1871." Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Agricultural History; Agricultural Organizations; Farms and Farming Systems; Plant Science Digitization Status: None Collection Number: 10 Collection Name: American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) Records Earliest Date: 1883 Latest Date: 1982 Linear Feet: 12.75 Collection Description: The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) Records consist mostly of photographs and negatives of people and places, organized and labeled by state and name of conference held within the state. Most photographs were taken at ASTA's annual meetings. Other organizational photographs include Southern Seedsmen’s Association, Western Seedsmen’s Association, and Pacific Seedsmen’s Association. The collection also includes minutes, constitutions, by-laws, letters, and memoranda of both New England Seedsmen’s Association and Seed Council of North America; as well as records of the ASTA’s National Beautification Committee papers (1967-1971), reports, committee papers, and seed packets. Historical or Biographical Sketch: One of the oldest trade organizations in America, the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) was founded in 1883. Its founding members wanted an effective voice of action in all matters concerning the development, marketing and free movement of seeds, associated products, and services throughout the world with a minimum of regulations affecting its members. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Agricultural Organizations; Plant Science Formats: Photographs Collection Number: 16 Collection Name: Beattie, Rolla Kent, Photograph Collection Collection Group: Plant Exploration Collections Earliest Date: 1927 Latest Date: 1949 Linear Feet: 2.75 Collection Description: The Rolla Kent Beattie Photograph Collection consists of negatives that relate to trips to Colorado, California, Hawaii, Florida, the District of Columbia, Japan, Formosa (Taiwan), Hong Kong, Indochina, Cambodia, Malaya, China, France, and England, where he visited shrines, temples, pagodas, gardens, parks, graves, exhibits, and tourist areas. The images document cultural and scenic aspects of the trips. Historical or Biographical Sketch: A forest pathologist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) from 1912-1945, Beattie (1875-1960) is notable for his studies of Northwest flora and chestnut blight. He spent three years in Asia for the USDA's Division of Forest Pathology surveying chestnut trees and related plants and gathering seeds to introduce disease-resistant strains to the United States. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Forestry; Plant Exploration; Plant Science Formats: Photographs Collection Number: 19 Collection Name: P.J. Berckmans Company's Fruitland Nurseries Records Earliest Date: 1899 Latest Date: 1923 Linear Feet: 1 Collection Description: P.J. Berckmans Company's Fruitland Nurseries Records contain an inventory of the nursery stock list dated 1918, purchase and shipping orders, a private letter, covers of catalogs, and a number of photographs of the nursery stock. Historical or Biographical Sketch: The P.J. Berckmans Company's Fruitland Nurseries of Augusta, Georgia, were started in 1858 by P.J. Berckmans. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Economics; Plant Science Formats: Photographs Collection Number: 24 Collection Name: Bolton, James, Manuscript Earliest Date: 1776 Latest Date: 1795 Linear Feet: 0.75 Collection Description: The James Bolton manuscript is the original manuscript Icones Fungorum Circa Halifax Sponte Nascentium [Halifax, England], 1784-1792. It contains notes and drawings upon which the author, James Bolton, based his published work, entitled, An History of Fungesses growing about Halifax (England), four volumes, 182 copper plates, Halifax, 1788-1791. The six manuscript volumes contain 242 watercolor plates representing the plants mostly in their natural size, with brief remarks on the page opposite each illustration indicating where and when the specimen was collected. Because some of his original names were tentative, Bolton went through the manuscript volumes and inserted at the top of each page the name finally adopted for publication with the citation of the plate upon which the species occurs in the published work. Historical or Biographical Sketch: James Bolton (1750-1799) was a British mycologist who illustrated fungi. He became interested in fungi through his work on William Watson’s The History and antiquities of the parish of Halifax, in Yorkshire (1775). Bolton provided illustrations for several natural history publications, but he was best known for his book An history of the fungusses growing about Halifax (1788-1791). This book established Bolton’s place in mycology, and was a standard resource for the identification of mushrooms in the field. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Agricultural History; Plant Science Formats: Agricultural Art and Memorabilia Collection Number: 26 Collection Name: Borthwick, Harry A., Papers Earliest Date: 1901 Latest Date: 1967 Linear Feet: 112 Collection Description: The Harry A. Borthwick Papers contain reprints, experiment results, correspondence, abstracts, manuscripts, photographs, negatives, positives, maps, graphs, tables, charts, slides, and notebooks. There are indexes to the reprints, abstracts, photographs, and negatives. Historical or Biographical Sketch: Borthwick (1898-1974), plant physiologist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture(USDA), is notable for heading the investigation on photoperiodism, which culminated in the discovery of phytochrome in plants. In 1995, he was named to the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Science Hall of Fame in recognition of contributions in elucidating the importance of photoperiodic mechanisms controlling flowering in plants. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Plant Science; USDA History Formats: Maps; Photographs; Reprints Collection Number: 38 Collection Name: Cardon, Phillip V., Papers Earliest Date: 1910 Latest Date: 1961 Linear Feet: 2.5 Collection Description: The Phillip V. Cardon Papers include correspondence, articles, poems, photographs, and material relating to his work in the areas of soil research, forage crop improvements, land use policy, and the USDA Graduate School. Historical or Biographical Sketch: Among the many positions which Cardon (1889-1965) held with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) were agronomist for the Bureau of Plant Industry (1909-1919) and director of the USDA Graduate School (1950-1952). Beginning in 1953, he served as director general of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Farms and Farming Systems; Plant Science; Natural Resources; USDA History Formats: Photographs Collection Number: 44 Collection Name: Coxe, William, Manuscript Earliest Date: 1810 Latest Date: 1831 Linear Feet: 0.5 Collection Description: The William Coxe Manuscript is a two-volume, undated manuscript on pomology. The first manuscript volume contains 832 pages of text and sketches of fruits which William Coxe used to write A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees in America, published in 1817. This volume includes notes with dates ranging from 1810-1828. The notes were intended for use in a second edition of A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees in America, which was never published due to Coxe's death. The second manuscript volume consists of an atlas of life-size, watercolor plates of fruit on Bristol-board, painted by Coxe's daughters. The watercolor plates are cut out from the Bristol-board and fastened to the leaves of the book, then each name is handwritten in pen above the illustration. Historical or Biographical Sketch: William Coxe (1762-1831), a pomologist, was one of the foremost fruit growers in America who experimented with new varieties of fruits at his home in Burlington, New Jersey. He collected specimens from the United States and abroad. A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees in America is a classic of American pomological literature. It is considered by many specialists as the illustrative evidence of fruit culture during the colonial and revolutionary period of the new American nation. William A. Taylor, assistant pomologist, U.S. Department of Agriculture, read an 1857 article in Country Gentleman about the manuscript. Through the use of Library of Congress geneological materials, Taylor was able to contact Coxe's family members and locate the manuscripts. The grandchildren of Elizabeth (Coxe) McMurtrie, one of Coxe's daughters, donated the manuscripts to Secretary of Agriculture D. F. Houston in 1915. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Agricultural History; Plant Science Formats: Agricultural Art and Memorabilia Collection Number: 48 Collection Name: Darrow, George McMillan, Papers Earliest Date: 1835 Latest Date: 1980 Bulk Dates: 1925-65 Linear Feet: 19.25 Collection Description: The George McMillan Darrow Papers contain materials related to Darrow's scientific career and the literature he contributed to the field. There is correspondence, manuscripts, galley proofs, a book, publications such as articles and reports, photographs, field notes, papers related to physiology, and miscellaneous items. Historical or Biographical Sketch: George McMillan Darrow (1889-1983), who was known as the foremost American authority on strawberries, worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture for 46 years (1911-1957) as a pomologist and small fruits breeder. Among Darrow's contributions to pomology were the domestication and introduction of the Darrow blueberry. Processed: Yes, view the finding aid online. Subjects: Plant Science; USDA History Formats: Photographs Collection Number: 51 Collection Name: Dorsett-Morse Oriental Agricultural Exploration Expedition Collection Collection Group: Plant Exploration Collections Earliest Date: 1914 Latest Date: 1945 Linear Feet: 31.5 Collection Description: The Dorsett-Morse Oriental Agricultural Exploration Expedition Collection consists of seven photograph albums of the 1929-1931 Oriental Agricultural Exploration Expedition illustrating plant varieties and uses, landscapes, and Asian cultural practices. In addition to the photographs, the collection contains diaries created by Palemon Howard Dorsett and William Joseph Morse so that they would have a complete report of their work. Combining memoranda, expense reports, itineraries, maps, correspondence, ship logs, invoices, and photographs, the two explorers created 17 books dating from 1928-1932. The photographs in the diaries are from the same trip as the ones in the photograph albums. In 2002, the Arnold Arboretum donated 300 to 500 black and white photographs and negatives from plant expeditions of Palemon Howard Dorsett and other USDA plant explorers. Some of these photographs were taken during the Dorsett-Morse Oriental Agricultural Exploration Expedition and can be found in this collection. The remainder of the photographs and negatives are located in the Collection of Expedition Photographs from the Office of Plant Exploration. In June 2004, Morse's daughter donated a scrapbook of Dorsett and Morse's expeditions in Asia during 1930. There are 32 black and white photographs (two of which are hand-colored) with captions. The photographs in the scrapbook have negative numbers that correspond to the numbers on the negatives from the Arnold Arboretum. Morse's daughter donated more materials to Special Collections in July 2004. This donation included 9 pamphlets on Japan; a scrapbook of black and white photographs (unlabeled) depicting damage from the 1923 Tokyo earthquake; 86 loose black and white photographs taken while Morse was in Japan; packages of postcards depicting Japanese scenery and social life; a blank stationary set; local Japanese restaurant menus; and holiday cards, some of which are personalized to the Morse family. Historical or Biographical Sketch: In 1929, Palemon Howard Dorsett (1862-1943) and William Joseph Morse (1884-1959) embarked upon a plant exploration trip officially know as the Oriental Agricultural Exploration Expedition. Dorsett was the veteran plant explorer for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Section of Plant Introduction, and Morse was a soybean specialist from the USDA Office of Forage Crops. This expedition was initiated in response to the growing importance of the soybean as a food crop during the first quarter of the 20th century. The purpose was primarily to collect soybean germplasm, and also seeds and propagating materials for other crops of interest. Processed: Yes, view the finding aid online. Subjects: Plant Exploration; Plant Science; USDA History Formats: Maps; Photographs Collection Number: 54 Collection Name: Eisenbeiss, Gene, Papers Earliest Date: 1974 Latest Date: 1996 Bulk Dates: 1974-96 Linear Feet: 13.75 Collection Description: The Gene Eisenbeiss Papers include administrative files such as correspondence regarding registration of cultivar names, location of cultivars for purchase, and information requested about the Ilex genus. There are also miscellaneous publications and literature on plants as well as engraving blocks of holly used for publications and given to Eisenbeiss by Harry William Dengler, Extension Service, USDA, at the University of Maryland. Historical or Biographical Sketch: Gene Eisenbeiss (1926-97), a horticulturist, was employed by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for more than 30 years, 26 of which he spent at the U.S. National Arboretum. He was the international registrar of cultivated Ilex (holly) for more than 20 years. He was involved with the publication of authoritative and comprehensive cultivar checklists (with more than 200 publications on hollies), and was responsible for the introduction of at least 14 cultivars. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Plant Science; USDA History Collection Number: 57 Collection Name: Estabrook, Leon Moyer, Manuscript Earliest Date: 1869 Latest Date: 1937 Linear Feet: 3.5 Collection Description: The Leon Moyer Estabrook Manuscript is an unbound typescript titled “Life of One American; Memoirs of Leon M. Estabrook.” It contains Estabrook’s account of his life and work as statistician and chief of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Bureau of Statistics and Crop Estimation. The typescript includes descriptions of the work done in early years of the Bureau of Plant Industry and of USDA scientists such as B. T. Galloway and Walter Swingle. There is information relating to crop reporting, and some observations on agricultural conditions during Estabrook's travel abroad. He also provided information about USDA buildings. Historical or Biographical Sketch: In 1905, Leon Moyer Estabrook (1869-1937) organized and became the first Chief of the Office of Records, which centralized the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Bureau of Plant Industry’s accounting systems. He became the Chief of the Office of Seed Distribution in 1909, then Chief Clerk of USDA. In 1913, Estabrook became Chief of the Bureau of Statistics (changed to Bureau of Crop Estimates in 1914). He represented USDA at the General Assembly meeting of the International Institute of Agriculture in Rome in 1920. Estabrook became Associate Chief of the new Bureau of Agricultural Economics in 1921. From 1925 to 1929, he traveled all over the world collecting data and writing reports for the first World Census of Agriculture (1930), for which he was highly commended. In 1930, he organized the first Inter-American Conference of Agriculture. In 1931, Estabrook retired. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Economics; Plant Science; USDA History Collection Number: 59 Collection Name: USDA Fiber Collection Earliest Date: 1902 Latest Date: 1982 Linear Feet: 189 Collection Description: The USDA Fiber Collection contains documents relating to more than 300 genera of plants used for fiber. The materials cover the subject of natural plant fiber crops other than cotton and include information on cordage, textiles, and miscellaneous fibers as well as the products made from them. There are reprints and photocopies of fiber articles with an extensive card index, manuscripts, foreign and domestic publications, promotional brochures, reports, newspaper clippings, glass and acetate negatives, slides, black and white photographs, and fiber specimens. Historical or Biographical Sketch: In the early 1900s, Lyster H. Dewey, U.S. Department of Agriculture botanist in charge of fiber plant investigations, created the collection. The collection was begun in the early 1900s by Lyster H. Dewey and was called the "Dewey Index." A separate set of reference materials, mainly on hard or cordage fibers, was started when Harry Edwards took over the hard fiber work in 1915. After he retired, all references were filed in the Dewey Index as they came in. The Dewey Index grew unchanged to thousands of index cards and thousands of indexed publications and reprints. Fiber specialists researched, traveled, and observed commercial production of fiber and research projects around the world. When research work began at Arlington Farms, fiber plants were included and research gradually became a greater part of the activity. Later, cooperative research was expanded to other parts of the United States, especially in Michigan, Wisconsin, Oregon, California, Florida, and Maryland, but was not limited to those states. In 1943, the fiber office was moved from the Administration Building in Washington, D.C., to Beltsville in Buildings 003 and 001 where it continued (in 001) until moved to the National Agricultural Library in 1984. In 1965, the research on plant fibers other than cotton was discontinued and the employees on fiber research were transferred to other work. However, the reference material was kept partially current by those interested in the project and who were assigned elsewhere. In 1970, a former employee (Nelson) retired and came back as a volunteer to review literature, make index cards, and accumulate reference material. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Plant Science; USDA History Formats: Agricultural Art and Memorabilia; Photographs Collection Number: 60 Collection Name: USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS), Veterinary Services Earliest Date: 1947 Latest Date: 1974 Bulk Dates: 1960-69 Linear Feet: 1.25 Collection Description: USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS) cover animal inspection and quarantine memoranda, procedures, forms, letters, and reports. Topics include export livestock; domestics, ruminations, and swine; organisms and vectors; restricted meat; restricted byproducts; and virus-serum control. There are materials related to the Animal Quarantine Station in Clifton, New York, 1949. Additionally, there are records on the Foreign Animal Diseases Advisory Committee, 1974; the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Industry Advisory Committee on Foot-and-Mouth Disease, 1947-1972; and files of court case involving George C. Bump and his failure to permit the depopulation of his poultry flock exposed to Exotic Newcastle Disease. Historical or Biographical Sketch: The goals of the Veterinary Services (VS) program of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) are to properly manage cases of animal disease, and to advocate methods for maintaining healthy and productive animals. VS began as the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), which was established under the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1884. The BAI set out to deal with livestock problems, most notably diseases. The bureau established several divisions, including those for dairy, animal husbandry, inspection, and quarantine. The organization of the BAI remained virtually unchanged for almost 70 years (the exception being its grouping with other bureaus under the Agricultural Research Administration from 1942-1953). In 1953 the BAI was abolished. Its functions were assigned to various branches of the new Agricultural Research Service, mostly to Animal Disease Eradication and Animal Inspection and Quarantine. These two branches merged in 1970 to form Veterinary Services, ARS. VS was transferred to APHIS in 1972, and remained when APHIS was reorganized and superceded by an organization of the same name. Throughout its history, Veterinary Services has eradicated several diseases from the United States, including foot-and-mouth disease, cattle fever ticks, screwworms, Venezuelan equine encephalitis, exotic Newcastle disease, and hog cholera. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Animal Science; Plant Science; USDA History Collection Number: 62 Collection Name: Fossum, M. Truman, Floriculture Collection Earliest Date: 1890 Latest Date: 1986 Linear Feet: 195.25 Collection Description: The M. Truman Fossum Floriculture Collection contains papers relating to all of Fossum’s endeavors, including business and personal correspondence as well as reports and publications related to the fields of marketing, horticulture, and the floriculture industry in the United States and abroad. Historical or Biographical Sketch: In his career, Fossum (1912-1991) served as assistant professor of horticulture at the University of Maryland, director of Research and Member Services for the Society of American Florists, consultant for the Bureau of Census, agricultural economist and consultant for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and economic analyst for Florists’ Transworld Delivery Association (FTD). On behalf of the floral industry, Fossum campaigned for unbiased, third-party statistical information services for the industry, which led to the establishment of the Horticultural Specialties Census. He initiated benchmark economic studies and services relating to the floral industry, and he led the cooperative effort with the USDA for the development of market-news-reporting on ornamental crops. Processed: Yes, view the finding aid online. Subjects: Economics; Plant Science Collection Number: 63 Collection Name: Foust, Clifford M., Collection Earliest Date: 1976 Latest Date: 1994 Linear Feet: 14 Collection Description: The Clifford M. Foust Collection includes a card catalog; contact cards; photocopies of articles; correspondence; articles written by Foust; notes for his book entitled Rhubarb: The Wondrous Drug (Princeton University Press, 1992); recipes; and personal files on rhubarb. Historical or Biographical Sketch: A professor of history at the University of Maryland, Clifford M. Foust maintained a rhubarb collection. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Plant Science Collection Number: 65 Collection Name: USDA Bureau of Plant Industry Horticultural and Pomological Investigations Records Earliest Date: 1892 Latest Date: 1960 Bulk Dates: 1902-49 Linear Feet: 49 Collection Description: The USDA Bureau of Plant Industry Horticultural and Pomological Investigations Records contain black and white photographs, acetate and glass negatives, glass slides, drawings, note cards, project reports, research records, and correspondence related to small fruits and nuts from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Fruit Laboratory. Examples of topics include experimental fruits, varieties, plant anatomy, breeding, crossing, diseases, insects, irrigation, handling, pruning, harvesting, and marketing. Many photographs were taken in Beltsville and Glenn Dale, Maryland. Historical or Biographical Sketch: In 1913 the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Bureau of Plant Industry combined the functions of its Offices of Horticultural Investigations, Pomological Investigations, and Field Investigations in Pomology, and named the new unit the Office of Horticultural and Pomological Investigations. This office did research in the areas of breeding, growing, physiology, pathology, and disease, with a specific focus on crops. The office changed its name to the Office of Horticulture in 1926, and then merged with several other offices in 1928 to form the Office of Horticultural Crops and Diseases (later the Division of Fruit and Vegetable Crops and Diseases). In 1951, the division was split into the Division of Fruit and Nut Crops and Diseases; and the Division of Vegetable Crops and Diseases, both coming under the Horticultural Crops Group. In the USDA reorganization in 1953, the Horticultural Crops Group became the Horticultural Crops Research Branch. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Economics; Plant Science; USDA History Formats: Photographs Collection Number: 66 Collection Name: Galloway, Beverly Thomas, Papers Earliest Date: 1891 Latest Date: 1933 Linear Feet: 7.75 Collection Description: The Beverly Thomas Galloway Papers consist of biographical information, correspondence, speeches, memoranda, notebooks, photographs, scrapbooks, and published and unpublished articles. Historical or Biographical Sketch: Beverly Thomas Galloway (1863-1938) was appointed as plant pathologist in 1887 for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The following year he became Chief of the Division of Vegetable Physiology and Pathology. In 1900, he became chief of the Division of Gardens and Grounds, was the leader in planning the consolidation of several divisions into what soon became the Bureau of Plant Industry, and moved into position of Chief of this new bureau. For two years (1913-1914), he served as Assistant Secretary of Agriculture and later returned to research work, particularly investigations of the pathological aspects. Processed: Yes, view the finding aid online. Subjects: Plant Science; USDA History Formats: Agricultural Art and Memorabilia; Photographs; Reprints Collection Number: 70 Collection Name: Beagle, Eldon C., Papers Earliest Date: 1939 Latest Date: 1983 Bulk Dates: 1960's - early1980's Linear Feet: 56.25 Collection Description: The Eldon C. Beagle Papers are composed of correspondence; government and United Nations publications; bibliographies on rice hull and furfural research, articles, studies, research papers and personal journals. Some records relate to international projects in the Philippines, India, Egypt, Thailand, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Australia, and Japan. Historical or Biographical Sketch: Eldon Beagle (b. 1923) was a consultant to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Food and Agricultural Industries Service, the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United States/United Nations, the UN Industrial Development Organization, and the U.S. Agency for International Development from 1970-1982. Beagle’s agricultural expertise centered on rice and rice hulls (with a few references to straw and almonds); post-harvest processing, milling, and utilization; marketing-distribution of agricultural by-products; biomass energy; and conversion technologies, processes and equipment. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Plant Science; Human Nutrition; USDA History Collection Number: 84 Collection Name: Soybean Utilization in Japan Manuscript Earliest Date: 1965 Latest Date: 2004 Collection Description: "Soybean Utilization in Japan" by William Brandemuhl was completed in 1965. This manuscript copy was given to Special Collections, National Agricultural Library, by Tomoko Brandemuhl in 2005. Tomoko published the manuscript in 2004. The general collection of the National Agricultural Library owns a copy of the publication. According to the author, the report served as a reference to those who were connected in some way with the Japanese market as well as those interested for academic purposes. Soybeans were an important component of the Asian diet. Topics included in the manuscript are a history of the soybean, Japan's production and supply of soybeans, and soybean utlilization Historical or Biographical Sketch: William Victor Brandemuhl (b. 1940-1998) graduated with a degree in economics from the University of Wisconsin in 1963. Upon his graduation, he received a scholarship from Honey Mead Products Company, Mankato, Minnesota, to study soybean utilitzation in Japan. He was the first American to study this subject in Japan and conducted research at Kyoto University Department of Agricultural Economics. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Agricultural History; Economics; Plant Science Collection Number: 87 Collection Name: Harlan, Harry V., Manuscript Collection Group: Plant Exploration Collections Earliest Date: 1957 Latest Date: 1957 Collection Description: The Harry V. Harlan Manuscript is titled "Manuscript of One Man's Life with Barley; The Memories and Observations of Harry V. Harlan." The manuscript, written by Harlan in 1957, is in loose-leaf form with original handwriting. Harlan's purpose in writing the book was to contribute a general picture of the evolution of barley research at a time (early 1910-1944) during which he was one of the few scholars entirely devoted to its study. Topics include plant exploration, barley background, barley breeding, adventures and discoveries at American experiment stations, uses of barley, and advice. Historical or Biographical Sketch: Harry V. Harlan graduated from Kansas State College in 1904. He worked in Manila, Philippines, from 1905-1908. After two years of graduate school at Kansas State, he joined the U.S. Department of Agriculture and worked for David Fairchild, then Mark Carleton, both scientists. Even though he had no prior experience with barley, he was assigned to the barley project. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Plant Exploration; Plant Science Collection Number: 89 Collection Name: Jefferson, Thomas, Correspondence Earliest Date: 1786 Latest Date: 1993 Linear Feet: 2.5 Collection Description: The Thomas Jefferson Correspondence collection consists of eleven letters to Jefferson, from Jefferson, and about Jefferson (1786-1819) and a set of four letters (1915) between W. K. Bixby and Secretary of Agriculture D. F. Houston, regarding Jefferson letters that Bixby had found and sent to Houston. Houston later placed the Jefferson letters in the Department of Agriculture Library. The Jefferson letters contain information on agricultural topics. For example, subjects include nursery stock purchased by Jefferson, a request to Jefferson for an appointment to a federal agricultural office, letters from Jefferson transferring "millet seed" and "succory seed" to various acquaintances in the United States and Canada, and a letter to Jefferson from "Lord Sheffield" of the Board of Agriculture in London, England, commenting on Jefferson’s invention of a "mould board" for use in farming. Historical or Biographical Sketch: Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), one of the founders of the United States, was born into a family of high social standing in Albemarle County, Virginia. His father, Peter Jefferson, was an agriculturalist who had a 1,900-acre plantation, on which he primarily grew tobacco and wheat. Thomas inherited the entire family estate upon his father’s death in 1757. He attended the College of William and Mary, and also studied law under George Wythe. Jefferson was admitted to the Virginia bar in 1767. Jefferson was best known for his career in public service, which began when he became a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1769. Other major positions Jefferson held in public office include delegate to the Second Continental Congress; governor of Virginia; foreign minister to France; Secretary of State; Vice President of the United States; and President of the United States. Jefferson’s greatest accomplishments as President were the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark expedition, both of which allowing the country to handle future expansion and development. Despite a long career in public service, Jefferson never lost his strong interest in agriculture. He had begun his career as an agriculturalist at the age of 21, when he was legally able to take over his father’s estate. As a statesman, he represented himself as a farmer. In addition to his inheritance, Jefferson owned over 5,000 acres in Albemarle County that he maintained as a plantation. The home farm within this plantation was Monticello, which was atop a mountain. After the end of his second term as President in 1809, Jefferson retired to Monticello. In his retirement, Jefferson advised Presidents Madison and Monroe, and also helped found and design the University of Virginia.q Processed: Yes, view the finding aid online. Subjects: Agricultural History; Farms and Farming Systems; Plant Science Collection Number: 102 Collection Name: McFarland, J. Horace, Papers Earliest Date: 1923 Latest Date: 1975 Linear Feet: 432 Collection Description: The J. Horace McFarland Papers relate to Mount Pleasant Press; the majority of the collection includes glass negatives, acetate negatives, transparencies, slides, photographs, and watercolors of plants (ornamental and vegetables). There are plant-breeding records which include rose cards or letter-sized forms consisting of a black and white photograph of a variety of a rose and accompanying scientific documentation. Also included are original artwork; catalogs produced by the company; photographs of the office; and a map of McFarland’s residence. Historical or Biographical Sketch: McFarland (1859-1948), conservationist, master printer, and horticulturist, was well known for his books and photographs of roses. In 1878, McFarland started his own printing business, Mount Pleasant Press, which specialized in horticultural printing and was the first to use color photographs in its publications. In fact, many images were taken at McFarland's famous trial gardens on the grounds of his residence, Breeze Hill. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Economics; Plant Science Formats: Agricultural Art and Memorabilia; Audiovisuals; Photographs Collection Number: 103 Collection Name: Marth, Paul C. and Mitchell, John W., Papers Earliest Date: 1933 Latest Date: 1993 Linear Feet: 6.25 Collection Description: The Paul C. Marth and John W. Mitchell Papers include biographical information about both men; material gathered for the book Classic Papers in Horticultural Science; 66 of Marth’s notebooks; Marth’s 1942 Ph.D. thesis; reprints; and negatives of roses. There is correspondence mostly with Marth, very little Mitchell correspondence, and correspondence between J. Ray Frank and Stephen Weller regarding the two men in 1987. Historical or Biographical Sketch: In 1944, Paul C. Marth (b. 1909) and John W. Mitchell (b. 1905) developed a plant growth regulator for use as a selective herbicide. The substance, "2,4-D," allowed for selective broadleaf weed control in agriculture and turf management. Together, Marth and Mitchell wrote articles. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Farms and Farming Systems; Plant Science Collection Number: 109 Collection Name: Mosher, Martin L., Manuscripts Earliest Date: 1965 Latest Date: 1974 Linear Feet: 2.4 Collection Description: The Martin L. Mosher Manuscripts include two multi-volume titles. The first is a seven-volume manuscript titled "Farmstead Pictures of the United States of North America at the Middle of the Twentieth Century" (1965); it contains 570 mounted illustrations textually documented, depicting the historic, geographic, and economic setting of farm people within each of the states. Mosher's two-volume manuscript, "The Cornbelt’s Last Open Pollenated Corn" (1974) is a historic study of open pollinated corn, such as was grown by Cornbelt farmers during the years immediately preceding the general introduction of hybrid corn. Historical or Biographical Sketch: Martin L. Mosher (b. 1882) spent more than 40 years working for the Agricultural Extension Service in Iowa and Illinois; the last 27 years of his career were spent as Farm Management Specialist in the Agricultural Extension Service in Illinois. During his career, Mosher received some of the highest honors given to extension workers. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Plant Science Formats: Photographs Collection Number: 110 Collection Name: Moyer, Andrew J., Papers Earliest Date: 1943 Latest Date: 1975 Linear Feet: 0.5 Collection Description: The Andrew J. Moyer Papers consist of official agreements signed by Moyer relating to the applications for foreign patents filed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 1944, 1945, and 1949; original patents for improvements in or relating to methods for producing penicillin with Australia, Canada, France, Great Britain, India, Mexico, and Switzerland; correspondence regarding the patents; and a bibliography of Moyer’s research publications in the field of mold fermentations and nutrition. Historical or Biographical Sketch: Andrew J. Moyer (1899-1959), a microbiologist, received his Ph.D. from the University of Maryland in 1929 and began his work for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). He created methods for producing substantial increase in yields of penicillin, which made large-scale production possible; created the methanol process for submerged mold fermentation of crude carbohydrates to citric acid; and improved the fermentation of glucose and molasses to fumanic acid. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Plant Science; Human Nutrition; USDA History Collection Number: 120 Collection Name: Gilbert, Henry G., Nursery and Seed Trade Catalog Collection Earliest Date: 1724 Latest Date: 2004 Bulk Dates: 1890-2003 Linear Feet: 1129 Collection Description: The Henry G. Gilbert Nursery and Seed Trade Catalog Collection is a special reference collection of over 150,000 American and foreign catalogs. It was begun in 1904 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) economic botanist, Percy Leroy Ricker. Its purpose now, as then, is to provide information regarding sources, prices, and descriptions of plant material offered for sale by U.S. nurserymen, growers, and seedsmen and, to a lesser extent, by foreign firms. The collection is now named for its longtime curator, Henry G. Gilbert (1930-1996). There are catalogs from the following countries: Africa, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Burma, Canada, Canary Islands, Ceylon, Chile, China, England, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Holland, Hungary, India, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Palestine, Poland, Russia, Scotland, South America, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. Historical or Biographical Sketch: Henry G. Gilbert (1930-1996) was a reference librarian at the National Agricultural Library (NAL), USDA. He worked at NAL for 27 years, beginning his tenure at the South Building in Washington, D.C., just prior to the library’s move to Beltsville, Maryland. In addition to working in reference, Gilbert was NAL’s librarian for the U.S. National Arboretum and the curator of the library’s collection of nursery and seed trade catalogs. Gilbert earned an associate of science degree in horticulture form the State University of New York at Farmingdale, a bachelor of science degree in entomology from the University of Georgia, and a master of library science degree from the Pratt Institute (New York). Prior to becoming a librarian at NAL, Gilbert worked for various agricultural organizations, including a position at the Port of New York as a USDA Plant Quarantine Inspector. Processed: Yes, view the finding aid online. Subjects: Agricultural History; Animal Science; Economics; Farms and Farming Systems; Plant Science; Human Nutrition Formats: Agricultural Art and Memorabilia Collection Number: 129 Collection Name: USDA Pink Bollworm Project Photograph Collection Earliest Date: 1930 Latest Date: 1980 Linear Feet: 1.25 Collection Description: The USDA Pink Bollworm Project Photograph Collection documents the work of the Plant Quarantine and Control Administration on bollworm detection, prevention, and quarantine measures. Photographs show scientists' process for cleansing the soil of bollworms, the appearance of infested fields, and the effect of bollworms on cotton and other plants. There are photographs of inspection sites in Texas and New Mexico; field clean-ups in Arizona; and an album presented to the Chief of the division, Paul A. Hoidale, in 1941. Historical or Biographical Sketch: The Plant Quarantine and Control Administration (later the Bureau of Plant Quarantine) was established in 1928 as a central agency to regulate activities related to research on insects and plants. It took on the regulatory work of the Bureaus of Entomology and Plant Industry. This work was assigned to several divisions, including one for Pink Bollworm and Thurberia Control. The pink bollworm is considered to be one of the most important cotton pests in the United States, and several control programs have been created to reduce its negative impact on the economy. In 1934 the Bureau of Plant Quarantine merged with the Bureau of Entomology to form the Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine. As of 2004, research on the pink bollworm is being done by the Plant Protection and Quarantine program of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Plant Science; USDA History Formats: Photographs Collection Number: 137 Collection Name: Prestele, Wilhelm Heinrich (William Henry), Papers Earliest Date: 1889 Latest Date: 1890 Bulk Dates: 1889-1890s Collection Description: The Wilhelm Heinrich (William Henry) Prestele Papers consist of grape variety watercolors, sketches, tracings, notes, papers, plant specimens, and an album cover. Historical or Biographical Sketch: In 1887, Wilhelm Heinrich Prestele (1838-1895) was appointed the first artist of the Pomology Division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Prestele was assigned to create illustrations for a book on native American grapes written by Thomas Volney Munson. Munson was asked to prepare this exhaustive monograph on grapes by the Secretary of Agriculture. As Munson wrote in his 1909 publication titled Foundations of American Grape Culture, "The manuscript for this monograph, and accurate life-size colored plates of all our native grape species, were prepared and delivered but from lack of sufficient appropriation by Congress the work remains unpublished." Processed: Yes, view the finding aid online. Subjects: Plant Science Formats: Agricultural Art and Memorabilia Collection Number: 138 Collection Name: Prince Family Manuscript Collection Earliest Date: 1779 Latest Date: 1914 Bulk Dates: 1790-1861 Linear Feet: 8 Collection Description: The Prince Family Manuscript Collection contains correspondence, account books, notebooks, and journals that provide an insight into the difficulties of maintaining a large nursery in the early years of the new American nation. Much of the material concerns business dealings between members of the Prince family and those transacting business with them. The remaining portion of the material deals with observations on and experiments with plants. Historical or Biographical Sketch: This material is concerned with the most productive and innovative years of the Prince nurseries, which were based in Flushing, Long Island, New York. During these years, the nursery was owned and operated by William Prince, Jr., and William Prince, his son. Their Linnaean Gardens developed into experimental grounds for cultivating native American species and for testing European and Asian species. Processed: Yes, view the finding aid online. Subjects: Agricultural History; Economics; Plant Science Collection Number: 146 Collection Name: Russell, Paul George, Papers Earliest Date: 1908 Latest Date: 1959 Linear Feet: 0.25 Collection Description: The Paul George Russell Papers consist of notes and drafts of his U.S. Department of Agriculture circular "Oriental Flowering Cherries" published in March 1934, clippings, photographs of his retirement in 1959, and biographical information. The circular provides facts on cultivation and historical details about varieties of ornamental cherries grown in the United States, including trees growing around the tidal basin in Washington, D.C. A published version of the circular is located in the general collection of the National Agricultural Library. Historical or Biographical Sketch: Botanist Paul George Russell (1889-1963), began his 50-year career with the federal government in 1908 as a scientific aide and clerk in the National Herbarium, U.S. National Museum. He accompanied J.N. Rose on botanical expeditions to Mexico (1910), the West Indies (1913), and South America (1915). From 1916-1959, Russell was employed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Among his various responsibilities as botanist, he was in charge of the introduction of foreign trees upon their arrival in the United States. At the time of his retirement, he was part of the New Crops Research Branch of the Crops Research Division and was a national authority on the identification of plant species by seed alone. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Plant Science; USDA History Collection Number: 149 Collection Name: Saunders, William, Manuscripts Earliest Date: 1880 Latest Date: 1899 Linear Feet: 0.25 Collection Description: The William Saunders Manuscripts include: "Alphabetical List of Plants in Four Different Languages, Botanical, English, German, French" (handwritten), “Cyclopaedia of Economic Plants; Their History, Culture and Uses” (handwritten,1880; six volumes), and “The Journal of William Saunders” (photostat, 1898-1899). Historical or Biographical Sketch: William Saunders (1822-1900), horticulturist and landscape gardener, was appointed Superintendent of the Experimental Gardens of the newly created Department of Agriculture in 1862. He established an extensive collection of trees on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and developed a system of street tree-planting used in the District of Columbia in the 1870s. He wrote widely on general horticulture and his publications include some 3,000 titles. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Plant Science Collection Number: 155 Collection Name: USDA Small Fruit Improvement Programs Records Earliest Date: 1914 Latest Date: 1978 Bulk Dates: 1941-85 Linear Feet: 21 Collection Description: The USDA Small Fruit Improvement Programs Records contain numerous items. Donald H. Scott’s strawberry, blueberry, and blackberry field notebooks (1950-78), Scott’s work notes (1941-70), Scott’s and George M. Darrow’s photographs for illustrations of USDA bulletins, and blackberry records of John Hull (1961-69). Files from the office of Gene Galletta include: Strawberry records (1953-1969), grape papers (1946-1967), correspondence files (1947-72), and raspberry/blackberry files (1917-52). Photographs, artwork, and negatives used for plates in various USDA publications (1949-83) Drafts of publications and final copies of bulletins. Miscellanous photographs, slides, and acetate and glass negatives of fruit, 1914-85. Both black and white and color included. Historical or Biographical Sketch: Scott, Donald H. (b. 1911) received a B.S. in Agriculture from North Dakota Agricultural College and became an assistant horticulturist there from 1936-37. His first position with USDA was as a junior geneticist for the Bureau of Plant Industry’s Fruit and Vegetable Crops and Diseases in Beltsville, Maryland, in 1937. From 1937-41, he worked on breeding investigations with stone fruit, mainly peach breeding and production problems and supervision of those operations at the U.S. Horticultural Station. In 1942 he moved from Beltsville to headquarters in Cheyenne, Wyoming. As an associate geneticist, he assisted in planning and conducted an extensive program of fruit and breeding work with tomatoes, squashes, strawberries, and other fruits and vegetables. By 1946, Scott relocated to Beltsville and as geneticist, he planned and conducted extensive investigations on the breeding and production of small fruit crops, particularly grapes, strawberries, and blueberries. Scott continued working for USDA as a horticulturist and research horticulturist until his retirement in 1975. George M. Darrow (1889-1983), who was known as the foremost American authority on strawberries, worked for the United States Department of Agriculture for 46 years (1911- 1957) as a pomologist and small fruits breeder. Dr. Gene J. Galletta was research geneticist and leader of the Small Fruit Improvement and Disease Biology Project of the USDA Fruit Laboratory at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center upon his retirement in 1997. He contributed 22 years of his career with the federal government, including 18 years as the North Carolina State Cooperator with the Small Fruit Improvement Program led by Scott. He and his cooperators introduced over 50 new strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, and raspberry cultivars. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Plant Science; USDA History Formats: Photographs Collection Number: 156 Collection Name: Smith, Erwin Frink, Papers Earliest Date: 1880 Latest Date: 1930 Linear Feet: 5.5 Collection Description: The Erwin Frink Smith Papers contain Smith's notes, writings, letters, and publications. Notable writings include his first paper on bacteria as a plant pathogen, his first paper on the fungous infestation of soils, material on the Fischer-Smith polemic, the results of his studies on crown gall in plants and its relation to cancer in animals, and his Bibliography of Peach Yellows. Historical or Biographical Sketch: Chief of Plant Pathology in the Bureau of Plant Industry, U.S. Department of Agriculture, for almost four decades, from 1889-1927, Smith (1854-1927) is recognized as the "father of bacterial plant pathology." The author of more than 240 articles, he was elected president of the Society of Cancer Research in 1924. Processed: Yes, view the finding aid online. Text Available in NALDR: http://naldr.nal.usda.gov/NALWeb/Agricola_Link.asp... Subjects: Physical Sciences; Plant Science Collection Number: 161 Collection Name: Stine, Oscar Clemen, Papers Earliest Date: 1921 Latest Date: 1957 Linear Feet: 3 Collection Description: The Oscar Clemen Stine Papers are handwritten and typed notes on wheat history, colonial wheat culture, wheat exports and imports, insects and diseases, business and wheat crops, acreage, consumption, demand, and foreign markets. Additionally, there are publications by Stine and a manuscript of his autobiography, "Reminiscences of O.C. Stine." Historical or Biographical Sketch: Oscar Clemen Stine (1884-1974) started working at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1916 as an economist in the Office of Farm Management. In 1921 he moved into the Division of Statistical and Historical Research of the Bureau of Agricultural Economics (BAE), which he headed during the 1920s. Stine was appointed Assistant Chief of the BAE in 1946, in charge of prices, income, and marketing. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Farms and Farming Systems; Plant Science Collection Number: 166 Collection Name: Tayloe Family Journal Earliest Date: 1831 Latest Date: 1849 Linear Feet: 0.25 Collection Description: The Tayloe Family Journal is a handwritten agricultural journal of the Tayloe family of the Fredericksburg, Virginia, area. It contains entries on barns, beef, cattle, clover, corn, cultivators, dairying, ditching, drought, fallowing, fencing, grapes, harvesting, hogs, manure, marl, oats, pruning, and sheep, as well as some detailed maps, farm inventories, and an index. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Agricultural History; Animal Science; Plant Science Collection Number: 170 Collection Name: Thom, Charles, Papers Earliest Date: 1891 Latest Date: 1968 Linear Feet: 10 Collection Description: The Charles Thom Papers range from materials from Thom's college years to biographical memoirs published after his death. The collection includes correspondence, notes, notebooks, essays, lectures, speeches, diaries, and journals; published items including monographs, journal articles, and newspaper clippings; and lantern slides from professional trips. The majority of the collection focuses on soil microbiology, mycology, food spoilage, food poisoning, and penicillin. Historical or Biographical Sketch: Charles Thom (1872-1956) worked in various capacities for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for over 40 years. In 1904, he began working for the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, where he remained as mycologist in charge of cheese investigations until 1913. By 1927 he was head of the Division of Soil Microbiology of the Bureau of Chemistry and Soils. After his retirement, he carried out inspections for the War Food Administration. Throughout his career, Thom was involved in important research with two genera of mold: Aspergillus and Penicillium. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Physical Sciences; Plant Science; Human Nutrition; USDA History Formats: Agricultural Art and Memorabilia Collection Number: 173 Collection Name: Thorburn, Grant, Manuscript Earliest Date: 1830 Latest Date: 1834 Linear Feet: 0.25 Collection Description: The Grant Thorburn Manuscript is a 50-page invoice book of flowers, trees, and seeds for Grant Thorburn & Sons. Historical or Biographical Sketch: Grant Thorburn & Sons was one of America’s first major businesses devoted to the sale of plant and crop seeds to the public. Grant Thorburn (1773-1863), originally from Scotland, moved to New York City in 1794 as a nailmaker. He entered the seed trade in 1805, after realizing the possible market for mass-produced seeds. In addition to having created one of the early seed businesses, Thorburn first distributed a seed catalogue in 1822. Upon Grant Thorburn’s death in 1863, the company was transferred to his son James, and was incorporated in 1895. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Agricultural History; Economics; Plant Science Collection Number: 174 Collection Name: USDA Tobacco Market News Service Records Earliest Date: 1920 Latest Date: 1975 Linear Feet: 22 Collection Description: The USDA Tobacco Market News Service Records contain historical information on the Tobacco Market News Service (1928-1971); tobacco inspection (1927-1963); stocks, standards, and grading (pre-1929-1935); and auctions (1929-1962). There are correspondence, notes, and copies of tobacco annual reports (1932-1953); major legislation (1933-1952); and hearings and testimony (1947-1950). With the development of World War II, there are wartime regulation summaries and reports of tobacco activities (1941-1948); material related to tobacco agreements made with other countries after the war (1945-1952); and notes and reports of U.S. Department of Agriculture committees meeting after the war (1947-1951). Additional materials include correspondence of the tobacco division for the years 1949 and 1950; notes and publications relating to the main USDA Market News Service, which was the head of all of the individual agriculture commodities, including tobacco (1948-1964); files relating to the Tennessee Burley Tobacco Grower’s Association (1946-1960); black and white photographs; and various types of maps. Historical or Biographical Sketch: In 1931 the Tobacco Market News Service started its work within the Tobacco Section of the Bureau of Agricultural Economics. Employees followed sales and prices at the tobacco auctions, and talked to growers, buyers' representatives, and warehousemen to better interpret the day's markets in their reports. The different offices of the service dealt with a particular type of tobacco, compiled their statistics, and issued mimeographed market news reports daily and weekly to the public. Tobacco Market News provided tobacco growers, the tobacco trade, and other interested persons with timely information on prices, sales, and marketing conditions on the tobacco auction markets. Processed: Yes, view the finding aid online. Subjects: Economics; Plant Science; USDA History Collection Number: 183 Collection Name: USDA and National Cancer Institute (NCI) Plant Collections Records Collection Group: Plant Exploration Collections Earliest Date: 1959 Latest Date: 1980 Linear Feet: 9.5 Collection Description: The USDA and National Cancer Institute (NCI) Plant Collections Records consist of 36 "active books." Each "active book" is a three-ring binder containing individual "active sheets," forms that were used for recording collection and antitumor activity data on plant species within specific geographic areas. The purpose of the "active sheets" was not to record data on antitumor activity, but to maintain a procurement status file on plants collected in approximately 40 geographic areas. Active sheets were filed alphabetically by genus and species name within the geographic book, and color-coded tabs were used to indicate the status of activity and positioned on each sheet in such a way as to indicated whether a recollection was needed or not needed. When many tabs pointed outward in an active book, it would signal a need for U.S. Department of Agriculture botanists to conduct plant exploration for recollections--species that were collected again because of a previous collection that was active. Historical or Biographical Sketch: For more than two decades, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Cancer Institute collaborated on collecting data on plants, referred to as antitumor active or cytotoxic, to be used in research for treating/curing cancer. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Plant Science; USDA History Collection Number: 184 Collection Name: USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection (Fruit and Nut Watercolors and Wax Models) Earliest Date: 1888 Latest Date: 1939 Linear Feet: 70 Collection Description: The USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection contains approximately 7,000 watercolor drawings of fruit and nuts created by artists employed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Division of Pomology from 1888 to the1930s. The first artist was William Prestele. Credit information written by each artist on each watercolor includes name of property owner, county, city, and state where specimen was grown. Many of the specimens were grown in Maryland. The collection also includes 85 wax fruit models. Historical or Biographical Sketch: In 1887 the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Division of Pomology began hiring artists to render illustrations of fruit varieties for lithographic reproduction in USDA articles, reports, and bulletins. Use of color lithography was critically important to enable the farmer to visualize and comprehend the subjects and principles covered in a particular publication. Processed: Yes, view the finding aid online. Subjects: Plant Science; USDA History Formats: Agricultural Art and Memorabilia Digitization Status: Portion of collection digitized Collection Number: 187 Collection Name: Usinger, Robert Leslie, Collection on Carolus Linnaeus Earliest Date: 1747 Latest Date: 1957 Linear Feet: 10 Collection Description: The Robert L. Usinger Collection on Carolus Linnaeus is a collection of books by Carolus Linnaeus, the founder of systematic biology, on insects and other animals. The collection also includes works about Linneaus. Historical or Biographical Sketch: Robert Leslie Usinger (1912-1968), one of the world’s outstanding entomologists and an expert on the ecology of insects, was a professor of entomology at the University of California during most of his career. He was the author of 150 scientific books and papers. As a hobby, Usinger collected the works of Carolus Linnaeus. Usinger was a fellow of the Linnaean Society of London, and his library of materials by Linnaeus is one of the most extensive of its kind in the world. Processed: Yes, view the finding aid online. Subjects: Animal Science; Entomology; Plant Science Collection Number: 194 Collection Name: USDA Weed Photograph Collection Collection Group: Plant Photograph Collections Earliest Date: 1906 Latest Date: 1946 Linear Feet: 9 Collection Description: The USDA Weed Photograph Collection consists of approximately 1,400 negatives (glass and nitrate) and black and white photographs of weeds in different geographic locations. There are close up shots of various types of weeds, photographs of fields with weeds, and experimental plots of land, weeds in suburban yards, downtown District of Columbia, fields of corn, fallow fields, field experiment stations, desert areas, and farm land as well as examples of well-kept fields. Some of the photographs are more of a scientific nature with the weed having been pulled and laid flat. There are also photographs of people planting cotton and harvesting grain. The photograph envelopes are very well labeled and the notations are descriptive: they list the type of weed along with scientific name, indicate city and state when necessary, indicate how weeds affect growth of crops, how certain tillage machinery encourages growth of weeds, praise a well-weeded field etc. Some of the envelopes are labeled “Forage Crop Investigations” and “Weed Investigations” Examples of some of the weeds pictured: Alligator grass, ragweed, prickly poppy, milkweed, rattleweed, Russian thistle. Historical or Biographical Sketch: The Division of Forage Crops and Diseases operated under the Bureau of Plant Industry of the United States Department of Agriculture. Its main purpose was to research crops that are grown specifically for livestock consumption. It started in the 1900s as the Office of Forage-crop Investigations, and was re-designated the Office of Forage Crops in 1926. In 1929 the Office took on research related to forage disease from the Office of Vegetable and Forage Crops, and became the Office (Division in 1931) of Forage Crops and Diseases. This division became a divisional component of the Field Crops Division of the Bureau of Plant Industry, Soils, and Agricultural Research in 1946. After the USDA reorganization of 1953, the Division became the Forage and Range Section of the Field Crops Research Branch, Agricultural Research Service. Research on weeds affecting crops was done by the Division of Weed Investigations, of the Bureau of Plant Industry. In 1953, this research was transferred to the Section of Weed Investigations, Field Crops Research Branch, Agricultural Research Service. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Plant Science Formats: Photographs Collection Number: 201 Collection Name: Woods, Charles Dayton, Manuscript Earliest Date: 1893 Latest Date: 1893 Linear Feet: 1 Collection Description: The Charles Dayton Woods 1893 Manuscript is handwritten and typewritten and is titled "Compilation of Analyses of New England Feeding Stuffs." It contains charts on oat grass, maize fodder, orchard grass, seeds, grains, and roots. Historical or Biographical Sketch: Charles Dayton Woods (1856-1925) was an agicultural chemist who worked at the Agricultural Experiment Station at Wesleyan University. He was the first person to publish information about the caloric content of foods. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Agricultural History; Farms and Farming Systems; Plant Science Collection Number: 209 Collection Name: Society of American Florists (SAF), Records and Book Collection of the Earliest Date: 1793 Latest Date: 1993 Bulk Dates: 1925-1980 Linear Feet: 62.5 Collection Description: The Records and Book Collection of the Society of American Florists (SAF), 1793-1993, consists of both organizational records and bound volumes. The Records of the SAF, 1894-1993, contain proceedings, minutes, correspondence, memoranda, publications, photographs and scrapbooks from 1900 to 1988. The Book Collection of the SAF consists of over 200 volumes, including monographs and bound serials from 1793 to 1990. Historical or Biographical Sketch: The Society of American Florists (SAF) was formed in 1884. Its earliest members came from the American Association of Nurserymen, Florists, and Seedsmen. The purpose of the SAF was to have a national organization devoted solely to florists. The organization was open to both horticultural and floral professionals and amateur gardeners. The first convention was held in 1885, and had over 200 members. The International Telegraph Delivery Association (later the Florists Transworld Delivery Association, or FTD) was created within the SAF. The name of the society was expanded in 1897 to the Society of American Florists and Ornamental Horticulturalists, even though the abbreviation SAF is still commonly used. In 1901 the SAF was granted a national charter, signed by President William McKinley. Throughout its history, the SAF has had several interest groups and committees. These groups have included the Florists’ Hail Association (to insure members against losses related to hail), the Florists’ Protective Association (to protect against other financial losses), the Ladies Society of American Florists, and the Youth Education Program. The SAF has also had a role in lobbying corporations and government bodies. Most of these lobbying efforts have been related to the transportation of floral products and orders. Processed: Yes, view the finding aid online. Subjects: Agricultural Organizations; Plant Science Formats: Agricultural Art and Memorabilia; Photographs Collection Number: 220 Collection Name: Imle, Ernest, Papers Earliest Date: 1940 Latest Date: 2000 Bulk Dates: 1940-1980 Linear Feet: 13.5 Collection Description: The Ernest Imle Papers include photographs, reports, and articles about U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) rubber research from the 1940s to the 1970s, primarily at the Regional Rubber Experiment Station. Additionally, there are articles and correspondence on tropical agriculture, including cacao, and publications on lilies. Historical or Biographical Sketch: Ernest Imle (b. 1910), a plant pathologist, began working for USDA in 1942. He was director of the Regional Rubber Experiment Station in Turrialba, Costa Rica, from 1945-1954, botanist for the Plant Introduction Section from 1955-1957, director of research at the American Cocoa Research Institute from 1957-1971, and assistant director of the International Programs Division of the Agricultural Research Service from 1971-1998. His research interests included improvement and diseases of tropical crops, research and training needs in tropical agriculture, plant introduction, and quarantine and germ plasm problems. Imle developed budding techniques for the rapid production of commercial plants with a vigorous rootstock, a high-yielding stem and a blight-resistant crown. Processed: Yes, view the finding aid online. Subjects: Plant Science; Natural Resources; USDA History Formats: Photographs Collection Number: 230 Collection Name: Wilcox, Edwin Mead, Manuscript Earliest Date: 1920 Latest Date: 1920 Linear Feet: 1 Collection Description: The Edwin Mead Wilcox Manuscript is a typed manuscript and notes for "Diseases of Vegetable Crops and Ornamentals in the United States" (published in 1928). Historical or Biographical Sketch: Edwin Mead Wilcox (1876-1931) was a botanist and university professor. He received degrees from the University of Ohio (B.S. and M.S.) and Harvard University (Ph.D.). From 1901-1902, he was a professor of botany and entomology at Oklahoma A&M College (now Oklahoma State University). Wilcox conducted research for the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station located at Oklahoma A&M. During the 1900s and 1910s, Wilcox also conducted research at the experiment stations at the Alabama Polytechnic Institute (now Auburn University) and the University of Nebraska. His research focused on crop diseases. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Agricultural History; Plant Science Collection Number: 234 Collection Name: New Guinea Impatiens Collection Earliest Date: 1971 Latest Date: 1985 Linear Feet: 4.25 Collection Description: The New Guinea Impatiens Collection, gathered and maintained by Robert J. Armstrong, contains a pedigree book from Longwood Gardens Breeding program; slides showing the original New Guinea impatiens collection and the progeny developed from them at Longwood; and letters, memoranda, reports, brochures, and press releases concerning the breeding program. Historical or Biographical Sketch: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service and Longwood Foundation of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, jointly sponsored an expedition to the subtropical highlands of Australian New Guinea from January to April 1970. Horticulturists Harold F. Winters and J. J. Higgins collected impatiens, which were released by USDA Plant Genetics and Germplasm Research Institute in February 1972 to nurserymen, plant breeders, and other scientists. Geneticist Robert J. Armstrong bred new varieties with ornamental leaves at Longwood Gardens. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Plant Science; USDA History Formats: Photographs Collection Number: 235 Collection Name: USDA Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine Collection Earliest Date: 1940 Latest Date: 1940 Linear Feet: 2.5 Collection Description: [19--]. The USDA Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine Collection contains materials related to the Japanese Beetle, Mountain Pine Beetle, and Dutch Elm Disease. There are black and white photographs, bark samples, insect samples, and framed examples of foliage damage from the insects. Text accompanies the samples. From 1940-1997, the materials were housed at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, Illinois, and were used for an exhibit. Historical or Biographical Sketch: The U.S. Department of Agriculture Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine was established in 1934. In 1942, it became part of the Agricultural Research Administration. The purpose of the bureau was to study and control insects in cooperation with the states to prevent plant diseases. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Entomology; Plant Science Formats: Agricultural Art and Memorabilia Collection Number: 236 Collection Name: Plitt, Charles C., Collection Earliest Date: 1897 Latest Date: 1994 Linear Feet: 10.25 Collection Description: The Charles C. Plitt Collection consists of a series of journals resulting from weekly botany field trips, which Plitt referred to as “tramps,” ranging in date from about 1898-1922. Plitt led these tramps through many areas around Baltimore; such as Loch Raven, Glen Burnie, Towson, Curtis Bay, and Ellicott City. The collection also includes biographical data, correspondence, photographs, and a book. Historical or Biographical Sketch: A lifelong Marylander, Charles C. Plitt (1869-1933) was both a professor of botany and an international authority on lichens. In 1891, he received a degree in pharmacy from the old Maryland College of Pharmacy. In 1920, he was appointed full professor of botany and pharmacognosy at the School of Pharmacy of the University of Maryland. In 1921, Plitt was awarded an honorary doctor of science degree for his meritorious work in botany by the International Academy of Sciences. Processed: Yes, view the finding aid online. Subjects: Agricultural History; Physical Sciences; Plant Science; Natural Resources Formats: Agricultural Art and Memorabilia; Photographs Collection Number: 239 Collection Name: USDA Sugar Crops Section Records Earliest Date: 1926 Latest Date: 1960 Bulk Dates: 1926-1960 Linear Feet: 32.5 Collection Description: The USDA Sugar Crops Section Records include data sheets, reports, and manuscripts written by various employees; slides, negatives, and photographs of sugar beets; correspondence of George Herbert Coons and Dewey Stewart; and other research files related to sugar beets. The materials are primarily from the administrations of George Herbert Coons and Dewey Stewart. Coons was the Principal Pathologist of the Division of Sugar Plant Investigations, Bureau of Plant Industry during the 1930s and 1940s. Stewart was the head of the Sugar Beet Section, Agricultural Research Service during the 1950s and 1960s. Historical or Biographical Sketch: Research to improve sugar production began in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Division of Vegetable Physiology and Pathology during the 1890s. By 1926 the section was named the Office of Sugar Plants, Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI). Other name changes and office re-designations consist of the following: the Division of Sugar Plant Investigations, BPI, in 1931; divisional component of the Field Crops Divisions, Bureau of Plant Industry, Soils, and Agricultural Engineering (BPISAE) in 1946; Field Crops Group, BPSIAE, in 1951; and Sugar Crops Section, Field Crops Research Branch, Agricultural Research Service (ARS), in 1953. This unit was re-designated the Crops Research Division during the 1950s. In 1970 it became the Plant Science Research Division, and in 1972 the research was divided into units located in the regional laboratories of the ARS. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Plant Science Formats: Photographs Collection Number: 242 Collection Name: USDA Bureau of Plant Industry Records Bulk Dates: 1920-1950 Linear Feet: 6 Collection Description: The USDA Bureau of Plant Industry Records consist of a scrapbook detailing the activities of the Bureau of Plant Industry from the 1920s to the early 1950s. Materials are black and white photographs (some tinted) and negatives of Bureau of Plant Industry employees including botanist Emsweller, research stations and gardens around the United States and crops. Subjects of the photographs include staff, buildings, offices, laboratories, fields, and orchards. There are also research station maps and plans, clippings, and correspondence. Most of the material dates from the 1930s through the 1940s. Many items are unidentified or missing. There are also numerous loose materials inserted in the scrapbook. Historical or Biographical Sketch: The Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) formed in 1901 as a major consolidation of several independent units that all had in common the research of plant and crop science. The BPI had a major focus on doing its experimentation on farms. For its first forty years, the main research center for the BPI was the Arlington (Virginia) Experimental Farm. In addition, the bureau investigated problems related to crop pests, and it also provided instruction programs for farmers around the country. Other major areas of research included seeds, plant disease and pathology, and breeding. The BPI had come together as a collection of research divisions, and continued to maintain and expand these. There were divisions for such areas as botany, fiber plants, plant exploration and introduction, tobacco, cereal crops, and mycology. The BPI was placed under the Agricultural Research Administration in 1942, and was merged with the engineering research functions of the Bureau of Agricultural Chemistry and Engineering to form the Bureau of Plant Industry, Soils, and Agricultural Engineering (BPISAE). The BPISAE was abolished in 1953 with the reorganization of the USDA. In 1972, the functions that had once belonged to the BPI were transferred to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Plant Science Formats: Agricultural Art and Memorabilia Collection Number: 245 Collection Name: USDA Division of Cereal Crops and Diseases Photograph Collection Earliest Date: 1898 Latest Date: 1951 Bulk Dates: 1903-1930 Linear Feet: 51.5 Collection Description: The USDA Division of Cereal Crops and Diseases Photograph Collection contains glass and acetate negatives as well as black and white prints. Subjects include aspects of cereal crop classification, production, utilization, farm machinery, diseases, and pests in the United States and foreign countries. Crops include corn, barley, oats, sorghum, sorgo, milo, millet, wheat, flax, rice, rye, and kafir. A number of the negatives were used in the Journal of Agricultural Research; U.S. Department of Agriculture bulletins, circulars, and yearbooks; and other reports. Historical or Biographical Sketch: The Bureau of Plant Industry created a Division of Cereal Crops and Diseases in 1938, due to the expanding functions of the Bureau related to the reorganization of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The work of this division involved various aspects of crop pathology and physiology, as well as several important diseases greatly affecting crops. This division became part of the Field Crops Divisions of the Bureau of Plant Industry, Soils, and Agricultural Engineering in 1946; the Field Crops Group in 1951; and the Field Crops Research Branch of the Agricultural Research Service (as the Cereal Crops Section) in 1953. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Farms and Farming Systems; Plant Science; USDA History Formats: Photographs Collection Number: 250 Collection Name: Dreschler, Charles, Papers Earliest Date: 1927 Latest Date: 1956 Bulk Dates: 1954-56 Linear Feet: 15 Collection Description: The Charles Dreschler Papers consist of the figures or illustrations for two articles in the Journal of Botany in 1954 and 1956: Two Species of Conidiobolus with Minutely Ridges Zygospores and Two New Species of Conidiobolus, notes and pencil drawings for an unpublished article on Helminthosporium spp., a few letters, and specimens of cereal crops with plant diseases. Historical or Biographical Sketch: Charles Dreschler (1892-1986), a world authority on fungi, spent 45 years as a plant pathologist and mycologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. While in the position of Mycologist, Horticultural Crops Research Branch, Agricultural Research Service, Dreschler published two articles in the Journal of Botany in 1954 and 1956, the illustrations for which are included in the collection. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Plant Science Formats: Agricultural Art and Memorabilia Collection Number: 258 Collection Name: Royal C. Steadman Watercolor Collection Earliest Date: 1923 Latest Date: 1928 Linear Feet: 3 Collection Description: The Royal C. Steadman Watercolor Collection consists of 12 watercolors of sweet potatoes and 4 watercolors of flowers. The sweet potato watercolors were painted by Steadman from 1923-25; the watercolors are 17 4/8" x 13 7/8" on cardboard 22" x 16 3/4". Specific flower information is as follows: daffodil "Mod de Graaff", specimen no. 104840, dated 3-5-1924; iris "David Teniers, specimen no. 104854, dated 3-11-1924 tulip "Baron de la Taunaye:, specimen no. an0006 (an =assigned number), dated 3-27-1924; iris "Freya", specimen no. 110120, dated 5-9-1928. Historical or Biographical Sketch: Royal Charles Steadman was born on July 23, 1875, in Portland, Maine. Among his educational credits, Steadman listed general art studies at the School of Drawing and Painting of the Museum of Fine Arts and at the Cowles Art School, both of which were located in Boston, Massachusetts. At the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island, he studied jewelry design. In 1915, Steadman began his career with USDA as a pomological artist for the Bureau of Plant Industry. Using as models the live specimens sent to USDA by farmers, growers, and plant explorers, Steadman produced watercolors of fruits, vegetables, and flowers. On occasion, he also created black and white and pen and ink drawings. In addition, he constructed wax models of fruits and vegetables. He also painted watercolors of fruits which had been stored at cool temperatures, showing the effects of freezing and cold storage on plant tissues. Certainly, Steadman was a versatile artist. Prior to his employment with USDA, he was the head jewelry designer for a commercial firm. He had also designed stage scenery and served as an instructor at the Rhode Island School of Design. While employed by USDA, Steadman pursued other artistic endeavors in his spare time. For Amanda Newton, he painted a portrait of her grandfather, Isaac Newton, a former commissioner of agriculture. He also created paintings of historical scenes. And, he submitted several designs for postage stamps to the postmaster general. In 1920, Steadman was promoted to botanical artist. And, he remained with USDA until his retirement in 1941. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Plant Science Formats: Agricultural Art and Memorabilia Collection Number: 274 Collection Name: Drug Garden Photograph Collection Collection Group: Plant Photograph Collections Earliest Date: 1902 Latest Date: 1943 Linear Feet: 2.5 Collection Description: The Drug Garden Photograph Collection consists of black and white lantern slides featuring drug gardens at several institutions across the United States; views of drug plant field plots including some at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) South Farm in Beltsville, Maryland, during the mid-1940s; detailed photographs of drug plant specimens, distribution charts by plant species, and a few paintings of drug plants in color. Historical or Biographical Sketch: Drug and medicinal plant investigations were not organized in USDA until 1901 or 1902. The investigations were conducted under the direction of botanist Rodney H. True. There was an increased interest in the work because a considerable portion of the plants then used as drugs were imported. With a view to encouraging people in the United States to grow these types of plants, cooperative experiments were begun on the culture of belladonna, digitalis, stramonium, hyoscyamus, aconite, arnica, licorice, and the opium poppy. Small plots of drug plants were grown in the hope of learning the influence of climate and latititude on the development of the plants in question and on the production of their characteristic active principles. State experiment stations were located at Puyallup, Washington, and Burlington, Vermont. Experiments were begun on the Potomac Flats and Arlington Farm. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Plant Science; USDA History Formats: Photographs Collection Number: 278 Collection Name: Botanic Garden Photograph Collection Collection Group: Plant Photograph Collections Earliest Date: 1910 Latest Date: 1922 Linear Feet: 1 Collection Description: The Botanic Garden Photograph Collection consists of color and black and white lantern slides of U.S. and international botanic gardens and includes landscape and interior views, selected plant specimens, and garden design diagrams. Featured U.S. gardens are the Missouri Botanic Garden, the National Botanic Garden and the National Arboretum, Golden Gate Park, and New York Botanic Garden. International gardens include Konigl Botanischer Garten in Dahlen bei Berlin; Botanic Garden, Tokyo; Royal Botanic Garden, Kew, England; and Quinta Normal, Santiago, Chile. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Plant Science Formats: Photographs Collection Number: 279 Collection Name: Poisonous Plants Photograph Collection Collection Group: Plant Photograph Collections Earliest Date: 1907 Latest Date: 1925 Linear Feet: 2 Collection Description: The Poisonous Plants Photograph Collection contains black and white lantern slides of different species of livestock suffering from plant poisons. Most slides feature livestock that have been poisoned and/or include scientific name of poisonous plant species, animal type, animal number, and date and time of photograph. These captions allow the viewer to follow the course of a particular animal's reaction to a plant toxin. A few slide images show landscapes. A few images show livestock, but do not specify a plant poisoning. Some images include charts, tables and figures related to poisonous plant research. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Plant Science Formats: Photographs Collection Number: 286 Collection Name: Sugar Industry Miscellaneous Pamphlet Collection Earliest Date: 1728 Latest Date: 1915 Linear Feet: 3 Collection Description: The Sugar Industry Miscellaneous Pamphlet Collection contains 152 items (pamphlets, books, and reprints), dealing with the development of the sugar industry. The materials are in Dutch, English, French, German, Polish, Spanish, and Swedish. Included are several rare publications from the 18th and 19th centuries. Historical or Biographical Sketch: The pamphlets may have belonged to Lewis S. Ware, 19th century editor of The Sugar Beet. His name or The Sugar Beet are inscribed on the cover of a number of the pamphlets. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Agricultural History; Plant Science Formats: Reprints Collection Number: 287 Collection Name: USDA Pear Psylla Control Lantern Slide Collection Collection Group: Plant Photograph Collections Earliest Date: 1941 Latest Date: 1941 Linear Feet: 0.75 Collection Description: The USDA Pear Psylla Control Lantern Slide Collection contains color lantern slides produced by U.S. Department of Agriculture Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine, Fruit Insect Investigations, Pear Psylla Control. There are 13 slides of pears infected with pear psylla, 3 slides of maps, and a slide of a chart of spraying operations in counties of Washington, Idaho, and Oregon in 1941. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Plant Science; USDA History Formats: Maps; Photographs Collection Number: 288 Collection Name: USDA Bureau of Plant Industry Wine Research Collection Earliest Date: 1933 Latest Date: 1976 Bulk Dates: 1933-40 Linear Feet: 0.5 Collection Description: The USDA Bureau of Plant Industry Wine Research Collection consists of correspondence between the College of Agriculture of the University of California, Berkeley, and the Bureau of Plant Industry in regard to establishing an experimental winery for the improvement of wine quality and production. The dates of correspondence range from 1933-1952, most from the early 1930s. Subjects include the collaboration of the divisions in securing varieties for the winery, and other topics such as location of the winery and experimentation in wine culture. There are several articles on wine history and processes, some by John R. McGrew or W.V. Cruess. Historical or Biographical Sketch: The interest in the wine industry was revived after the repeal of the 18th Amendment, "Prohibition," in 1934. Letters were written mainly by E.C. Auchter, Assistant Chief of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Plant Industry, and several chemists, botanists, professors (including professor W.V. Cruess of the University of California, Berkeley), and wineries. Materials were in the possession of John R. McGrew when donated to the National Agricultural Library. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Plant Science Collection Number: 295 Collection Name: Meyer, Frank N., Collection Collection Group: Plant Exploration Collections Earliest Date: 1905 Latest Date: 1918 Linear Feet: 3.5 Collection Description: The Frank N. Meyer Collection consists of a typescript, certificate and photographs of Meyer. The typescript contains excerpts from letters between Frank N. Meyer and his superior, David Fairchild in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Bureau of Plant Industry, relating to Meyer’s plant exploration trip to South China in 1916-1918. Photographs of various botanical specimens are included. The last segment of typescripts concerns Meyer’s drowning on June 2, 1918, in the Yangtze River en route to Shanghai. The 1905 certificate identifies USDA plant explorer Frank N. Meyer as an agricultural explorer of the United States Department of Agriculture who is visiting Manchuria and other parts of China for “the purpose of Aiding in Agricultural Development, especially along the line of Pomology.” A black and white photograph of Meyer has a label which reads "Frank N. Meyer, Agricultural Explorer. Born November 29, 1875. Died June 1, 1918. Returning from a successful raid in the high mountains. Tired but satisfied. Wu Tai Shan, Shansi, China. February 25, 1908." A photograph of Meyer and Fairchild has a label which reads "Frank Meyer (right) converses with renowned plant explorer Dr. David Fairchild. At the young age of 22, Fairchild helped to create the USDA’s Office of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction where he served as chairman from 1904-28. Throughout Meyer’s travels, Fairchild was a guiding force, providing insight and support through his letters." Historical or Biographical Sketch: In 1901, Frans Nicholas Meijer (1875-1918) emigrated from the Netherlands to America where he became Frank Meyer. Almost immediately, Meyer went to work for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Erwin F. Smith, known internationally for his groundbreaking work in bacteriology. In 1902, Meyer began working at USDA’s Plant Introduction Station in Santa Ana, California. The period from 1905-1908 marked the beginning of Meyer’s expeditions to Asia, where he collected plants in China, Russia, and Japan, as well as other countries. During his second expedition from 1909-1912, he collected in Europe, Russia, and in China. From 1913-1915, he explored and collected plants in Russia and China. Meyer’s fourth and final expedition took place from 1916-1918. The purpose of this journey is stated in the accompanying typescript, dated July 25, 1916. In summary, Meyer was to explore the portion of China lying southeast of Shanghai and south of the Yangtze River. He was to seek and collect southern peaches, bamboos—both timber and edible—the tung or wood-oil tree, improved varieties of tallow trees, the litchi, the longan, root crops for wet lands, new varieties of rice, soy beans, raspberries, blackberries, pears, chestnuts, and ornamental shrubs and timber trees. Meyer died an untimely death in June 1918. A passenger on the Feng Yang Maru Japanese riverboat, destined for Shanghai, he fell overboard into the Yangtze River. His body was recovered, but the circumstances of his death will always remain a mystery and source of speculation. Honored the world over for his contributions as a plant explorer, Frank Meyer’s work touches us all every day. From apricots to wild pears, his introductions number over 2,500. Processed: Yes, contact Special Collections. Text Available in NALDR: http://naldr.nal.usda.gov/NALWeb/Agricola_Link.asp... Subjects: Plant Exploration; Plant Science; USDA History Collection Number: 298 Collection Name: USDA Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine Personnel and Equipment Photograph Collection Earliest Date: 1936 Latest Date: 1942 Bulk Dates: 1938-1941 Linear Feet: 0.25 Collection Description: The USDA Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine Personnel and Equipment Photograph Collection contains black and white photographs of Bureau of Plant Quarantine inspection personnel; plant inspection facilities in Washington and New Jersey; and inspection equipment. Personnel include L.M. Scott, C.E. Cooley, Leonard S. McLaine, J.F. Olds, H.S. McLeod, T.A. Barnett, Donald P. Limber, Martin Hansen, Emile Kostal, Herbert L. Sanford, Charles E. Prince, Emmit I. Smith, John C. Pritchett, James W. Stanton, J. Paul Young, R.F. Wilbur, Clarence V. Scott, Louis M. Scott, James M.R. Adams, Louis Greenberg, George Janifer, and Michael Holmes. Historical or Biographical Sketch: The U.S. Department of Agriculture Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine was established in 1934. In 1942, it became part of the Agricultural Research Administration. The purpose of the bureau was to study and control insects in cooperation with the states to prevent plant diseases. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Entomology; Plant Science; USDA History Formats: Photographs Collection Number: 299 Collection Name: Shear, Cornelius Lott, Certificates Earliest Date: 1888 Latest Date: 1930 Linear Feet: 1.75 Collection Description: The Cornelius Lott Shear Certificates were presented to botanist and plant pathologist Shear, who traveled to foreign countries to research agriculture. Many of the certificates serve as introduction letters or statements of purpose. Historical or Biographical Sketch: Cornelius Lott Shear (1865-1956), an internationally-renowned mycologist and plant pathologist, began his 40-year career with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1895. Much of Shear’s work took him all over the world and involved grapes, other small fruit, and fruit and plant diseases. In 1935 Shear retired as the principal pathologist for the Bureau of Plant Industry. Shear served in administrative positions for many organizations, including the American Phytopathological Society, the Botany Society of America, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He also held editorial positions for the journals Mycologia and Phytopathology. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Plant Science; USDA History Collection Number: 306 Collection Name: Santamour, Frank S., Papers Earliest Date: 1956 Latest Date: 2001 Linear Feet: 1.75 Collection Description: The Frank S. Santamour Papers consist of Santamour's publications and many photographs used in those publications. Historical or Biographical Sketch: Frank S. Santamour (1932-2000) was a research geneticist in the Floral and Nursery Plants Research Unit of the U.S. National Arboretum. He received his M.S. in forestry from Yale University in 1954, his A.M. in biology from Harvard University in 1957, and his Ph.D. in forestry with a minor in plant genetics from the University of Minnesota in 1960. He first worked at the Northeast Forest Experimentation Station, U.S. Forest Service, from 1957-1964, and then took a position as a geneticist for the Morris Arboretum at the University of Pennsylvania from 1964-1967. In 1967 he joined the research staff of the U.S. National Arboretum and continued there until his death in 2000. An author or coauthor of more than 275 publications, he was thought to be the world's leading authority on the genetics, breeding, and development of superior landscape trees. Some of his achievements include using biochemical methods to examine graft incompatibility, insect and disease resistance, verifying interspecific hybrids in several genera, wound compartmentalization, and correct usage of nomenclature to describe landscape trees. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Plant Science Formats: Photographs Collection Number: 307 Collection Name: American Conifer Society (ACS) Records Earliest Date: 1983 Latest Date: 2002 Bulk Dates: 1990-1999 Linear Feet: 3 Collection Description: The American Conifer Society (ACS) Records include correspondence, ACS Bulletin materials, Board of Directors' minutes, audiotapes of Board of Directors' meetings, financial records, legal incorporation documents, by-laws and policy documents, legal contract documents, national annual meetings, members' plant inventories, materials pertinent to the slide program "A Brief Look at Garden Conifers," ACS Central Region meeting files, locations of ACS national meetings (1983-2001), and membership directories. This is an open collection. Historical or Biographical Sketch: The American Conifer Society (ACS) is an organization of people who develop, preserve, and propagate conifers, clarify nomenclature, and educate the public. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Agricultural Organizations; Forestry; Plant Science Collection Number: 314 Collection Name: Manihot Bibliography Earliest Date: 1970 Linear Feet: 1.25 Collection Description: The Manihot Bibliography contains original bibliographic records and master computer list of bibliographic entries from 1970 for the genus Manihot. The name Dr. David J. Rogers, Taximetrics Laboratory, Department of Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80302 appears on a letter and the address is stamped on the computer printout. The bibliography may not have been published. In the General Collection at call no. QK474.5.A1F5 , there is a series called Flora Netotropica and Monograph 13 of that series contains the following publication: David J. Rogers, David J. and S.G. Appan. Manihot and Manihotoides (Euphorbiaceae); A Computer Assisted Study, 1973. (The monograph on its own at call no. QK474.5.A1 is listed as being at the National Arboretum.) The object of study is Manihot esulenta Crantz. This crop, which lives in tropic areas, is grown primarily for its roots. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Plant Science Collection Number: 325 Collection Name: USDA Forage Crop Investigations Records Collection Group: Plant Exploration Collections Earliest Date: 1909 Latest Date: 1930 Bulk Dates: 1929-1931 Linear Feet: 4 Collection Description: The USDA Forage Crop Investigations Records consist of field notes written by William J. Morse from 1909-1930 while he was working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forage Crop Investigations. These 55 hand-written ledgers document Morse’s discoveries of foreign plants throughout his international travels. Almost half of the field notes relate to the Dorsett-Morse Oriental Agricultural Exploration Expedition from 1929-1931. See Collection 325 for journals and photograph albums related to the expedition. Historical or Biographical Sketch: William J. Morse (1884-1959) was a soybean specialist from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of Forage Crops. He was a junior team member on the Dorsett-Morse Oriental Agricultural Exploration Expedition and was charged with the collection of soybean materials. The Division of Forage Crops and Diseases operated under the Bureau of Plant Industry of the USDA. Its main purpose was to research crops that are grown specifically for livestock consumption. It started in the 1900s as the Office of Forage-crop Investigations, and was re-designated the Office of Forage Crops in 1926. In 1929 the office took on research related to forage disease from the Office of Vegetable and Forage Crops, and became the Office (Division in 1931) of Forage Crops and Diseases. This division became a divisional component of the Field Crops Division of the Bureau of Plant Industry, Soils, and Agricultural Research in 1946. After the USDA reorganization of 1953, the Division became the Forage and Range Section of the Field Crops Research Branch, Agricultural Research Service. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Plant Exploration; Plant Science Formats: Photographs Collection Number: 327 Collection Name: Marshall, Dale, Papers Linear Feet: 21.25 Collection Description: The Dale Marshall Papers consist of a pre-publication draft of Marshall's horticultural bibliographies and copies of the articles listed in the bibliographies. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Agricultural History; Plant Science Collection Number: 330 Collection Name: Strawberry Images Collection Collection Group: Plant Photograph Collections Earliest Date: 1887 Latest Date: 1953 Linear Feet: 1.25 Collection Description: The Strawberry Images Collection contains black and white negatives, prints, and glass plates of strawberry plants and activities related to strawberry cultivation. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Plant Science Formats: Photographs Collection Number: 337 Collection Name: USDA Seed and Grain Branch Division Records Earliest Date: 1895 Latest Date: 1991 Bulk Dates: 1957-1978 Linear Feet: 40.5 Collection Description: The records include correspondence from plant breeders, seedsmen, and others to mainly Clyde R. Edwards, Seed and Grain Branch Division, for clearance of plant variety names in accordance with the Federal Seed Act. The files of vegetable crops and turf grasses are organized in alphabetical order by name of plant. Information within the letters indicates that trademark applications for seeds and U.S. Plant Variety Protection Certificates were sent to the correspondents by this government office. There are reprints of articles and clippings. The collection also includes a filing cabinet of index cards of plant variety names in alphabetical order. The cards form the "Variety Name List" which is a list of names that have been used as variety names for agricultural and vegetable seeds. The purpose of the list is to prevent violations of the Federal Seed Act by providing to the plant breeders and others who are naming varieties a list of names that have already been used. The information gathered on the cards was collected from sources such as variety release notices, official journals, seed catalogs, and seed trade publications. In the early 2000s, information on the cards was entered into a database. The Variety Name List database can be accessed on the USDA, AMS, Seed Regulatory And Testing Programs website at http://www.ams.usda.gov/lsg/seed/varietyname.htm Historical or Biographical Sketch: Clyde R. Edwards began his work with the USDA in 1952 as a marketing specialist at the USDA Seed Branch field office in Kansas City, Missouri. In 1958, he transferred to the Seed Branch headquarters in Beltsville, Maryland. By 1962 he was appointed Head of the Enforcement Section, then became Chief of the Seed Branch in 1971. He retired in 1980. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Farms and Farming Systems; Plant Science; USDA History Collection Number: 344 Collection Name: Southmeadow Fruit Gardens Records Earliest Date: 1932 Latest Date: 2005 Bulk Dates: 1959-1989 Linear Feet: 3.75 Collection Description: The Southmeadow Fruit Gardens Records contain materials from a fruit nursery run by Robert A. Nitschke, including records, catalogs, order forms, tasting evaluation forms, and a large collection of color slides and photogrpahs of a variety of fruits. Journal articles, association materials, and correspondence with other growers regarding grafting, plant samples, and the availability and quality of plants are also included. The predominant focus is on apples but there is also information on pears, peaches, grapes, gooseberries, cherries, plums, quince, and currents. A website for the Southmeadow Fruit Gardens can be found at http://www.southmeadowfruitgardens.com/index/html (as of 2/13/2006). Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Plant Science Formats: Photographs Collection Number: 346 Collection Name: Cunningham, Isabel S., Collection on Howard Scott Gentry Collection Group: Plant Exploration Collections Earliest Date: 1940 Latest Date: 1995 Bulk Dates: 1984-1993 Linear Feet: 0.5 Collection Description: The Isabel S. Cunningham Collection on Howard Scott Gentry consists of articles, notes, photographs, and Cunningham's draft articles on Howard Gentry's expeditions as plant collector. Cunningham collected these materials to write several articles about Gentry. Cunningham donated these materials in April 2006. Historical or Biographical Sketch: Howard Scott Gentry (1903-1993) earned a bachelor's degree in vertebrate zoology from the University of California at Berkeley in 1931. In 1933, Gentry started plant expeditions in Yaqui country (Sonora-Chihuahua, Mexico) and the following year in Indian barranca country in Mexico. He published his first book titled Rio May Plants of Sonor-Chihuahua in 1942. Gentry started working for the United States Department of Agriculture's Rubber Office in 1942 until 1945. The next four years he was a research botanist at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. In 1947 he obtained a Ph.D. in botany from the University of Michigan. From 1950 to 1971, Gentry was a plant collector for the New Crops Research Branch, USDA, and led expeditions into Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Iran, and Mexico. In 1970 Gentry opened the Gentry Experimental Farm in Murrieta, California, and became a research botanist at the Desert Botanical Garden two years later. He began his final position as Research Director for the Desert Botanical Garden in 1985. Processed: Yes, view the finding aid online. Subjects: Plant Exploration; Plant Science; USDA History Formats: Photographs Collection Number: 347 Collection Name: Jefferson, Roland Maurice, Collection Collection Group: Plant Exploration Collections Earliest Date: 1962 Latest Date: 2005 Bulk Dates: 1979-1989 Linear Feet: 1.5 Collection Description: The Roland Jefferson Collection contains articles, correspondence, e-mail, documents, lectures, photographs, programs, and other notes. Some of the articles, correspondence, and programs are in Japanese or Taiwanese. The majority of the collection highlights Jefferson’s work, including plant expeditions for cherry trees at the United States National Arboretum and his post-retirement lectures. The collection also mentions Jefferson’s work with plant labels, crabapples, the dogwood seed exchange program, and the President Reagan Cherry Tree. Part of the collection was donated by Roland Maurice Jefferson in April 2006. Isabel S. Cunningham added to the collection with an April 2006 donation of materials which she collected to write a series of articles on Jefferson’s work as a plant explorer. Historical or Biographical Sketch: Roland Maurice Jefferson (1923-) was born in Washington, D.C. on September 3, 1923. In 1950 he obtained a bachelor's degree in botany from Howard University and started making plant labels at the United States National Arboretum (USNA) in 1956. The next year Jefferson was promoted to become the first black botanist at the USNA and over the next decade studied crabapples. In 1973, Jefferson stared compiling a historical and scientific data about the Japanese cheryr trees planted in Washington, D.C.'s Potomac Park, which included taking cuttings from the surviving trees. In 1977 he published "The Japanese flowering cherry trees of Washington, D.C., which was later translated into Japanese. In 1978-1979 he was part of a plant expedition in Europe to study cherry and carbapple trees. In 1981, Nancy Reagan presented the President Reagon Cheery Tree to Japan, which Jefferson propagated from the 1912 cherry tree that First Lady Taft planted from Japan. From 1981-1983 went to Japan to study, lecture, locate, evaluate, and collect cherry tree budwood from Prunus germplasm or ornamental cherry trees. He started the dogwood seed exhnage program from 1982-1983, where Japanese school children collected cherry seeds in exchange for American collected dogwood seeds. In 1983 he married Keiko Ishisaki. In 1986, Jefferson led expeditions into Japan, Korea, and Taiwan to study cherry trees. He retired from the USNA in 1987, but continued to lecutre on cherry trees in Japan through 1998. Processed: Yes, view the finding aid online. Subjects: Plant Exploration; Plant Science; USDA History Formats: Photographs Collection Number: 350 Collection Name: Stoesz, Abraham D. Papers Earliest Date: 1930 Latest Date: 1963 Bulk Dates: 1957-1961 Linear Feet: 2 Collection Description: The Abraham D. Stoesz Papers is composed of approximately 1100 35mm slides. Subjects of the slides include erosion, soil, plants, and flowers, as well as what seem to be tourism photographs from Washington D.C., New York City, and other cities and universities. Many slides are clearly labeled with the date, location, and subjects of the slide. The slides represent locations all over the United States. A second large part of the collection contains field notebooks kept by Stoesz. There are approximately 50 notebooks which include notes from conferences, meetings, field expeditions, etc. Some are clearly dated and easy to understand; others contain abbreviated notes and are undated. The notebooks date from 1952-1963, with the bulk of them relating to 1957-1961. Also included in this collection is a program from Stoesz's funeral, two photographs, and 12 35mm film rolls. All film rolls are rolled and may not be viewable without proper preservation. Eight of the rolls are stored in metal film canisters that could not be opened during the accession process. Historical or Biographical Sketch: Abraham D. Stoesz was born on April 26, 1894. He worked with the Soil Conservation Service beginning in the late 1920s and continued there until his retirement in the early 1960s. He worked in locations including Mandan, ND; Rapid City, SD; Lincoln, NE; Washington, DC; and Tanzania. He died on February 24, 1982. The Soil Conservation Service (SCS) is now called the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS); for more information: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Physical Sciences; Plant Science; Natural Resources Formats: Audiovisuals; Photographs Collection Number: 351 Collection Name: Rock, Joseph Francis Charles, Papers Collection Group: Plant Exploration Collections Earliest Date: 1928 Latest Date: 1928 Bulk Dates: 1928 Linear Feet: 0.25 Collection Description: The Joseph Francis Charles Rock Papers contian a bibliofilm (microfilm photograph) of Rock's specimen notebook from 1928. Lists a specimen number followed by a description of the the specimen and the location or altitude. The actual specimens are currently at Harvard University Herbaria. Historical or Biographical Sketch: Joseph Francis Charles Rock (1884-1962) was a plant explorer, botanist, linguist, and correspondent for National Geographic Magazine. He is famous for his work with studying the Nakhi (Naxi) language and his works on Hawaiian plants. Processed: Yes, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Plant Exploration; Plant Science; USDA History Collection Number: 354 Collection Name: American Seed Trade Association Photographs Earliest Date: 1924 Latest Date: 1596 Bulk Dates: 1924-1956, n.d. Linear Feet: 2 Collection Description: The American Seed Trade Association Photographs contain matted 24"x15" (inc. mat) group photographs from various United States seed trade association meetings. Persons in photographs are not identified. Seed trade associations represented are as follows: American Seed Trade Association (1924, 1925, 1928, 1932, 1937, 1938, 1940, 1941, 1951, 1952), Atlantic Seedmen's Association (1956), California Seed Association (1949), Pacific Seedmen's Association (1943), and Western Seedmen's Association (1924, 1931, 1932, 1937, 1939, 1941, 1952, 1953). Historical or Biographical Sketch: "Founded in 1883, the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) is one of the oldest trade organizations in the United States. Its membership consists of about 850 companies involved in seed production and distribution, plant breeding, and related industries in North America. As an authority on plant germplasm, ASTA advocates science and policy issues of industry-wide importance." [From the American Seed Trade Association website, www.amseed.com] Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Agricultural Organizations; Economics; Plant Science Formats: Photographs Collection Number: 358 Collection Name: USDA Potato Research Collection Earliest Date: 1907 Latest Date: 1945 Bulk Dates: 1910-1938 Linear Feet: 1 Collection Description: The USDA Potato Research Collection consists primarily of photographs used for research studies and documenting labs, fields, experiments, types of potatoes, equipment, and personal photographs and portraits. A wide range of locations are included: Potomac Flats in Washington, DC; Honeoye Falls, NY; the Colorado Potato Experiment Station; and various locations in Idaho, Oregon, California, Minnesota, Michigan, South Dakota, and Texas. Formats are mostly black and white photograph prints, but film negatives, glass plate negatives, and glass prints are also included. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Plant Science; USDA History Formats: Agricultural Art and Memorabilia; Photographs Collection Number: 364 Collection Name: Shands, Henry, Lantern Slides Linear Feet: 0.5 Collection Description: Henry Shands of the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation donated 27 3"x4" lantern slides related to farming. Images show experimental fields and farming equipment. There are no dates on the slides. Historical or Biographical Sketch: Hentry Shands is an retired employee of the ARS National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Farms and Farming Systems; Plant Science; USDA History Collection Number: 365 Collection Name: USDA Fruit Laboratory Card Catalogs Linear Feet: 87 Collection Description: The USDA Fruit Lab Card Catalog Collection is a series of card files with descriptions of a wide range of fruits and dates of information. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Agricultural History; Plant Science Collection Number: 366 Collection Name: Nursery and Seed Trade Catalog Card Files Earliest Date: 1700 Latest Date: 1950 Linear Feet: 71 Collection Description: The Nursery and Seed Trade Catalog Card Files consist of seven card files related to the Henry G. Gilbert Nursery and Seed Trade Catalog Collection housed in Special Collections. This inactive card file contains plant information, nursery locations, and catalog holdlings. Processed: No, contact Special Collections. Subjects: Agricultural History; Plant Science Collection Number: 368 Collection Name: John B. Carpenter Collection Earliest Date: 1854 Latest Date: 1954 Bulk Dates: 1952-1954 Linear Feet: 0.5 Collection Description: The John B. Carpenter Collection includes materials relating to the project undertaken in the 1950s by John D. Carpenter to create a subject index to Miles Joseph Berkeley's work on Vegetable Pathology from 1854-1857. The collection contains one bound volume containing "Vegetable Pathology" by Miles Joseph Berkeley (1854-1857), extracted by John B. Carpenter in 1945 from The Gardener's Chronicle. There are ten pieces of correspondence between John B. Carpenter and J.G. Dickson on Carpenter's creation of an index to accompany the "Vegetable Pathology" work. Also included are two copies of the completed Index by Carpenter and one small binder containing "Observations, Botanical and Physiological, on the Potato Murrain" by Miles Joseph Berkeley. Historical or Biographical Sketch: John B. Carpenter was born in 1915 and worked as a Senior Plant Pathologist for the USDA Rubber Disease Investigation in La Hulera, Turrialba, Costa Rica in the 1950s. He later became a Senior Plant Pathologist in Indio, California. In the 1980s, Carpenter was a Cooperative Extension Specialist and Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Riverside. Subjects: Agricultural Organizations; Plant Science; USDA History Collection Number: 371 Collection Name: Palemon Howard Dorsett Persimmon Collection Collection Group: Plant Exploration Collections Earliest Date: 1924 Latest Date: 1930 Bulk Dates: 1924-1925, 1930 Linear Feet: 1.5 Collection Description: The Palemon Howard Dorsett Persimmon Collection contains 200 photographs of persimmon fruits, trees, workers, and related views. The photographs were taken by Palemon Howard Dorsett on several plant exploration trips to Asia from 1924-1930. There are many handwritten legends and Chinese writing. Materials originated from the USDA New Crops Research Branch offices in Beltsville, Maryland. Some of the photographs may duplicate those found in the Dorsett-Morse Oriental Exploration Expedition Collection held in Special Collections. Besides photographs, there is a blueprint of the persimmon hot-water processing kiln for use in the treatment of Chinese persimmons in Peiping, China and the vicinity, 1930. Additionally, there is a typewritten document and notes on the establishment of the Chico, California, Testing and Propagating Garden in 1930. The collection includes the publication Where Persimmon Was King: P.H. Dorsett's Photographic Tour Around Peking, China 1924-1931 edited by William H. Preston. Historical or Biographical Sketch: Palemon Howard Dorsett (1862-1943) was a United States Department of Agriculture plant explorer with USDA Section of Plant Introduction. Dorsett traveled to the persimmon growing region north of Peiping (now Beijing). He and his son James explored the region in 1924-25 and then again in 1930-31 with the Oriental Agricultural Exploration Expedition. Subjects: Agricultural History; Plant Exploration; Plant Science Formats: Photographs
Last Modified : June 13, 2007