28 
W i ldeman, E. de. Les plantes tropicales de grande culture (Tropical plants of com- 
mercial importance). Brussels: Alfred Castaigne, 1902, pp. IV+304. This work 
includes a bibliography of the literature relating to the distribution of coffee, 
cacao, vanilla, cola, and rubber-producing plants of central Africa. 
Wn.DEK.MAXN, M. Jahrbuch der Naturwissenschaften, 1901-1902 (Yearbook of the 
natural sciences, 1901-1902). Jahrbuch der Naturwissenschaften, 17 (1901-1902), 
pp. 533. This contains brief abstracts of the more important articles published 
during the year on different lines of science. 
Williams, O. A bibliography of forestry. Forestry Quarterly, 1 (1903), No. 4, pp. 
163-172. A list of articles relating to forestry published in Congressional 
documents. 
Zimmermann, A. Die Parasiten der Schattenbaume und Windbrecher (Parasites of 
shade trees and windbreaks). Centralblatt fi'ir Bakteriologic. Parasitenkunde, 
und Infektionskrankheiten, 2. Abt., 8 (1902), Nos. 24, pp. 774-776; 25, pp. 
798-805. Bibliography of animal and plant parasites of trees in the Tropics. 
The report was received and placed on file. 
Farmers' Institutes. 
A. C. True. Since this was a matter in which the association at its last session 
showed so much interest, it seemed desirable to put before the association a report 
of the progress made in organizing this work. 
As you have been already informed by the chairman of the executive committee, 
Congress, on the recommendation of the Secretary of Agriculture, with the very 
efficient aid of the executive committee of this association, was induced to include in 
the bill making appropriations for the Department a clause which distinctly recog- 
nized this work as a part of the business of the Department of Agriculture and, by 
the assignment of the Secretary, the general charge of the work has been committed 
to the Office of Experiment Stations, and we have begun active operations. 
The first question which we had to determine was the general policy according to 
which this work should be carried on. It was easily and naturally decided that, 
since the management of the farmers' institutes had been inaugurated and carried 
on entirely by the States, it was in no way the function of the Department of Agri- 
culture under existing legislation to attempt the management of these institutes, but 
that it was its business rather to recognize clearly in all its work the State manage- 
ment of the institutes and to cooperate with the State officers and aid them in every 
possible way to build up the institutes in the several States. And thus we have 
come into definite relations with the State managers of the institutes in all the 
States where the institutes are now held. It will be our policy to confer constantly 
with them and to try in our work to meet the needs of the several States as well as 
to act as a general agency for coordinating and strengthening this work throughout 
the country. 
After an investigation of the general situation, with a view to deciding upon the 
special line of work w.e should follow, in view of the limited funds at our disposal, 
we came to the conclusion that the most important thing was to increase, so far as 
we could, the efficiency of the institute lecturers. 
There is now in the United States a body of men numbering somewhat over 800 
who lecture in these institutes. Less than half of this number are men engaged 
in the work of the agricultural colleges and experiment stations. There is, there- 
fore, a considerable body of men outside of the colleges and stations who espe- 
cially need advice and assistance with reference to the progress of agricultural 
movements, especially along educational and scientific lines. So we have begun to 
get into intimate relations through the State organizations with these institute 
lecturers. We desire to help them in every way possible, and our chief effort now 
is to devise ways and means for giving them the most efficient assistance. 
We are doing this work with different objects in view. Primarily, of course, we 
desire to build up the institutes and make them most efficient; but we also desire, 
