15 
from which region we expect many important plants 
to c ome . 
The injection of Professor Reimer and the 
pear seed proposition into our program is nov/ a 
thing of the past, and I am v/ondering whether it 
will Toe possible for you now to carry out the plan 
as v/e outlined it previously, when you were here. 
T trust that you are well and that the af- 
fairs in China v/ill not interfere with your move- 
ments. 
Further, in regard to your letter of November 
27 and what you have to say respecting the hundred 
pounds of seed of the calleryana pear, I think v/hat 
Professor Reimer vras talking about when he advo- 
cated the sending of all of his pear seed to 
Talent v/as v/ith respect to a plan which was talked 
over with the Pe"deral Horticultural Board. The 
Board insisted that it was a dangerous thing to 
plant the seed anyv/here near existing orchards of 
pears or apples, inasmuch as insects infesting the 
seeds could easily escape and get into the orchards. 
They advocated, and I agreed, that if they still 
felt this was necessary when the seed arrived, it 
v/ould be put at some station far removed from any 
apple orchards. Professor Reimer discovered such 
a station and described it to me, and T nresume 
he had an idea that this would be the best place 
for all of the seed. The Federal Horticultural 
Board have changed their minds, however, in regard 
to the necessity in this particular instance and 
after a careful inspection they have decided to 
let this seed go out and be planted at Chico. I 
think I understand perfectly the result of the 
specialist's environment-. I have been very liberal 
alv;ays in encouraging the specialist in his par- 
ticular field, for the reason that in general one 
of the great dangers in the handling of these plants 
is that they fall between fire, so to speak. The 
worst thing that can happen to a plan tjimmi grant is 
to be batted around betvreen rival camps and lost 
because no one feels a proprietary right in them. 
Of course, if there are any who v/ant to experiment 
v/ith these pears other than Professor Reimer, they 
have a perfect right, and v;e are obliged by law 
to assist them. There can be no such thing as a 
monopoly on our plant introductions by anyone. It 
is dangerous to make general rules in regard to 
certain matters and much more satisfactory, I 
believe, to handle each case on its own merits. 
September PI, I91R. 
