3.921.] The Nomenclature of Agricultural Plants. 



Registration (it is suggested that the Bureau of Plant Industry 

 should undertake this work) whose duty it shall be to make 

 and preserve records and descriptions of all existing valid 

 varieties of vegetables, and to register such new varieties as 

 may be submitted to them, provided they find them to be truly 

 new and distinct. This Board is to have authority to issue a 

 certificate to the originator of a new variety, and such variety 

 is not to be catalogued or offered until such certificate has been 

 issued. 



The work of the 21 sub-committees appointed to give 

 detailed study to certain groups of vegetables is said to be 

 progressing in a very satisfactory manner. 



Efforts are also being made to develop a system of field 

 tests throughout the different parts of the United States, to 

 be checked by some central committee, whereby the compara- 

 tive value of strains as well -as varieties can be determined. 



This concludes our survey of the work being done in other 

 countries, and not only does it confirm our contention that 

 the situation in those countries is deemed to be so unsatisfactory 

 as to justify drastic measures, but it furnishes us with most 

 valuable suggestions concerning the methods which might with 

 advantage be adopted in England towards the amelioration of 

 our own situation. 



Proposed Remedies: — 



Immediate Measures. — We will first deal with the measures 

 being taken by the American Vegetable Growers' Association 

 just described. 



There is much in this scheme which could be adopted in 

 this country both for agricultural plants and for vegetables. 

 Though it is essential that for the ultimate solution of the 

 problem of nomenclature a complete system of yield and 

 quality trials is the only possible basis, the organisation of such 

 trials will take time, and there is a vast amount of preliminary 

 work which can be begun forthwith, particularly in the 

 direction of establishing an authentic list- of existing standard 

 varieties, which is a necessary preparation for the registration 

 of new r varieties. As to whether this preliminary work should 

 be undertaken by the Ministry of Agriculture, the National Insti- 

 tute of Agricultural Botany or some other directing authority 

 need not now 7 be discussed. 



In order to secure the requisite co-operation of the seed 

 trade, any scheme for the limitation of the names of varieties 

 should be of a purely voluntary nature. 



F 



