108 DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS. 



uted under the name of the introducer in order to give proper credit, 

 and in order to guarantee a protection to the Department. 



As this work develops, it is hoped that it may more and more be 

 made to serve the purpose for which it was originally intended, viz, 

 the advancement of agriculture and horticulture in the country, with- 

 out interfering with legitimate branches of trade. 



A number of changes will be made in the general work pertaining 

 to the foreign seed and plant introduction. The promiscuous intro- 

 duction of small lots of miscellaneous plants will not be encouraged, 

 as it is believed that work of this kind does not give results commen- 

 surate with the time and monej^ expended in pushing it. The main 

 object of this work is to build up new industries in the countrj^ and 

 for this reason the investigations often lead into broad qi^iestions on 

 various commercial matters. The work, therefore, will be confined 

 mainly to the introduction of such rare seeds and plants from abroad 

 as give promise of adding to the wealth of the country and making 

 l^ossible the development of new lines of work. One of the serious 

 drawbacks to this work in the past has been the inability to secure 

 proper records of the distributions made. This was owing in large 

 part to the fact that more things were introduced and disseminated 

 than could be properly cared for, and, furthermore, the great diffi- 

 culty in securing proper interest on the part of those to whom seeds 

 and plants were sent in this promiscuous way. 



With a view to further systematizing the work and making it prac- 

 ticable to keej:) iu touch with seeds and plants introduced, it is believed 

 that a system should be devised whereby rejDresentative agents of the 

 Department in the State experiment stations or elsewhere will be kept 

 in close touch with the work here, and will carry out, under the direc- 

 tion of the Department, systematic testing of such plants and seeds 

 as ma3" be forwarded from time to time. Such a plan will necessitate 

 dividing the country into working divisions and securing the right 

 kind of a man in each division to handle what may be sent him. In 

 this way the Department will be able to f ull}^ control plants and seeds 

 distributed, and by proper reimbursement of its agents can keep an 

 interest iu the work that can not be maintained in any other way. In 

 the introduction of any plants or seeds it is essential and necessary 

 first to determine where the}' are likely to prove most successful. 

 After this is accomplished it is also necessary and essential to con- 

 vince farmers or fruit growers of the feasibility of growing the par- 

 ticular crop. Even then the work is not finished, for although the 

 crop may be gi-own readily, the question of a market must be con- 

 sidered. It follows, therefore, that general and promiscuous distribu- 

 tion is verj^ wasteful, and that satisfactory i-esults can probably be 

 obtained much quicker and at less expense by putting into operation 

 a plan as already described. This matter is now under careful con- 

 sideration, and it is hoped that the plan may be put into full operation 

 during the present year. 



