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NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURAL BOTANY. 
National Institute of Agricultural 
Botany. 
In delivering his presidential address to the Botanical Section of 
the British Association for the Advancement of Science, Sir Daniel 
Morres said, “During the great war which has now happily been 
brought to a close, it has been abundantly made clear that in botany, as 
in other applied sciences, we must rely, in future, less on chance, 
individual effort, and initiation.” Some time before these words were 
spoken, a movement was on foot to establish a National Institute of 
Agricultural Botany, which was especially designed to co-ordinate the 
work of the private individual, the Plant Breeding Institute, and the 
seed merchant. i 
The plant breeder is usually a person with neither sufficient means ° 
nor land to grow his product on a commercial scale for himself. At 
present, he has either to distribute his seed in small lots to farmers for 
trial, or he has to sell the whole of his stock to seed firms and leave 
its development to them. The first method is clumsy; the seed is very 
likely to become mixed, and the rate of dissemination is very slow. The 
second method is more rapid, but results in concealing the name of the 
originator from the public. In cases where it is not a private individual 
but a firm or institute which produces the new variety, it is easier for 
publicity to be obtained; but, even ‘here, lack of funds and a small 
staff often hamper the work. The proposed National: Institute of Agri- 
cultural Botany should, to a great extent, overcome these difficulties, 
as its main functions will be as follows :— 
1. To receive stocks of seeds of new varieties which the 
diréctors regard as having been sufficiently tested. These 
will be grown on a commercial scale and put on the 
market. 
2. To maintain, by trials, pure stocks of the main varieties of — 
cereals and other plants, and by occasionally re-selecting 
this stock to make seed of undoubted purity and high 
quality available to the seed merchants. 
3. The Institute will certify to the purity of stock in the hands 
of farmers and seedsmen when asked to do so. 
Other points, such as the registration of varieties and control of the 
tremendous number of synonyms, will also be taken up. It can be seen 
from this statement of functions that the Institute will be responsible 
for arriving at and maintaining a ‘high standard of quality and purity 
in the seed supply of British merchants to both home and foreign 
buyers. : 
As soon as the Institute has time to get into proper working order, 
probably a matter of two or three years, the results should be easily 
observable. The improvement of the agricultural] crops will no longer 
be left to chance, but will be the definite goal in front of a chosen 
body of capable men, while individual effort and initiation will be 
encouraged and given every opportunity to achieve success. 
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