42 
great amount of correspondence that has developed in this connec- 
tion has been cared for by Dr. Benedict, who has been one of the 
leaders in this important movement. The chief event of the year 
1923 relating to this conservation movement was the joint meet- 
ing at the Garden on May 23, of three organizations, the Wild 
Flower Preservation Society, the American Fern Society, and the 
New York Bird and Tree Club, with representatives of other 
similar organizations from Chicago, Washington, and_ several 
eastern states, and of the New York Botanical Garden and the 
Brooklyn Botanic Garden. 
The meeting authorized the appointment of a committee repre- 
senting the organizations in attendance to take action toward 
the amendment of the conservation laws of New York State to 
provide protection for native plants. The meeting was fully re- 
ported in the Botanic Garden Recorp for July, 1923. The work 
of the committee is not yet completed, but proposals for desirable 
amendments have been practically agreed upon for presentation to 
the New York State Legislature. 
— 
Demonstration Material 
During the year, much economic material secured from various 
sources, but especially by Dr. White on the Mulford Expedition 
in Brazil and Bolivia (in 1921-22), has been put in a form avail- 
able for study, exhibition, and teaching purposes. In this collec- 
tion are specimens illustrating the tapioca, rubber, vanilla, Brazil 
nut, and cocoa industries; also jars of many tropical fruits, such 
as the bread-fruit, guava, cherimoya, cupu-assu, camaruru, the 
peach-palm, and others. 
Library 
“such sum or sums so appropriated |by the City] shall 
be expended by the party ae the second part for the care 
and ynatntenance of . . library and collections 
for furnishing HDR cs ee ts Sane other publications re- 
ating to botany and required for use m connection with the 
said botante garden.” 
s) 
The City has never been asked to make an appropriation for 
the purchase of books or other publications. The Garden library 
1 Agreement cited on p. 35, Paragraph Sixth. 
