of reKef or reconstruction work in France in horticulture, forestry and 
agriculture. 
The members have heard that the Royal Horticultural Society of 
London has as yet no very clearly formulated plan, and that the 
Societe Nationale d'Horticultiu-e does not seem to be doing any re- 
construction work. The garden clubs know, of course, of the excellent 
local relief work being done by the American Fund for French Wound- 
ed and various other associations, the EngUsh Friends among others, 
who are working in various communes. 
The Club would venture to ask your advice as to what you con- 
sider the most useful work they could do, and whether you would 
direct them to proceed along one special line, such as horticulture, or 
whether you think forestry and agriculture should also be included in 
their scheme. The members of the Garden Club hesitate to trouble you 
in this way, as they realize that it means taking a good deal of your 
time and thought, but they also know there is no one who has closer 
connections with horticulture and its allies here and in Europe, and 
therefore you are the one person to whom they turn. 
Yours sincerely, 
(Signed) Beatrix Fakrand. 
Arnold Arboretum, 
Jamaica Plain, Mass., March 20, 1918. 
Mrs. Farrand, 
21 East Eleventh St., New York. 
Dear Mrs. Farrand: I have your letter of the i8th inst. in which 
you ask my opinion of what is most needed in the way of relief or 
reconstruction work in France in horticulture, forestry and agri- 
culture. 
As President of the Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agri- 
culture, I have given attention to this subject, and the Trustees of the 
Society have already sent to the Royal Horticultural Society $1000.00 
to be used in France and Belgium at the end of the war, or as soon as 
it is practicable, in re-estabhshing Belgian and French gardeners. I 
beheve that America can best help Belgian and French horticulture 
through the Royal Horticultural Society, which is a rich and power- 
ful organization, interested in this work and desirous of doing 
everything which may seem practical and possible. Money is 
needed, and I believe the Garden Clubs can accompHsh more for 
this cause by sending money to the Royal Horticultural Society 
than by any independent movement looking to the sending of 
Americans to Europe. 
