APRIL 1 TO JUNE 30, 1910. 9 



thought can contribute to the production of better persimmons, and 

 this inventory contains species from Mauritius, Bengal, the Caucasus, 

 and Mexico. 



The total number of introductions listed, 844, is an average of over 

 280 a month, or 10 introductions each official day, which is more than 

 16 per cent above the average for any previous period, notwithstand- 

 ing the fact that only one explorer has been in the field during this 

 time. This may be taken as an indication of the increase in requests 

 from experimenters for new material and in foreign correspondence 

 which leads to the discovery of valuable foreign plants not heretofore 

 introduced. 



Special attention is called to the increasing quantity of technical 

 botanical matter included, particularly the geographic distribution 

 of the rarer species. For this, as well as for the determination of the 

 species, Mr. H. C. Skeels, working under the supervision of Mr. 

 Frederick V. Coville, of the Office of Taxonomic and Range Investi- 

 gations, is responsible. Miss Mary A. Austin, as heretofore, has had 

 charge of the preparation of the inventory. 



David Fairchild, 

 Agricultural Explorer in Charge. 



Office of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction, 



Washington, D. C, December 17, 1910. 



208 



