PAPERS ON BIOLOGY AND AGRICULTURE 81 



in Honduras and Salvador which will open up the inter- 

 ior of those countries. 



Recently a chemical manufacturer in Chicago said to 

 me, "We import hundreds of tons of plant materials from 

 India, China, Ceylon, etc., from which we make oils, per- 

 fumes, soaps, et cetera. Why can't Ave get these raw- 

 products from Central America ! ' ' Many of them could 

 be obtained there and in the West Indies also if we only 

 had a better knowledge of the flora -and conditions of 

 those countries and could develop their natural resources. 

 The United States must turn to the American tropics 

 not only for an increased supply of fruit products, but 

 also for an increased supply of varied raw plant pro- 

 ducts. The rapidly expanding commercial relations be- 

 tween the United States, Central America, and South 

 America render the present time most opportune to en- 

 ter the tropics of Central America for more intensive 

 botanical research. 



