29 
1917), is of botanical as well as political interest, and Senator 
Kenyon’s suggestion is most admirable and timely. 
“How quickly a new, or changed, viewpoint by the people 
makes itself felt on the man in Washington has been recently 
illustrated by a case that came to my notice. There has been 
great abuse in the distribution of free seeds, as everybody knows 
Think of sending out free seeds just to get votes, and that votes 
are got in this way! It has been costing the Government about 
$250,000 a year. In order to stop this free-seed ‘pork’ there 
has been a movement to ask those who receive the seeds to mail 
them back to Washington with the statement that they disapprove 
of sending out seeds in this way—in slang, that they won’t stand 
for it any longer. I know of a member of Congress who got 
back 200 packages. He was much impressed—immeasurably 
more than he would have been by speeches in Congress on how 
wrong this system is. A few more packages, and I think he will 
be reformed. It shows how the people can instruct their repre- 
sentatives.” 
Dr. Gager addressed the New York Association of Biology 
Teachers on December 11, at Washington Irving High School, 
Manhattan, on “ What the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is Doing 
and Planning for the Schools and the City.” 
“ Nature states that the late Mr. Cawthorn left £250,000 to the 
city of Nelson, New Zealand, for scientific research. The trus- 
tees are the bishop of the diocese, the member for the district, 
the mayor of Nelson, two chairmen of local bodies, and a per- 
- sonal friend of the deceased. The site of the proposed institute 
has been purchased, and the appointment of a director and staff 
is under consideration. The object of the institute is, primarily, 
scientific research work for the benefit of the province of Nelson 
and the Dominion of New Zealand. The province of Nelson is 
mostly concerned with fruit, agriculture and minerals” (Science, 
Nov. 23, 1917). It is, indeed, an encouraging thing to see munici- 
palities enlisted, not only in the diffusion of popular scientific in- 
formation by public museums, botanic gardens, and otherwise, 
but in the promotion of scientific research—cooperating in the 
enrichment of the source whence all “ popular” information is 
derived. 
