three northern lands, and therefore ill adapted to international discussions. Some years 

 ago, however, an inofficial suggestion that the third international seed testing conference 

 be held here had been made. As you all know the first was held in Hamburg in 1906, 

 and the second in Munster and Wageningen in 1910 on German initiative and in connection 

 with the meetings of the "Vereinigung fiir angewandte Botanik" in the main on initiative 

 of Professor Dr. A. Voigt in Hamburg. 



However the appeal from England was urgent and was seconded by several of our 

 weU-known colleagues. As Professor Johannsen has stated. Sir Lawrence Weaver 

 wrote in his first letter that Professor Dr. A. Voigt in Hamburg had expressed great 

 enthusiasm for the idea. I discussed the subject with the State Seed Testing Board, which 

 is appointed by our Ministry of Agriculture and acts as advisory in all matters pertaining 

 to the State Seed Testing Station. 



'The members of the board agreed with me that the suggestion should be followed, 

 and invitations to a congress of experts comprising a few professionably trained, interested 

 representatives from each country sent out in the hope of assembling a working congress. 

 The plan was adopted not only by the originator but by all the colleagues with whom 

 I have had the privilege of discussing it. 



The Ministry of Agriculture gave us its sanction and in the beginning of February 

 this year invitations were sent through the Po"reign Office to the countries mentioned by 

 Professor Johannsen. ■" 



In March a tentative plan of the congress was sent out. Some countries, the United 

 States for instance, are not allowing themselves t o be represent ed;^,.^Ei5l3ic^tedJ;liiI. 

 iavi tation~"ver y ^ T)romptiv , stiH" otlrglf5~iyattgd"~unfir~the last moment which has rendered 

 it difficult to lay final plans. 



During April and May I visited the seed testing stations in Germany (Mlinchen and 

 Hamburg), Switzerland (Zurich), France (Paris), England (London and Cambridge) and 

 Holland (Wageningen) in order to discuss the congress with the directors of the respective 

 institutions. May I take this opportunity of thanking them and Sir Lawrence Weaver 

 for the kind and hospitable reception which was accorded me and for the interesting 

 hours spent at the institutions. Previous to this, due to press of seasonal work and the 

 publication of a book on the work done at the Danish State Seed Testing Station during 

 the past 50 years, I have had but little leisure to devote to the conference. I must therefore 

 beg leniency for defects in the arrangements. Up to date the following countries have asked to 

 be represented (they are named alphabetically in French, and the delegates are named in 

 the order in which their respective governments placed them in the communication to us) : y 



rAUemagne: 



Oberregierungsrat Professor Dr. Hiltner, Direktor der Bayrischen Landesanstalt fiir 

 Pfianzenbau und Pflanzenschutz, Miinchen (nicht eingetroffen). 



Professor Dr. A. Voigt, Direktor des Staatsinstituts fiir angewandte Botanik, 

 Hamburg. 



r Argentine: 



Ingenieur-Agronom Juan Carlos Riera (pas arrive). 



la Belgique: 



M. Douven, Directeur de la station d'essais de semences a Louvain. 



la Canada: 



Mr. George H. Clark, State Seed Commissioner, Ottawa. 



le Danemark: 



Df. W. Johannsen, Professeur a I'universite de Copenhague, President de la 



Commission de contrSle de semences. 

 M. K. Dorph-Petersen, Directeur de la station d'essais de semences de I'^tat, 



Copenhague. 



