6 EXPERIMENT STATION KECOKD. 



in^ the international significance of the problem of the protection of 

 birds useful in agi'iculture, and suggesting its further encouragement. 

 The collection and dissemination of additional information regard- 

 ing the results of seed inspection and of dry farming methods was 

 advocated, and steps were taken to publish additional statistics 

 relating to the production, consumption, and trade in commercial 

 fertilizers. 



The work of Commission IV dealt with the various phases of 

 agricultural cooperation. According to the report of the Bureau of 

 Economic and Social Intelligence, which has such questions in charge, 

 there has been a marked increase in public interest in this subject and 

 a strong demand for the publications of the bureau, specific mention 

 being made of the reprinting by the United States Senate of the 

 monograph entitled Outline of European Credit Systems. The 

 General Assembly authorized the Permanent Committee to continue 

 its work along these lines and to begin as soon as possible the regular 

 publication of statistics relating to agricultural cooperation. A 

 special inquiry on provisions for hail insurance was also reported, 

 and the nations asked to aid this work by reports as to measures' 

 undertaken to foster such insurance, with a view to publication in 

 the Bulletin of the Bureau of Economic and Social Intelligence. 



Not the least important of the many valuable results from the 

 sessions were those of a personal nature derived from the assembling 

 of representatives of the world's greatest industry in a united and 

 cooperative way. In recognition of this aspect much prominence 

 was given as usual to the social features in connection with the meet- 

 ings. On May 11 the King and Queen of Italy gave a reception to 

 the assembly at the institute, to which were also invited the United 

 States commission on rural credit and the similar commission 

 assembled from the several States and Canada by the Southern Com- 

 mercial Congress, who had arrived at Rome that day. A dinner 

 was also given to these bodies by the Minister of Agriculture and 

 a reception by the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The president of the 

 institute gave a dinner to the delegates from the United States and 

 Canada and the members of the United States commission. 



On the whole, the assembly was an earnest and weighty body, and 

 the matters presented were of much importance in their relation to 

 the agricultural progress of the world. There was a general feel- 

 ing, in which the American delegates concurred, that the institute 

 was now firmly established, was already doing useful and valuable 

 work, and had a good outlook for much greater usefulness in the 

 future. 



