THE AGASSIZ ASSOCIATION 



171 



only one million dollars ($1,000,000). 

 The income of the Carnegie Institution 

 last year was $1,510,876.74. That 

 would leave over a half million tor of- 

 fice expenses and speeial stall investi- 

 gation. Suppose from our list of work- 

 ers we could select 1,000 to he aided an 

 average of $10 a year in hooks, etc. 

 Does any one for a moment think that 

 only $10,000 could he expended to so 

 good advantage in any other manner? 



There are many thousands of hoys 

 and girls, men and women, sincerely 

 interested in the study of nature. 

 Many of these have not much time nor 

 money to develop their studies. It is 

 the mission of the AA to give encour- 

 agement and guidance to these work- 

 ers. Some will develop into most ex- 

 pert natural scientists. We have heen 

 doing that work for forty years. Many 

 of the best scientists testify that their 

 start was with The Agassiz Associa- 

 tion. Some of the most efficient and 

 learned scientific societies started as 

 Chapters of the AA. Notably among 

 these are The Wilson Ornithological 

 Club, The Torrey Botanical Club, The 

 Sullivant Moss Society, and others. 



The AA does not need thirty million 

 dollars. No other organization within 

 itself can use that amount to propor- 

 tionate advantage. The AA does need 

 a few thousand to pay a few devoted 

 workers, and to meet the actual ex- 

 penses of the office. 



Our Luther Burbank Chapter. 



[From a personal letter from Professor Ralph 

 Benton, Department of Biology, University of 



Southern California, Los Angeles, California.! 



MEMBERS OF 111?: LUTHER BURBANK CHAP- 

 TER AT ECHO ROCK, (5660 FT.), TOP OF 

 MT. WILSON. 



Mt. Wilson Astronomical Observatory is located here. 



Just a line in reference to The Agas- 

 siz Association work. On May 28, 

 Agassiz's birthday and "Charter Day" 

 of the Luther Burbank Chapter, we 

 closed the year's activities (academic 

 year) with an evening gathering of the 

 members at my home. About twenty 

 were present, despite the stress of the 

 closing work of the term. A resultful 

 meeting was held. The committees re- 

 ported a number of members for elec- 

 tion, and an eventful series of field 



IN THE OFFICE OF THE ZOOLOGICAL LABORATORY, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALI- 

 FORNIA. 

 Professor Benton (seated), Mr. Elmer Higgins (in the center) and Mr. Alfred Cookman (at the right). 



