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sincerely hope that the Brooklyn Botanic Garden may find sub- 
stantial financial assistance in its attempt to help meet this need. 
aithfully yours, 
(Signed) Herserr Hoover 
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
WASHINGTON 
IDA Sues 
Your letter of December 16, asking for a statement regarding 
the possible duplication of work on the part of this Department 
and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, has been received. 
It is my conviction that investigations in plant breeding and 
plant pathology, to which you especially refer, at the present time 
are not carried on on an adequate scale to keep abreast of the 
many new and important problems that are becoming apparent. 
The biological sciences are as yet in their infancy and even taking 
all of the universities, state experiment stations, botanic gardens, 
and other special scientific institutions in connection with the Fed- 
eral departments there is very little if any actual duplication of 
effort in the investigation of.these problems; and it is unlikely that 
such duplication will occur for many years to come. 
I would like to add that I am especially interested in the enlarge- 
ment and improvement of botanic gardens for I believe that these 
institutions offer opportunities for a thorough investigation of 
many important long-time problems which are difficult, if not im- 
possible, for any other institution to satisfactorily provide. 
Very truly yours, 
(Signed) W. M. JarpIneE, 
Secretary 
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL 
WASHINGTON, D. C. 
Dear Doctor Gager: 
I am glad to learn that the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is en- 
deavoring to increase its endowment in order that it may extend 
its research activities. There is crying need for fundamental re- 
search along the lines of plant breeding and plant diseases, lines 
of much scientific importance and of great practical utility. De- 
