Evening Star Newspaper, September 14, 1930, Page 99

THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, SEPTEMBER 14, 1930. — — P. Ballard, J. Grinnell, J. Mogre, M. R:ardon, John G. Schott, A, W. Mugzy, J. M, Kavanaugh, C. E. Lewis, J. Budges, H. H. Etter {mess:nger), E. Tonkin (wa'chman), J. E. M. Bowen (assist- ant messengcr) and Samuel C. Davison, SAMUEI, C. DAVISON was the writer's grand- father, He dizd on April 16 of the follow= ing year TFom diseas: contracted while serving in the Union Army during the early stages of the Civil War The building just recently removed was erected during the administration of Gen. Horace Capron, who succeeded Commissioner Newton, and first occupied by him in August, 1868, the r:cords and other property of the department, with the exception of the museym, being moved from the Patent Office Building. A month later the museum also was moved. On August 1, 1871, G:n. Capron resigned, “that he might accept a position as chief of a com=- mission of American gentlemen organized by the Japanese government for the purpose of introducing into Japan Amercan methods of agriculture and other features of our industrial progress.” However, the old building has remained standing all thess years, and probably all, or nearly all, who had anything to do with its construction have long since passed into the great beyond. But many of us of a younger generation will for years to come, no doubt, recall with pleasure this old red brick build- ing that never said an unkind word. about any one, although the architects at times took pleasure in saying unkind things about it. Soon we must refer to the record for infor- mation and a picture of this valuable old land- mark, and when we do we will find recorded in the report of the Secretary of Agriculture for 1868 the following minute description, which yeads: “The new building of the Department of Agriculture is 170 feet long by 61 feet deep and consists of a finished basement, thres full stories, and Mansard roof, Designed in the Renaissance style of architecture, the front pre- sents a center building with main entrance, flanked by two projecting wings. The material is pressed brick, with brownstone base, belts, trimmings and cornices. Walking over a flight of swelled granite steps, the visitor passes through the main door, of oak and ash wood, into an octagonal vestibule, the floor of which is laid with rosettes and borders of encaustic tiles. The ceiling is decorated with fresco work, around a center representing an arbor of vine - foliage and held by American eagles with spread wings; arab:sque crnaments are sprung with four medallions illustrating in turn, by land- scape, light effect and human figures, spring, morning and childhood; Summer, nooh and youth; Autumn, evening and mature age; Win- ter, night and old age. “The reception room is chastely decorated, while the chief clerk’s room is finished with an apparently solid molded and paneled wain- scot in curly walnut, mahogany and maple, covering the height of the side walls, sure mounted by frescoed stucco cornice and a ceil- ing in complementary colors. “The adjoining office of the Commissioner is done in the same material but in a higher style of the art, the panels of rich bird's-eye maple being bordered by friezes of mahogany Norman J. Colman, first Secretary of Agriculture. and blistered walnut, alternating with fancy paneled pilasters in mahogany and satinwood, all parted by curly maple and set off by gilt"* edges. This series of rooms is completed by the private office of the Commissioner, finished in plain library style, with friezes of birch, borders of black walnut and panels of mountain N February 11, 1889, the Department of Agriculture became one of the executive departments, with a seat in the cabinet, and President Grover Cleveland elevated to the new post provided for by Congress Norman J. Col- man, who thus became the first Secretary of Agriculture, though, of course, it was for a very short duration, for President Harrison, a month later, appointed as Secretary Gen. Jere- miah M. Rusk, who served throughou® Harri- son's administration. The Department of Agriculture has had many valuable meén on its staff in days gone by, and only recently passed away Dr. Harvey W. Wiley, distinguished food specialist. It still has a number of really able men who help work out the problems of the départment, and there is no doubt that the present Secretary, Arthur M. Hyde, will complete his term of office with as much credit to himself and to the Government #s has any of his predecessors in that office, Of the many men, however, who have been econnected with the department none achieved & greater fame than did William Saunders, who was one of the oldest employes at the time 0ld Building of the Department of Agriculture, from 1868 to 1930. Reproduced from an old print. of his death and whose development of the Washington navel orange has made his name famous. He died September 11, 1900, and his body lies in Rock Creck Cemetery, maybe with or without a marker, but, like the great, he needs no monument, for as long as the seedless orange is grown so long will it be associated with his name, which in itself is a monument more valuable than money could erect. The Star, always alert to recognize the ster- ling worth of the distinguished ‘Washingtonian, said of Mr. Saunders just 30 years ago: “In the death of William Saunders, the well known horticulturist, this morning at his home, 1603 Third street, the Department of Agri- culture lost its senior attache in point of service; the cvuniry lost a landscape gardener who planned the famed Fairmont Park of Philadelphia and who had spent the best years of his life in adding to the beauty of the Capital City; the fruit-growing industry lost a valuable helper—the man to whom the intro- duction of the seedless orange into the United :tadees in its present great commercial richness ue. “*® * * Mr. Saunders had been identified with the department since its creation in 1862 and had much to do with giving direction to its earlier activities. “ “In his official position he had charge of the Agricultural grounds and park. As the beauti- ful grounds stand today they were planned by him. They were his pride and, it is said, are as pretty and tasteful as any to be found in this or any European country. “NIR. SAUNDERS at the time of his death was in his seventy-eighth year, He was born in Scotland and earlier in his life was connected with the public gardens of London and elsewhere in Europe, He afterward came to America and, as stated, had been connected with the Department of Agriculture for 40 years or more. “Of the plants introduced by the experi- mental gardens under the direction of Mr, Saunders, the most conspicuous, probably, as adding directly to the wealth of the country, is the seedless Bahia_(or navel) orange, the parent tree of which in the Uniied States is to be found today in the orangery of the department. Carloads of oranges by tens, scores and hun- dreds, it is said, are sent out from California to supply not only the domestic but many of the foreign markets with this delicious fruit, to return millions. of dollars to the growers. Few people realize that this great industry is due to the judgment and foresight of one man—Mr. Saunders, “The discovery of the navel orange was made, it is said, primarily by an American woman traveling in Brazil. She wrete to friends in this country concerning the superior quality of the orange in that South American country. Mr. Saunders had already devoted some atten- tion to the improvement of orange culture in the United States and had intioduced a- few new varieties from foreign countries. This let- ter, being brotght to his attention, suggested the possibility of & new find in the field of orange culture. In 1870 he secured a shipment of 12 young trees, all of the same variety and well packed in wet moss and clay. This was the original stock from which have sprung all the far-famed orange groves producing what is commercially known as the ‘Riverside navel (or seedless) orange’ of Southern California. “All of the 12 plants were set out in the department grounds and thrived. At the proper time buds from these trees were grafted upon small orange plants then under cultivation and - the process of propagation repeated at proper intervals. As the supply increased hundreds of the young plants were distributed through Filorida and California. For some undiscovered reason Florida proved unfavorable to the pro- Drought a Blow to Corn Borer. EVERY dark cloud has a silver lining. 1 here’s always a fly in the ointment, Consider the following facts from either the pessimistic or the optimistic point of view. There is plenty of room for whichever point of view you take. The European corn borer suffered from the heat and drought, and reports reaching ento- mologists of the United Sitates Department of Agriculture indicate that the number of corn borers will be materially sraaller than had been anticipated. Many moths of the corn borer were destroyed before they emerged, and moths that emerged did not lay as many eggs as usual. Heat and dry weather destroyed large numbers of eggs. The bureau of entomology has reports from several localities of unusual numbers of mos- quitoes, probably the consequence of the partial drying of small streams which have produced stagnant pools suitable for mosquito breeding. More than the average number of ants have in- vaded homes, the bureau says, probably as a result of a scarcity of moisture and food out- doors, In general the bureau authorities are reluc- tant to attribute strictly to drought and high temperature the variations, favorable or unfa- vorable, in the prevalence of insects. Dr. A. L. Quaintance, associate chief of the bureau, says: “Temperature and moisture are, of course, im- portant limiting factors in our pest populations, but are so intimately associated with parasitism, disease, variations in food supply, alternate hosts, and competing animals (including in- sects), that the complexity of the problem makes it hazardous to draw conclusions. The present drought and the high temperatures, we may safely say, have been accompanied by several striking fluctuations in the normal jn- sect populations.” The Mexican bean beetle, says Dr. Quaint- ance, came through the Winter in excellent condition, but has been reduced to a negligible factor over practically all the drought-stricken area, more as the consequence of very high ground temperatures than of the drought it- self. The Oriental fruit moth infestation is generally light over the area, but this is not directly attributable to abnormal weather. Aphids, in general, are less numerous than usual. Development of the corn ear worm has been delayed in Central Virginia and egg-laying has been 90 per cent less than normal. The " wheat jointworm larvae in this region have suffered a 10 per cent mortality. Tobacco hornworms and tobacco flea beetles are less abundant than usual in Tenneszee. Red spiders, on the other hand, are reported quite generally over the entire drought area as extremely abundant and destructive, says Dr. Quaintance, and the codling moth was very favorably affected by high temperatures over practically all this area. Codling moth dame- age more severe than usual has been reported from New York and westward to Illinois and southward to Arkansas. Recent examinations in Indiana, however, are showing that many eggs are too dry to hateh, Qutlook Is Blue. TH! outlook for the bluing industry seems to be blue. The 1929 trend was decidedly below that of 1927, with a decline of approxi- mately one-third in the number of employes and a decrease in the value of the output of about 20 per cent. There are 18 establish- ments turning out bluing, and they employ $1, about 102 erg at an averpge of : duction of the trees, but the development and success of their culture in California constitute a subject of unusual interest. The average an- nual shipment of oranges from Riverside has now increased to 1,600,000 boxes. “Another achievement of Mr. Saunders’ was the organization of that powerful association, the Patrons of Husbandry, more commonly xnown as the Grangers, with a membership of 350,000 farmers. This association was his jdea. He was instrumental in shaping its form and purposes, A Mr. Thompson supplied the ritual and a Mr. Kelly traveled as the active organizer. Mr. Saunders, however, had more to do than any one else with the formatioa of the powerful organization.” b e gl ANOTKER early employe of the Department of Agriculture was Capt. John A. Harvey, and his daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth Beah, has furnished me with a sketch of him, as follows: “Capt. John A. Harvey came to Washington from West Virginia in 1877, on an invitation from President Hayes to visit him. After a friendly visit, he was persuaded to remain in Washington, and in September, 1877, he was appointed chief engineer of the Department of Agriculture. He served under two or three commissioners before it was made a cabinet office. He was one of the early settlers of South Washington. In 1879 he leased a house on Thirteenth street; where the Publication Building has stood for mamy years. Later he bought a detached house on C street near Thir« teenth street southwest. There he raised a large family, five daughters and one som. At that time and for many years all of the dif- ferent bureaus were carried on in the one main building—the old landmark that is dear to many hearts—now being torn down to make way for a new roadway to beautify the grounds, which were laid out many years ago, in the early 70s, by Mr. Saunders and Mr. Kerr, two Scotch gardeners. There are today a few of the clerks of the main building scattered throughout the city in the different branches in the Bureau of Publications.” AL individuals and organizations have their knockers and their boosters, and they seem to be indispensable. Back in the early '80s a clever rhymester, who evidentiy thought the Department needed a little prodding, published the following lines and introduction: “Senator Plumb is much infatuated with the Commissioner of Agriculture, and lately offered a resolution admitting the Commissioner to the floor of the Senate. He also wants a part of the 1,100 acres of the Azlington estate set aside as a playground for the Agricultural Depart- ment. When Dr. Loring can read his title clear to this ‘experimental farm,” as he calls it, he will then acknowledge the authorship of the following beautiful lines, which will be pub- . lished in the North American Review: “we’ll graft the lobster on the hop, The oyster bed we'll gayly weed, The cranberry jelly tree we'll flop And save the macaroni seed. “The beet root sugar we wili get By tapping of the hickory tree; Horse chestnuts in the Spring we’ll set That in the Autumn colts will be. “We’ll prune the climbing sorghum vine, We'll dig the rutabaga pear The clam shall with the pea entwine, And both shall, mingling, hlossom there. “The Berkshire goat its wool shall shed, The bantam cow shall feed on hay; We'll milk the ducks, all thoroughbred, That steal the egzs the squirrsls lays L’ENVOI---to Senator Plumb: & ! “Think of the beost I gave you in The Kansas foot and mouth disease, Then hump yourself, and you will win The thanks of all the Bostonese™ "' """ "'