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or less formal meetings, and perhaps even more convincingly in 
the informal conferences held in the field and elsewhere, the 
supreme importance of pure and healthy seed potatoes, not only to 
Maine, but also to a large section of the country to the south, 
which is dependent upon Maine for seed, was made exceedingly 
manifest to all present. 
The officials of the United States Department of Agriculture in 
charge of this study trip certainly have a very clear, broad con- 
ception of the fundamental importance, to the agricultural interests 
at large, of properly conserving the pure seed supply of potatoes. 
The northern sections, of which Aroostook County, Maine, is a 
notable example, raise the bulk of the seed potatoes for the 
potato districts lying to the south. Therefore, if disease is kept 
out of the Maine supply of seed tubers, it is quite likely that the 
potato fields of Long Island, New Jersey, Virginia and the South 
will be kept freer from the ravages of disease; and, consequently, 
better crops in general will be raised. The State Department of 
Agriculture of Maine, in fact, plans to issue certificates that cer- 
tain crops of potatoes are true to name, and are free from dan- 
gerous diseases. Both state and national inspectors are now 
working in close cooperation on this work. The method of pro- 
cedure involves a rigid inspection of the fields of applicants for 
such certification, at blooming time as well as at harvest time. 
One promising met 

—" 
10d of attack of this pure seed problem, in- 
augurated by Dr. Melhus and Dr. Orton, and one in which the 
Brooklyn Botanic Garden has been especially interested, is that of 
placing young men, experts in potato diseases, in the field, in the 
service of the grower for the season, whose duty it is to keep close 
watch of all the details of selection, the proper methods of cutting 
treating, and planting seed tubers, the very first appearance, con- 
trol, and final eradication of diseases which may appear, the 
“roguing ” for disease or for stray intruders in an otherwise pure 
variety, as well as the final harvesting, inspection, and storage of 
the crop. There are only three of these “consulting plant 
pathologists’? employed during the present season, salaried by 
some of the larger growers, but under the direct supervision of 
the government officials. One, Mr. Bisby, is from the Brooklyn 
