1909.] International Agricultural Institute. 



277 



Department for the purpose of supplying to the Institute all 

 the information it requires, and that the Belgian, Danish, 

 and Hungarian Governments have established departments 

 for the express purpose of furthering its interests. These 

 departments will place themselves in communication with all 

 the various public and private organisations concerned, with 

 a view to obtain information likely to be of service to the 

 Institute. 



"I had opportunities of explaining to the Committee that 

 in the opinion of the Board it was essential that every possible 

 effort should be made to issue information of such a character, 

 and at such times, as to be of value not only to the publicist, 

 the statistician, and the historian, but also, and mainly, to 

 those by whom agricultural operations are actually being 

 carried on and to those whose industry depends upon the 

 product of those operations. In this connection I may say 

 that during the three years which have elapsed since the 

 Convention was signed I have been greatly impressed by 

 the interest displayed in the establishment of the Institute 

 by the International Federation of Master Cotton Spinners' 

 and Manufacturers' Association, of which Mr. C. W. Macara 

 is the distinguished and trusted President, and by others, 

 for whom at first sight the work of the Institute would appear 

 to be a matter of but little concern. It has been pointed out 

 that the agricultural product of one country is the raw 

 material of industry elsewhere, and that consequently the 

 prompt collection of complete information as to agricultural 

 prospects and production is of great value not only to agri- 

 culturists but to many other important classes of the com- 

 munity. It is essential, however, that such information 

 should be published in such a way and with sufficient rapidity 

 as to enable business men — whether producers or consumers 

 — to make full practical use of it. 



" The bibliographical work to be done by the Institute 

 should also be of great service to those who are engaged in 

 scientific and technical investigations bearing upon agricul- 

 ture. A periodical bulletin giving information as to the work 

 of this character which is carried on in various countries of 

 the world would often economise time and labour and enable 

 more satisfactory results to be obtained. 



