B. P. T— 7. S. P. 1—23. 



INVENTORY OF FOREIGN SEEDS AND PLANTS. 



INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT. 



This inventory or catalogue of seeds and plants received during the 

 spring and summer of 1900 represents the collections of the agricul- 

 tural explorers of the Department of Agriculture in foreign countries, 

 and also the receipts from various other sources. Included in the list 

 are the seeds of a large number of native plants obtained for exchange 

 with botanists and horticulturists abroad, it being possible to secure 

 in this manner man} x valuable seeds and plants not for sale by dealers. 



An effort has been made to verify every name, but in many cases 

 the only sources of information have been the persons from whom the 

 seeds or plants were obtained, while in some cases onty colloquial 

 names were obtainable. It is probable, therefore, that some of the 

 names will be found to be incorrect. 



The publication of this list has been so long delayed that many of 

 the numbers are already entirely exhausted, as indicated by the word 

 "Distributed," and man}^ others will probably be distributed before 

 this inventory reaches the experimenters. 



The supply of seeds and plants at the disposal of this office is in most 

 cases quite limited, inasmuch as the importations are made for experi- 

 mental purposes and not for general distribution, it being unwise to 

 make the latter until the value of the plants distributed is known. 

 Distribution of the plants here catalogued will be confined almost 

 entirely to the agricultural experiment stations and to persons known 

 to be careful and reliable experimenters. It must not be expected that 

 all or even the greater part of the importations will prove valuable. 

 However, it is important that records not only of successes but of fail- 

 ures be obtained in order that future work may be more successful. 



It is especially desirable that all persons receiving seeds or plants 

 should retain the original numbers marked on the packages, as all the 

 reports or other information will be filed under these numbers, and in 

 this way be eas} r of access. 



Ernst A. Bessey, 

 Assistant in Charge of Seed and Plant Introduction. 



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