34 



the work would so commend itself "as to enable us to secure 

 from some of the Foundations a permanent endowment for this 

 important department." Such endowment has not yet been 

 secured, but it is a great pleasure to record here that, at a meeting 

 of the Botanic Garden Governing Gommittee on May 21, a 

 letter of May i, 1924 was read containing an offer from three 

 friends of the Garden who wish to remain anonymous, to under- 

 write $7,500 a year for the years 1926, 1927, and 1928 for the 

 continuation of plant disease investigations. A fuller statement 

 has already been published in the Botanic Garden RECt)RD for 

 July, 1924. It is hoped that long before the expiration of this 

 three year period an endowment may be secured to place this 

 work on a permanent basis and provide for its natural expansion 

 in accordance with plans already developed, and in proportion 

 to its great scientific and economic importance. A further 

 statement as to the financial needs of the Garden follows. 



Needs of the Garden 



In the opening paragraph of this report I stated that the 

 Botanic Garden had continued to grow in spite of being under- 

 nourished. While our annual income and permanent funds are 

 slightly larger than last year, this increase has been woefully 

 small in proportion to our needs. This is, perhaps, the more 

 common condition of scientific and educational institutions, but 

 we can take some satisfaction in the thought that it means a 

 useful institution — ^increasing demands for the kind of service 

 we are rendering. Ne\ertheless the needs should be kept 

 constantly before us, and unceasing effort should be made to 

 meet them. They may be repeated in successive reports, until 

 they are met. The more important needs are as follows: 



Increased Endowment. — Among the purposes for which addi- 

 tional jjri\ate funds are needed the following are the more 

 important. 



