SruDins ON Crown Gall of Plants 119 



" t^roNvint; satisfactorily in several places in Aii/.oiia and (.ali- 

 fornia." Since 1902 Kearney, agrostologist, botanist, and physi- 

 ologist, had been physiologist in charge of alkali and drought 

 resistant plant investigations. Experiments with several crops 

 including alfalfa were then under way. Smith eagerly awaited 

 their outcome and, after describing them, urged his audience to 

 watch for the results when announced. When Smith concluded 

 his address, the president of the Conference thanked Smith and 

 said: " I regret that Dr. Webber has not been able to attend this 

 meeting, but I know that we will all agree that Dr. Smith has 

 been an excellent substitute." 



Neils E. Hansen, professor of horticulture at the state agri- 

 cultural ' college and experiment station at Brookings, South 

 Dakota, also attended the Conference from the United States. 

 At the time in the employ of the Department of Agriculture as 

 an agricultural explorer, he was making a six-months exploration 

 tour around the world through Lapland, Finland, Russia, Siberia, 

 Manchuria, and Japan. 



August 17, from the Willie Commelin Scholten at Amsterdam, 

 Smith addressed a letter to Woods concerning the Conference: 



Yours of July 24 was awaiting me on my return from London. The 

 plant breeding conference was one of the most delightful events I have 

 ever been a part of. There were quite a good many foreign delegates and 

 the English bestirred themselves to do everything possible for our pleasure. 

 They entertained royally. Only this great Society with 10,000 members, 

 a big building free of encumbrance, a great prestige, and a big bank 

 account could do what they did. They gave two or three stand up 

 luncheons in the building, a great banquet one evening in the Exhibition 

 hall, to which about 200 persons sat down, a trip on omnibuses to Kew 

 and South Kensington, and two elaborate luncheons (dinners really) at 

 two great country estates. The first was at the home place of Sir Trevor 

 Lawrence, president of the Royal Hort[icultural] Society. This is about 

 25 miles south of London in Surrey. For this trip they provided a special 

 train of twelve railway cars to take and bring us back. Music for the occa- 

 sion was furnished by the crack band of the Royal Something (Artillery 

 I believe) . The tables were spread under a big green and white tent on 

 one side of the spacious lawn. After which we looked through the orchid 

 houses and strolled on the lovely grounds. The rich English certainly love 

 lawns and gardens and know how to make good ones. I considered my- 

 self very fortunate in having the opportunity to see such good examples ot 

 their horticulture and landscape work. The second luncheon was given by 

 the millionaire banker and stock broker, Leopold de Rothschild, at one of 



