
          but many of them have been secured by Agricultural Explorers and others 
at the expense of hardships , and even dangers. They are, in numerous 
instances, species which are not easily secured through ordinary channels. 
They merit, therefore, the most careful attention.

The plants distributed in the spring of 1924 will have small zinc 
labels of a type not heretofore used by this Office. In place of the 
S.P.I. number, name, origin, and a brief characterization of each plant, 
these will carry nothing but the S.P.I. number. They will be smaller 
than those used during the past few years, and will be attached by 
means of copper wire. Unlike the cloth labels previously employed, 
they will not be injured if they fall to the base of the plant and are 
covered with soil for several months.

Experimenters should note that these labels carry nothing but 
the S.P.I. number. It will be necessary to refer to the Annual 
List of Plant Introductions, or to the Inventories published by the 
Office, for information regarding the plants. Each Inventory lists 
the seeds and plants imported during a period of three months. Its 
object is to serve as a historical record; it is not printed immediately 
following the arrival of the plants, but eighteen to twenty-four 
months later. The edition is limited, and it cannot be supplied to all 
experimenters. This makes essential the preservation of the Annual 
List as a work of reference, and the Office desires to urge upon its 
cooperators the importance of this step. Unless the Annual Lists are 
preserved, the Office will be flooded with inquiries from people who 
have received plants, and who desire information concerning them. 
Such inquiries involve much unnecessary labor and expense.

A limited number of plants grown and distributed by the Office are 
not described in this Annual List. These are species of which very 
small stocks are available, or which are not thought to be of sufficiently 
wide use to justify inclusion. Experimenters who receive these 
plants will be furnished with copies of the Inventory cards covering 
them: these cards supply the same data as the Annual List, and, like 
the latter, should be preserved for reference.

To the end that the work of Plant Introduction may be more and 
more far reaching and efficient, the cooperation of experimenters is 
earnestly requested. It is particularly desired that reports be sent 
to this Office regarding the flowering, fruiting, hardiness, utilization 
and other interesting features of plants which have been sent for 
trial; and it is hoped that experimenters will at all times exercise 
care to preserve the original labels sent with the plants, or accurate 
plats showing the location and S.P.I. number of each one.

All seeds and plants imported by this Office are examined upon 
arrival by officers of the Federal Horticultural Board, and plants 
grown from these original importations are further inspected before 
they are distributed for testing. Every effort is made to insure freedom 
from injurious plant diseases and insect pests.

DAVID FAIRCHILD.

Agricultural Explorer in Charge. 
        