THE PRESIDENT - The point is well taken. We want someone who is endowed with physical strength. The chair will appoint those distinguished physicians, Dr. Burpee, Dr. Vaughan, and Dr. Braslan, to examine the gentleman and report.

MR. BURPEE When shall we examine him?

THE PRESIDENT — I would suggest that you examine him about two o'clock tomorrow morning. Put him under the influence of Pabst and examine him at that time.

Prof. Hayes of the School of Agriculture is here, and is most anxious that as many of those who are present as possible, even before the adjournment on Thursday night, Thursday afternoon or afterwards, and especially as many of those who remain after that time as possible, should inspect the work that is being carried on at the School of Agriculture, and he is here to tell you something about it. This morning we had a very urgent invitation from Prof. Greene, but Prof. Hayes is carrying on, as many of you, I think, know, a most important work in the line of plant breeding, and in the improvement of varieties of wheat, cereals, and so forth, which would no doubt be very interesting to you if you should go over there and see his work. Prof. Hayes is present and I know he wants to urge this matter upon your attention for a moment, and I take great pleasure in introducing him to you.

PROF. HAYES - Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, I don't want to take up your time, but I want to say just a word on this subject; that we are trying to emphasize certain things in a theoretical way of plant breeding, and trying to get some practical results, and we are trying to make those practical results illustrate the statistical methods in plant breeding, and in some measure we are accomplishing this.

The experiment station is easily reached from here. Prof. Greene and myself will accommodate ourselves to entertain you in the way of showing you about at any time you may be able to visit us, and we believe we can show you certain things that will interest you. [Applause.]

THE PRESIDENT- There is no subject that could possibly be brought before this Association that would command the attention and interest that something authoritative in relation to the government seed distribution would. It has been a sore subject with us all. We have seen it grow from a small

beginning until it has reached alarming proportions, threatening the integrity of our business. We cannot see forty or fifty or sixty million packages of seeds distributed throughout this country to those who would otherwise buy their seeds of the seedsmen without viewing it with a great deal of concern. It is bad enough as it is, it is worse if it continues to grow. When the news came that this seed distribution had been placed in the hands of Dr. B. F. Galloway, a great sigh of relief went up among this trade. We all know about Dr. Galloway. We know about his work, and we know his character as a scientist and as a man, and we felt that one great point had been gained when he was placed in charge of this important work. At Washington some time ago Dr. Galloway said that it was to be the effort of the department to direct their work in the distribution of seeds along lines that would be of benefit, if possible, to the seed trade, rather than an injury. He fully appreciates the fact, I think, that it is today working an injury and a hardship in many ways, it being the only article of merchandise that is distributed free. I had a talk with the Secretary of Agriculture, and told him something how the seed trade felt, and while he recognized, of course, something of the hardships and abuses that it works, yet his view of it was that he sometimes was blamed when he was not to blame; that he was carrying out the law. I told Secretary Wilson that we perhaps hit him because he was the visible head; that he was the only one that we could shoot at; that if he would come out here and become acquainted with the trade, meet us here in a free and informal talk, that I thought it would be a benefit to us both. He explained what the work was to be, and he promised to come, but I received a telegram from him Saturday, and a letter from him a little before, saying that on account of the pressure of other matters it would not be possible for him to be here, but he had intended coming with Dr. Galloway. Dr. Galloway is here, and I think it is a great step that we have gained in securing his presence. It shows what he aims to do, and he will tell you about it. He will speak to you, gentlemen, this afternoon on the subject of "Some Phases of the Government Seed Work". I take great pleasure in introducing to you Dr. B. F. Galloway, Chief of the Bureau of Plant Industry of the United States.

SOME PHASES OF THE GOVERNMENT SEED WORK. BY B. T. GALLOWAY.

Mr. President and Gentlemen:

In accepting the kind invitation of your President to meet with you today I did so more for the sake of greeting you face to face and becoming better acquainted than for the purpose of making an address, particularly an address on the government seed distribution. A good many years ago in a state south of this there was a live, active horticultural society that met once a year, listened to papers, and discussed the interesting topics of the day. In these times if one wanted to bring on trouble it was only necessary to raise the subject of pear blight, and immediately the flood gates of oratory were opened and all other matters were forced to the background. After this thing had gone on for a number of years in the society in question the whole matter was referred to a committee, with full power to settle the controversy once for all. The report of this committee is worthy of being handed down to future generations as a model of Solomon-like wisdom. It was something like this:

"Whereas, pear blight has been the subject of endless discussion in this society; and, Whereas, the more pear blight is discussed the more the trees die; therefore, be it Resolved, that we cease all discussion of pear blight and patiently await the action of a beneficent Providence whose blessings, we must admit, are showered alike on the just and the unjust."

The report was unanimously adopted, and the very next year the cause of pear blight was discovered. I feel very much about the government seed distribution as this committee felt about pear blight, and for this reason am rather loath to bring up the subject. However, there are some things in regard to the work that may very properly be discussed here, as I believe that a full understanding will be for the best interests of all concerned.

A little more than two years ago it was seen by the present worthy Secretary of Agriculture, the Honorable James Wilson, that if the department under his charge was to develop along broad lines a change in its organization was necessary. There had grown up in the department various branches of closely-related work, and the very number of these branches was an element of weakness. After carefully reviewing all the questions involved the Secretary made certain recommendations to Congress, and the changes, as planned by him, were effected. As a result of these changes the Bureau of Plant Industry, which I have the honor to represent, came into existence. This bureau has for its object the study of plants and their relation to crop production, and, as at present constituted, it consists of nine branches, with a corps of nearly 300 workers. It was

early recognized by the Secretary that the various matters pertaining to the securing and distributing of seeds and plants could be best handled by the corps of trained men in the Bureau of Plant Industry, and for this reason its officers were placed in charge of the work something over a year ago. It has been our object to develop this work in such a way as to correlate it with the other investigations of the bureau, recognizing the fact that by so doing we would be in better position to bring it eventually to a place where it would be most helpful to the farmers of the country and least harmful to those whose business it is to grow and sell seeds.

Before proceeding further I wish to make my position perfectly clear with respect to the corps of earnest men who have spent the best years of their lives in building up an honest and honorable seed trade. While it is true that the aim of these men has been to build up a business for business' sake, it is also true that they have done much to advance the material interests of the country. We all admire the grand work our experiment stations are doing for the advancement of agriculture, but when the history of this country is written we must not forget the men who, in building up a legitimate trade, have been instrumental in doing much for the betterment of our people. It is but natural that unscrupulous men should take advantage of the desire of all progressive people to better their condition and endeavor to foster upon them many sorts of fake things in the way of seeds. The same thing happens in all other business, but this is no reason for condemning the legitimate trade as a whole. We have always held to the opinion that the government should endeavor to do the best work possible, and in the securing and distributing of seeds this would certainly hold true. Reverting, therefore, to the government work: as we are now planning it our aim and hope is to make it a benefit to the great mass of people for whom the department was established, and at the same time not interfere with legitimate branches of trade. Congress, in its wisdom, thinks proper to have the department perform this work, and our position is that we should endeavor to do so with as little friction and as much satisfaction to all concerned as is practicable under the conditions which we work. Without going into any lengthy argument, let us briefly state what it seems might be done in this direction, and in doing so I most cordially invite suggestions which, in your judgment, may aid us. In order to be brief I will paragraph the several points which it seems desirable to consider:

Ist. In order to do away with many of the objections and difficulties met with in the past in the Congressional seed distribution proper, it would seem best for the department to secure its own seed and to arrange for the necessary packeting, shipping, etc., as a distinct and separate matter. In doing this the department will be in a

position to secure from the most reliable sources such seeds as it may need, and will do away entirely with any opportunity or inducement for substitutions, reduced weights, or anything of this nature. To carry out this plan to the best advantage the country should be divided into districts, according to climatic requirements, and certain assortments adapted to these districts should be distributed therein. Aside from the benefits derived from each district getting the things best suited to it, the plant will do away with the necessity of having to secure such large quantities of a variety, thus enabling the department to decrease the families and increase the number of varieties.

2d. It will be the endeavor of the department to confine the Congressional work as closely as possible to new, rare, and special seeds and plants, and the building up of agriculture and horticulture by demonstration experiments with the seeds and plants distributed. At present the work may be divided into two classes, namely: (a) the distribution of special seeds and plants, such as forage crops, tobacco, cotton, sugar beets, cereals, etc.; (b) the distribution of miscellaneous vegetable and flower seed. In the handling of the special seeds and plants due attention will be paid to the requirements of different sections of the country, and the crops will be so selected as to meet the needs and requirements of the districts into which the seed and plants are sent. A promising forage crop will be distributed in a section where the nature of the soil and climate indicates success, and where the coöperation of a sufficient number of farmers can be obtained to make the work, in a measure, a demonstration experiment. The same plan can be followed with tobacco, cotton, and other special crops, particular attention being given to comparatively new things.

3d. In the miscellaneous distribution of vegetable and flower seed the work will be so conducted as to gradually introduce new or little known things, dropping them after the first or second year, and leaving the demand created for them, if demand there be, to be supplied by the trade. Efforts will be made to cooperate with the seedsmen of the country in the matter of obtaining specialties and novelties, and disseminating these, instead of the older sorts; taking care, of course, that nothing is sent out without some good claim to value and newness. To determine this for ourselves arrangements can be made with such of the state experiment stations as may be necessary to carry on coöperative tests of varieties in advance of their distribution, thus making it possible to eliminate the things that give little promise of value. The novelties and specialties thus secured should be distributed under the name of the introducer in order to give proper credit and in order to guarantee a protection to the department.

4th. Recognizing the fact that the department is in the best position to handle all matters pertaining to the purely scientific work