4 



adopted tor this country), a brief description of the plant with its 

 uses, and, where possible, a suggestion of the general region to which 

 the plant is likely to be adapted. 



In some instances few or no plants of the exact number given in 

 the description may be available for distribution, but in such cases 

 plants of the same species and variety under another introduction 

 number may be substituted. 



With this catalogue is sent a complete check list of all plants ready 

 for distribution during the season of 1917-18. This includes not 

 only those plants of which descriptions appear in the catalogue, 

 but a large number which are not so described, either because only 

 a few plants are now available for distribution or because the data 

 available regarding them are too meager to warrant the preparation 

 of a label. 



Requests for material in this catalogue should be made by checking 

 the plants wanted in the check list sent out with the catalogue and 

 after filling cut the blanks on the front of that list returning it 

 promptly to the Office of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction. It 

 will aid (his office in its distribution work if each experimenter will 

 fill out all blanks, check the list carefully, and make no other notes 

 or requests on the check list itself. Requests for plants not on the 

 check list or notes on plants received heretofore should be made in 

 a separate letter. 



The number of plants available for distribution under many of 

 the numbers listed is quite limited, and it will therefore be impossible 

 to fill all requests. 



All seeds and plants imported by this office are examined by the 

 inspectors of the Federal Horticultural Board upon arrival, and the 

 plants grown from these original importations are further inspected 

 before being sent out. Every effort is being made to insure the dis- 

 tribution only of seeds and plants which are perfectly healthy and 

 do not harbor any injurious plant diseases or insect pests. 



Since the electrotype slugs of all descriptions in this and previous 

 catalogues are kept in stock in this office^ experimenters having 

 plants growing from previous distributions who desire to relabel 

 them can secure new labels by sending in a twig of the plant the 

 label of which is lost and furnishing information as to the year in 

 which it was sent and any other available data. 



David Fairchild, 

 Agricultural Explorer in Charge. 



Office of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction, 



Washington, D. C, September 1, 1017. 



