REPORT OF THE SECRETARY 5 



tions at Table Mountain, Calif.; Montezuma, Chile; and Mount St. 

 Katherine, Egypt. A flaw was discovered in the "short method" 

 reduction of observations, used since 1923, making it necessary to de- 

 vise a new method. After this was done, the field observers remeas- 

 ured the photographic records of observation since that date, and 

 great progress has been made by an augmented computing staff at 

 Washington in recomputing by the new method all observations since 

 1923. A solar radiation steam boiler (pi. 7) was prepared under the 

 direction of Dr. Abbot and successfully operated in September 

 1936. Dr. Abbot later devised a small solar flash boiler which em- 

 bodies many improvements and which holds much promise of prac- 

 tical application in the future. Frederick E. Fowle, a member of 

 the staff of the Astrophysical Observatory since 1894, was retired for 

 disability at the close of the fiscal year. 



Division of Radiation and Organisms. — The staff of the Division 

 obtained important results from studies on the following subjects : the 

 normal growth of tomatoes under laboratory conditions; photosyn- 

 thesis in wheat ; perfection of a spectral absorption method of meas- 

 uring carbon dioxide concentration in air; time relations in photo- 

 synthesis ; the eflBciency of different wave lengths of light to promote 

 germination in light-sensitive lettuce seed ; the inactivation of plant 

 growth substance by light; and the stimulation of multiplication in 

 algae by minute dosage of ultraviolet rays known to be lethal in 

 doses of sufficient intensity. Four papers describing the investiga- 

 tions of the staff were published during the year in the Smithsonian 

 Miscellaneous Collections, and others were in preparation. 



THE ESTABLISHMENT 



The Smithsonian Institution was created by act of Congress in 

 1846, according to the terms of the will of James Smithson, of 

 England, who in 1826 bequeathed his property to the United States 

 of America "to found at Washington, under the name of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion 

 of knowledge among men." In receiving the property and accepting 

 the trust. Congress determined that the Federal Government was 

 without authority to administer the trust directly, and, therefore, 

 constituted an "establishment" whose statutory members are "the 

 President, the Vice President, the Chief Justice, and the heads of the 

 executive departments." 



THE BOARD OF REGENTS 



The law establishing the Institution specifies that the three Senator 

 Regents shall serve during the term for which they shall hold, 

 without reelection, their office as Senators, and the three Members of 



