(280) 



In the way of suggestions for the coming year, I would 

 state that the studies above referred to have impressed me 

 more than ever before, if this be possible, with the great 

 value of botanically authenticated economic material. The 

 lack of such authentication in the past has rendered much 

 the larger part of the research work that has been done worse 

 than worthless, since it has introduced discrepancies and con- 

 tradictions which have tended to discredit the possibilities of 

 science. 



As the Garden develops, an increasing amount of this re- 

 search work is likely to be performed here, and we should 

 endeavor from the beginning to eliminate errors due to this 

 cause from our results. Our Board of Scientific Directors 

 can hardly overestimate the importance of utilizing every 

 opportunity for obtaining economic material by the hands of 

 trained collectors, who shall not only satisfy themselves of 

 its identity, but preserve collection-records which shall place 

 such identity beyond the reach of future question. One such 

 opportunity has been embraced during the past year, by 

 engaging Mr. Eugene Ackermann to collect certain articles 

 for us in the Amazon valley. Several of these will probably 

 enable us to determine in future some important commercial 

 questions which have frequently been unanswerable in this 

 city in the past. 



Finally, I would recommend that a provision for new cases 

 be made as soon as the funds will warrant, and I would 

 further advise that when this addition is made, an attempt 

 should be made to change the character of the present cases, 

 so as to eliminate some existing difficulties. 



Respectfully submitted, 



H. H. Rusby, 

 Curator of the Economic Collections. 



