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have not been able to fully present the results to the public, 
as anticipated, because of some delay in the installation of 
our new cases. 
The accessions of the year number 314 specimens, mostly 
of a miscellaneous character. A large part of these consist 
of foods and drugs, mostly from the New York market, 
many of them somewhat rare. A number of the accessions 
have been secured through the explorations of the members 
of our own staff. 
The most important group of accessions is a series of 
Chinese paintings, representing the tea industry in China, 
presented by Dr. Reginald H. Sayre. 
Others worthy of special note are the following: a set of 
specimens representing the Florida arrow-root industry; 
a number of Chinese edible seeds; a specimen of Fatsia 
pith, used by the Chinese in the manufacture of a fine 
paper; a trunk of the Hevea rubber tree, from Ceylon, indi- 
cating the method of collecting the rubber milk; the edible 
fruit of Strychnos spinosa Lamarck; the edible tubers of 
Opuntia austrina Small, from Florida. 
Owing to the crowded condition of our cases, it has been 
found necessary to temporarily store the greater part of the 
year’s collections. Our new cases will probably be ready 
for use early in 1913, when a complete rearrangement of 
the collections in the western portion of the Museum will be 
made. 
It is to be remembered that, in addition to these museum 
collections, we are gradually accumulating in the conserva- 
tories a large representation of living useful plants. An 
important addition to these collections during 1912 has been 
a fine case of Hevea rubber plants. Now that we have a 
conservatory space available for such plants, their number 
may be expected to increase rapi 
Respectfully suibimicied. 
H. USBY, 
Honorary Curator of the Economic Collections. 
