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two assistants will give iaformation with regard to the work of the Danish 

 State Seed Testing Station. I am hopeful that they, as well as the 

 stations they visit, will derive advantage from this arrangement. 



Gommon Journal. 



Since 1921 the question of publishing a common organ for the members 

 ■of the Association has been under consideration. Articles on seed testing 

 and related subjects have hitherto been scattered in a great many 

 periodicals all over the world. The common organ would contain partly 

 ■original articles, and partly short summaries of articles appearing elsewhere. 

 The main reason why the idea of this journal has not yet materialised is 

 .lack of funds, as no station has yet contributed pecuniary assistance to the 

 work of the Association. One of the main objects of a journey I made 

 abroad in the autumn of 1923 was to discuss with the International Insti- 

 tute of Agriculture in Rome the possibility of obtaining support from that 

 Institute for this Journal. The Secretary General, Dr. Dragoni, and the 

 Chief of the Information Office for Agriculture, Dr. Saulnier, agreed to 

 suggest to the permanent Committee of the Institute that the Institute's 

 Bulletin should take articles on seed testing, &c., provisionally up to 

 100 pages annually. The Bulletin is printed in four languages : English, 

 French, Italian and Spanish. It was at one time also printed in German, but 

 as those countries where the German language is used are not at present 

 •contributing to the Bulletin, this language is now omitted. It is to be 

 hoped that the countries concerned will soon again be able to contribute, 

 because the German language is lased by many who are interested in seed 

 testing. Reprints of the articles, in whichever of the four languages is 

 desired, will be distributed to members of the Association, which will 

 only have to pay the cost of postage. This proposition has been passed 

 by the permanent Committee, provisionally for a year. In my opinion 

 the Association has thus obtained a common organ on favourable con- 

 ditions. The article "How long do the various seed species retain 

 their germinating capacity ? " distributed to all those present, will be 

 embodied in the Bulletin which is published in July. 



At the Congress in Copenhagen it was expressed by Sir Lawrence 

 Weaver that a machine was under construction and should soon begin to 

 function. It can now be said that a commencement is made but the end 

 is still far off. It is hoped that a new impulse will be given here in 

 ■Cambridge. 



Means for the Work. 



Whether it will be possible to continue the work depends among other 

 things on economic conditions. Since 1921, Demnark has met most of 

 the not unimportant expenses (above £400) connected with the work of 

 the European Seed Testing Association. The State Seed Testing Station 

 is empowered by our Ministry of Agriculture to meet the expenses caused 

 by this work, but this cannot be continued indefinitely. I am, therefore, 

 hopeful that many of the delegates at this Congress have come empowered 

 to bind their Governments to contribute in the future to the funds of the 

 Association. 



Statutes. 



In September, 1923, Dr. Volkart and I met in Ziirioh and discussed a 

 -draft of statutes of the Association, which had been compiled by 

 Dr. Volkart. The draft — copies of which are distributed — contain clauses 

 as to the object, membership, means, meetings, course of business, election 

 ■of committee members, voting, &c. These draft statutes will be submitted 

 to the Conference by Dr. Volkart to-morrow for consideration. 



Seed Dealers' Congress. 



The desirabiUty of holding a seed dealers' congress simultaneously with 

 the seed testing congress has been expressed by Seed Trade Associations 

 in several countries. A joint meeting has therefore been arranged for 



