204 
rent duplication of the collections. They should rather be regarded as supplemental 
of each other. 
With reference to the Herbarium of the Department of Agriculture, I wish fur- 
ther to say that a careful revision has been for some time in progress, and a list of de- 
siderata from Ranunculacex to Rosacez inclusive has been prepared and sent to the 
printer, and I hoped to have it ready for distribution to the members of the Club at 
this meeting, but owing to a pressure of work it is not yet published. As soon, how- 
ever, as it can it will be sent to the members of the Club. 
It is known to some of those present that since my connection with the Depart- 
ment it has been my desire to make the Botanical Division useful as an aid, particu- 
larly to the Agricultural Colleges of the country, and to other scientific institutions as 
far as possible, and with this purpose I have made many distributions of sets of wood- 
specimens and of such duplicate plants ascould be spared. But this service has been very 
small in comparison to what it might be under more favorable circumstances. For 
the last eight or ten years there has been no botanical work performed in connection 
with the Government Surveys, except some volunteer collecting by a few members of 
the Survey. Formerly it was the practice to have one or more Naturalists connected 
with the Surveys, and the botanical collections made were finally deposited with the 
Department of Agriculture. In this way the Herbarium was enriched and a stock of 
duplicates was accumulated. But since the abandonment of Natural History on the 
Surveys we have had to depend chiefly on a small appropriation with which the 
principal botanical collections of Palmer, Pringle, Lemmon, Howell and others have 
been purchased. 
: There is now urgent need for more government aid in the prosecution of the work 
of the Botanical Division. The interest which this Club and the American Associa- 
tion has taken in the work, I am pleased to state has already had a good effect in the 
direction of the organization and support of a section of Vegetable Pathology. For 
this much we are thankful, but hope that the Club will continue its interest in the 
botanical work and lend its aid to a further development of it. 
A liberal appropriation should be asked for from the next Congress that the Divis- 
ion of Botany may be able to expand its work and to improve and enlarge the Herba- 
rium. There are many directions in which this expansion is desirable. The Botanical 
Collection has reached a stage where the principal desiderata can only be obtained 
through special efforts. These consist largely of plants of local and limited distribu- 
tion which are out of the way of the great lines of travel, and can only be obtained 
by sending collectors into such special fields. | Then it is desirable that this Division 
should be able to take a part in the exploration of new fields. The great West has 
only been partially explored. Every year many new species are being discovered, and 
our knowledge of the geographical range of our vegetation is being extended. The 
Botanical Division should be able todo something in the work ; either by employing 
special botanical collectors to be sent into proper localities, or by giving greater as- 
sistance to already known local botanists—probably by a combination of both 
plans. The botanical work is intimately associated with Forestry, Horticulture, (in- 
cluding Pomology), Medicine etc., and should be able to aid those branches. Special 
efforts should be made at Wanhangion to form an Arboretum worthy of the name ; 
one in which should be represented every tree and shrub indigenous to the United 
States which could be made to live there. This object cannot be accomplished without 
_ the use of liberal appropriations. 
But not only should the Division take jars in the work of collection end explora- 
tion in the field, but it should have the means of employing specialists to work up cer-_ 
