53 



a fai'm at Ormskirk In Lancashire, destined to be a Mecca for all -who are interested in 

 comtiating a serious menace to the potato industry all over the world. 



I desire to ' make quite clear what are the functions of the Institute. It is designed 

 to bring into one organisation, I might almost say, under one roof, all activities for the 

 improvement of agricultural seed legal control only excepted. While closely linked with 

 the Ministry of Agriculture and looking to it for iinancial aid in carrying on the important 

 work entrusted to it, its constitution is semi-official and not purely official. It is not 

 concerned with the administration of the Seeds Act which remains wholly the duty of the 

 Ministry. It is not a policeman of agriculturists but their guide, counsellor and friend. 

 Under its auspices the Official Seed Testing Station whose activities will be supervised by 

 a Committee consisting of eminent economic botanists and other agricultural scientists, 

 supported by two leaders of the seed trade and presided over by Sir Daniel Hall, the Chief 

 Scientific Adviser to the Ministry, will be the impartial arbiter in all technical matters 

 arising out of the administration of the Seeds Act. In the comprehensive trials leading 

 up to the distribution of new varieties of plants of the farm which are evolved by the Plant 

 Breeding Institutes of our Universities and by private research workers, it will have the 

 advice and co-operation of the Seed Industry which sees in the Institute an Organisation 

 designed to promote its highest interests. 



I hope the Conference will believe that I lay before it the constitution and policy 

 of the Institute in a spirit of modesty, even if I am optimistic as to its future achievements. 

 I recognize that its various departments are infants who cannot compare with the manhood 

 of the great established institutions such as the Seed Control Station of Denmark presided 

 over so brilliantly by my esteemed friend Mr. Dorph-Petersen, or with the marvellous 

 organisation of Svalof to which I pay profound homage. 



England has been a late starter in the field where all those whom I address have 

 achieved successes acclaimed the world over, but I am assured that our efforts will be 

 watched with sympathy by all of you. The great science of agriculture, upon which 

 ultimately depends the prosperity and happiness of all our peoples, knows no frontiers, 

 and my colleagues and I are assured that we may appeal to you for advice and assistance 

 in our new enterprise, with the certainty that your answer will be charged with universal 

 goodwill." I 



"The Seeds Act" (Loi des Semences) 1920 et I'lnstitut National 



de Botanique Agricole. 



Par Sir Lawrence Weaver, K.B.E,, F.S. A. 

 Director General, Land Department: Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. 



Avant d'aborder sur les deux sujets que M. le Directeur Dorph-Petersen m'a prig 

 de traiter, je dois, des excuses aux honorables d'agronomes qui font partie de cette 

 Conference Internationale sur le controle des semences. Je pourrais presque dire que je 

 me prSsente ici sous de fausses couleurs, puisque je ne suis ni scientiste ni agriculteur, 

 mais tout simplement un administrateur. Qui s'excuse s'accuse, mais ma presence ici doit 

 etre pardonnSe, parce que ma position officielle est un produit de la guerre, ainsi que mes 

 deux sujets; (1) Le controle legal de I'industrie des graines en Grande Bretagne, et (2) 

 Le nouvel Institut de Botanique Agricole. 



Je dois demander aussi votre indulgence, si j'6tends mon sujet au dela de la technique 

 du contrSle des graines et si je touche aux affaires de politique et d'administration. Ces 

 questions sont cependant alliSes directement aux matieres que je vais passer en revue 

 vu que le nouveau devSloppement de I'epreuve des graines en Anglete^re sera associe 

 h tons les autres aspects du perfectionnement des graines. ■ Ce mSlange de fonctionnements 

 pourrait sembler nouveau a quelques uns parmi vous, mais il se base sur I'experience 

 gagnSe dans les durs temps d'6preuve de ces quatre dernieres amines. Les instituts 

 anglais sont souvent construits d'une fagon qui fait offense aux instincts logiques, mais 

 en general on trouve qu'en pratique ils marchent bien. 



