LIBRARY OF THE MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE Source 430. Ot This book may be kept out TWO WEEKS only, and is subject to a fine of TWO CENTS a day theres the day indicated bel DATE DUE Library Bureau 13-723 CARD .r.T TTTCTTTIITE OF AGHIGULTUP.E MISCELLAl^EOUS PUBLICATIOl^B Volume 1 L TABLE OF COIITErTS 1. Statement concerning the institute. 2. Letter to Mr. Perkins relative to the institute. 190i* . 5. The Institute and cooperative bankin^p-. 1909. 4. Resolution passed by the national grange. 1910. c coDieR 5. Price Fluctuations in the staples: their inl'luence on the v/elfare of the state. 1910. £ copies. 6. Its Labors in behalf of economic betterment. 1910. 7. General introduction to the bulletins of the bureau of agricultural intelligence and of diseases of plants. 1910. 8. Heport of the delegation of the U.S. to the general assembly of the institute. 1911. 9. Message from the president of the U.S. concerning creation of institute. 1906. 10. Its influence on economic welfare. 1911. ll.Raiffeisen System of rural cooperative credit, its adaptation and adoption in the U.£'. 1912. lE.L'Activite de lUnstitut. 191£. 15. Le Present et I'Avenir de l*Institut. 1912. 14. Su Importancia para la America Latina, en especial para Chile. 1913. If;. Message from the president of the U.S. concerning the general assembly of the institute. 1913. 16. Board of Agriculture and fisheries. The Institute- Its objects and its publications. 1912. 17. The Landschaft. Go-operative rural credit. 1912. 16. Pamphlet concerning the institute. 1912. 19. The Way out of the rut. 191.^. 2 copies. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from Boston Library Consortium IVIember Libraries http://www.archive.org/details/reportofunitedst01unit2 TABLE OP COIITEITTS (cont.) 20. Concerning the international year "book of agricultural statistics. 1913, 1^J14. 21. Steadying the world's prices of the staples. 1914. 22. Proposal for an international conference on the regulation and control of ocean carriage by means of an international commerce conii::iesion. ...-,. £?. Concerning the fourth volume of the International year-book of agricultural legislation. ISlf.. 24. Letter to Senator Hiram W. Johnson on the work of the institute. 1918. 25. Our foreig-n trade after the war. 1918. 26. < 62d Congress, ) HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. J Document M Session. \ ] No. 303. DELEGATE OF THE UNITLD' :- A . ;-:> MEMATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AGPaCULTURE REPORT OF UNITED STATES DELEGATION TO GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURE. LE TTEE FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE, TRANSMITTING BEPOIIT OF THE DELEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITXTTE OF AGRICULTURE, 1911. December 13, 1911. — Referred to the Committee on Agriculture and ordered to be printed. Department of State, WasJiington, December 12, 1911. Hon. Champ Clark, Speaker of the House of Representatives. Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith, for the information of the House of Representatives, the report of the delegates of the United States to the General Assembly of the International Insti- tute of Agriculture which convened at Rome, Italy, in May, 1911. The Department of State feels itself under obligations to transmit this report to Congress by reason of the fact that the delegates attended the general assembly in pursuance of legislation by Con- gress (deficiency act approved March 4, 1911); but no request for the printing of the report is to be implied from the act of trans- mission. To the contrary, the Department of State is opposed to the printing of the report if the cost thereof is to be chargeable to it under the joint resolution approved March 30, 1906, "to correct abuses in the public printmg and to provide for the allotment of certain documents and reports," inasmuch as the appropriation for printing for the Department of State is not sufficient to provide for the department's printing and also for the printing of documents of this description, as to which the department serves merely as a conduit . I have the honor to- be, sir, Your obedient servant, P. C. Knox. BiuiaiHiai 2 UrTEBNATIOlSrAL. INSTITUTE OP AGRICULTURE. Washington, September t, 1911. The Secretary of State. Sir: The delegates on the part of the United States to the General Assembly of the International Institute of Agriculture which con- vened at Rome, Italy, in May, 1911, have the honor to submit the following report: The general assembly is the legislative body of the International Institute of Agriculture, It consists of delegates from each of the countries which are parties to the treaty, dated June 7, 1905, by which the institute was created, and which number at present 48. The general assembly meets at intervals of one or two years to determine the policies ana adopt the budget of the institute. The executive authority of the institute is the permanent committee, consisting of one delegate from each adhering country. A considerable propor- tion of the members of the permanent committee spend substantially all their time in Rome, which is the seat of the institute. The per- manent committee, like the cabinet in most European countries, is not only the principal executive body, but also the one that initiates most of the measures which come before the general assembly. In accordance with the terms of the treaty creating the institute, the permanent committee submitted to the various governments, some weeks in advance of the present meeting of the general assembly, a program of subjects to be considered. At the meeting the perma- nent committee submitted various reports and recommended various resolutions, the reports and resolutions on each subject being pre- sented on behalf or the committee by one of its members, designated as a reporter. The members of the general assembly were divided, for the pur- pose of considering the various subjects on the program, into four commissions or committees, most individual delegates being mem- bers of two or more of these commissions. The reports and recom- mendations of the permanent committee were submitted to these commissions and carefully discussed. The conclusions of the com- missions were then embodied in a formal report to the general assembly, which, in most instances, approved the recommenda- tions of the commissions without change. Of the 48 countries adhering to the institute, all but 2 were repre- sented by delegates to the general assembly. The number of dele- gates varied from 1 to 6 from each country, the total number present being 99. In connection with the detailed official report of the actions taken by the general assembly, hereto annexed, the members of the dele- gation wish to call special attention to a few of the most important of these actions. One question which was considered by the general assembly and which will require special action by the United States relates to the {)ublication of the reports and bulletins of the institute in the English anguage. In accordance with the treaty creating the institute French is the official language. The funds at the disposal of the institute have been sufficient thus far to permit the translation and printing of the various reports and bulletins in the English language as well. The short monthly bulletins, dealing with crop conditions, have also hitherto been puoUshed in three or four other languages besides French. It is apparent, however, that additional funds will INTEENATIONAL INSTITUTE OP AGRICULTURE. 3 be required hereafter if such translations are to be pubhshed. It was the feeUng of the institute that, despite the fact that EngKsh is doubtless the most important commercial language, it is not proper that the expense of an Enghsh translation or of translations into a limited number of other languages should be met out of the general funds of the institute, which are contributed by all of the 48 countries, some of which derive little direct benefit from these translations. It was agreed by the institute that additional funds for the publications ought hereafter to be secured through paid advertisements to be inserted in the publications and through subscriptions to the publi- cations or direct contributions by such countries as desire the print- ing of the reports in languages other than French. In view of this action of the institute, the American delegates decided informally, after consultation, and subject to your approval and to the action of Congress, that an English edition of the publica- tions ou.ght to be secured by direct appropriation on the part of the English-speaking countries adhering to the institute. The estimated cost of tranlating into English and printing these documents is about $12,000 per annum, of w^hich amount the delegates from the United States are of the opinion that the United States should contribute $5,000, leaving the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Dominion of Canada, and other English- speaking countries to contribute the remaining amount needed. It is therefore recommended by the delegates that in' the next estimate submitted by the Department of State to Congress an item of $5,000 be included, in addition to other moneys appropriated for the institute and for the payment of delegates thereto, as a proper amount for the United States to contribute as its share of the cost of trans- lation of the publications into English and their printmg in that lan- guage. There was an informal understanding with the executive officers of the. institute that if this v/ere done the institute would supply as many English copies of each document to the United States as is possible on the basis of its contribution, which publications will be subject to distribution by our Government, either through the Department of State or through the Department of Agriculture, or otherwise. It is believed by the delegation that these copies might advantageously be distributed free of charge to agricultural colleges, agricultural societies and institutions, and the leading agricultural papers of the United States. The publications which it is thus proposed to distribute in the English language consist of the monthly Bulletin of the Bureau of Agricultural Intelligence and Plant Diseases, the monthly Bulletin of the Bureau of Economic and Social Intelligence, and the monthly Bulletin of Agricultural Statistics. Each of these publications contains much valuable information. The first named summarizes the experience of all the leading countries, as shown in official and private publications, with respect to methods of agriculture, and particularly methods of combating plant diseases. The second contains information of great value regarding cooperation in agri- cultural industry, such as cooperative marketmg, agricultural banking systems, and the like. The third contains official estimates of the acreage planted to various crops, their condition during growth, and the amount of harvest, together with information regarding domestic animals. 4 INTERNATIOlSrALi INSTITUTE OP AGRICULTUEE. Aaother recommendation of the general assembly, in which the delegates from the United States cordially concur, is that steps be taken "to appoint an international technical commission, composed of eminent specialists from the adhering countries, to take up the study of effective international protection against the invasion and (spread of diseases of plants and msect pests." It is well known that much more than half of the varieties of insects injurious to plants were imported into the United States from other countries, while the proportion of plant diseases thus introduced is probably still greater. For the most part both insects and diseases were intro- duced through imported nursery stock and seeds, and might have been prevented either through proper quarantine regulations at our own ports of entry or by proper inspection at the points where the shipments originated. One important function of the proposed international commission would be to suggest and help to frame such legislation or regulations in the various countries as would minimize the danger of future spread from one country to another of either plant diseases or inju- rious insects. There can be no doubt, also, that such a commission, having available all the information acquired in aU the countries as to the best methods of treating diseases and of controDing or destroy- ing insects, would be able, through the study of so wide a range of data, to reach invaluable results. If such a commission were created, not only the conclusions it might reach, but the data upon which those conclusions were founded, could be made available for the use of the scientists engaged upon like problems in our National Depart- ment of Agriculture and in our numerous State agricultural colleges aiid the benefit sure to result can hardly be estimated. On account of the direct advantage sure to accrue to the United States, therefore, as well as by reason of the duty wliich rests upon us as one of the family of nations to bear our share in any work that is undertaken for the benefit of all, the delegates earnestly hope that when this recommendation is brought before you, as it wiU be in due course from the permanent committee of the institute, it may have your careful consideration. It was a matter of pride to the delegates from the United States that the Campbell system of dry farming — ^first developed and demon- strated by a citizen of our country — was made the subject of one of the most elaborate and interesting papers presented for the considera- tion of the general assembly. This report was presented by the delegate from Hungary, M. De Miklos de Miklosvar, and was the sub- ject of long and able discussion. It was shown that over 90 per cent of the countries represented in the institute are directly or indirectly interested in the solution of the problems connected with dry farm- ing, and it was decided that the report of M. De Miklos de Miklosvar should be forwarded to the adhering Governments and their attention especially called to the questions it raises. Another very important action taken by the institute, perhaps the most important of all things considered, related to the form of the reports of the condition of growing crops. Without entering into technical details, it may be said, in general terms, that the question at issue was whether the institute should undertake to present these reports ia the form of definite estimates of the percentage of the probable yield as compared with average yield, or whether the re- INTERNATIONAL, INSTITUTE OP AGRICULTURE. 5 ports should be expressed in a much more indefinite manner by a system of "notes or classification," which are practically equivalent merely to descriptive words regarding the condition of the crop. The first of these two plans is substantially the plan employed in the United States, and the American delegates vigorously advocated its adoption by the institute as the only method which would permit combination of the reports of the several countries into a single state- ment, and the only one which would give information requiring no further interpretation by the reader. It is a matter of much congratu- lation that the general assembly saw fit to adopt this first plan. Prac- tically this means that the Institute of Agriculture will seek hereafter to induce all the countries in its membership to adopt a basis of crop reporting substantially similar to that employed by the United States, or at least to furnish facilities by which their crop reports can be converted to a basis similar to that employed in the United States. The members of the delegation from the United States are of the opin- ion that the action taken on this subject at the meeting of the general assembly assures an ultimate great measure of success to the work of the institute in crop reporting. They were convinced that only through an ofiicial international institute of this character would it be possible to secure complete and correct information regarding crops and crop conditions, and thus to prevent improper manipula- tion of prices of agricultural products. It must be recognized that the perfecting of the system of inter- national agricultural statistics proposed by the institute will neces- sarily require a very considerable period of time. However perfect in principle may be the scheme of compiling the statistics devised by the institute, it can not be applied in practice in a thoroughly satis- factory manner until all the leading countries have placed their sys- tems of agricultural statistics upon a uniform basis, or at least upon such a basis as will permit the conversion of the statistics to a uniform principle. It is encouraging to note that, largely through the influ- ence of the institute, there has already been a rapid movement tov/ard uniformity in crop statistics of the various countries during the past few years, and the attitude of the delegations of most of the countries at the meeting of the institute indicated clearly that further progress toward such fundamental uniformity will take place steadily in the future. Attention is also called to the action of the institute with respect to international statistics of stocks of agricultural products, of exports and imports, and of prices of such products. The United States is almost the only country which has even approximately satisfactory statistics of stocks, and the mstitute has accordingly urged upon other countries to begin the collection of such statistics. There is a great lack of uniformity and of comparabilitj^ among the different countries with respect to statistics of exports and imports. The institute accord- ingly recommends to the governments to consider means of correcting these difficulties, and will shortly submit definite suggestions regard- ing such means for the consideration of the several governments. The institute proposes as soon as possible to begin the publication of monthly reports on these classes of statistics. The members of the delegation from the United States wish to express their appreciation of the great service which His Majesty the King of Italy has rendered to the institute throughout its career. 6 INTERITATTOlSrAX. INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURE. It was at his invitation that the conference was held at Home in 1905, which resulted in the treaty for the organization of the insti- tute. He has, at his own expense, donated land, conveniently and beautifully situated, and has erected a palatial building for the offices of the institute and for the meetings of its general assembly. He also contributes toward the current operations of the institute by munificent private donations, distinct from the regular contributions of the Italian Government, At the reception tendered by the King of Italy to the delegates to the general assembly he expressed his warm and active interest in the work and success of the institute, and was in turn thanked enthusiastically on behalf of the institute for the support he has given. The members of the American delegation had the honor of a private and informal audience with the King of Italy during their stay in Rome. The delegation also desires to express its gratification at the cour- tesy which was shown them, as representatives of the United States, not only by the delegates from other countries, but by the officials of the Italian Government and of the city of Rome. The recognition which was accorded to the members of the delegation enabled them to take an active and effective part in the work of the institute, and they were shown every possible consideration by all with whom they came into personal or official relations. The members of the delegation can not refrain from calling atten- tion to the great service which has been rendered to this country and to all the countries of the world by the Hon. David Lubin, the per- manent delegate of the United States to the Institute of Agriculture. Mr. Lubin was the first to conceive the idea of estabfishing an Inter- national Institute of Agriculture. He devoted years of effort in the face of opposition to awakening an interest in the subject among the nations of the world and bringing about the adoption of the treaty which created the institute. Since the adoption of the treaty he has, as delegate of the United States to the permanent committee of the institute, given practically all of his tim« without salary to the work of the institute. The delegation found when at Rome that the service which Mr. Lubin has rendered is fully and highly appreciated by the Governments of the various countries represented in the institute and by the delegations of those countries to the institute. It is a matter of congratulation to the people of the United States that this important international movement owes its origin to one of our own citizens. Whether there could be estabhshed an international institute of agriculture which would justify its name and become a vitally helpful agency in the study and solution of agricultural problems the world over, has been a question in the minds of many sincere students of those problems. That such an institute has been established, and that it will grow steadily and rapidly in influence and in practical efficiency, is the profound conviction of all those who attended the last general assembly and studied at first hand the work that has been done, the organization that has been perfected, and the scope of future plans. In the leading countries of Europe, where by reason of proximity to its headquarters the work of the institute is best known, the enthusiasm for it is universal. This is attested by the fact that all of these countries not only maintain a permanent delegate, but were represented at the general assembly by their full quota of dele- INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AGEICULTURE. 7 gates, all of whom were men of eminence and influence whose very presence was a testimonial to the success of the institute. One of the delegates from the United States, Mr. Victor H. Olmsted, after the adjournment of the general assembly, was required to travel through certain European countries for the purpose of securing informsition needed by the Department of Agriculture, and in each of the countries visited he met prominent officials and private citizens who spoke with enthusiasm of the work of the institute. Without exception they seemed deeply impressed with the good work already done and its ultimate great usefulness to every nation adhering to it. The members of the delegation desire in conclusion to express their conviction that the International Institute of Agriculture is destined not only to serve a most useful purpose with respect to the gathering and diffusion of information regarding agriculture and commerce throughout the world, but to fill a much broader sphere of usefulness. It is one of the most potent instrumentahties for the unification of the world, for the promotion of the general welfare of the peoples of the earth, for the establishment and maintenance of closer friendly rela- tions among the nations, and for the further development of that earnest cooperation, that unity of action, which is rapidly making one mind and one heart for the world. An abundance of good food at prices which afford just remuneration to the producer and are at the same time within the means of the consumer is one of the essentials of a high civihzation. To the problem of the production and distribu- tion of the world's food supply the institute is addressing itself. But above and beyond all this the institute is a tremendous force for the improvement of international manners and morals and conduct, and for the maintenance of international peace. Appended to this report is (1 ) a list of the delegates to the meeting of the general assembly from all nations; (2) a recapitulation of the reports, debates, and resolutions of the general assembly; and (3) a report by the delegate of the United States to the permanent com- mittee, Hon. David Lubin. Very respectfully, David J. Foster. Chas. F. Scott. E. Dana Durand. Victor H. Olmsted. Edgar R. Champlin. Intbrnattonal Institute op Agkicultueb. [Third session, May, 1911.] NAMES AND POSITIONS OF DELEGATES OF THE ADHERING COUNTRIES TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. Germany. — His Excellency Dr. Thiel, acting priAry councilor; Dr. T. Mueller, acting superior privy councilor, delegate to the permanent committee of the International Institute of Agriculture; Dr. van der Borght, president of the imperial bureau of statistics; Prof. Dade, secretary general of the Council of German Agriculturalists; Baron de Putlitz auf Grosspankow, representative of the German Society of Agricul- ture; M. de Levetzow auf Sielbeck, representative of the Federation of Agricultural- ists; M. Johaansen, councilor on agricultural economy, vice president of the Imperial Federation of German Cooperative Agricultural Societies. 8 INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AGRIOHLTUBE. Argentma. — ^His Excellency M. E. Portela, minister plenipotentiary of the Argen- tine Republic to His Majesty the King of Italy, delegate to the permanent committee of the International Institute of Agriculture. Austria.— CovloX, Franz Attems, chamberlain of His Majesty, provincial deputy, reporter on agriculture to the provincial deputation of Styria; Dr. Ernst Seidler, director general in the imperial ministry of agriculture; Baron Hans de Cnobloch, ministerial section councilor in the imperial ministry of agriculture; Chevalier Victor de Pozzi, councilor in the imperial ministry of agriculture, delegate to the permanent committee of the International Institute of Agriculture. Hungary. — M. Edmond de Miklos de Miklosvar, secretary of state for agriculture, member of the chamber of magnates, delegate to the permanent committee of the International Institute of Agriculture; M. Laurent de Roth de Pongyelok, ministerial councilor, chief of division in the ministry of agriculture; M. Etienne de Bemat de Koriat, director of the Confederation of Hungarian Agriculturalists; M. Jules de Rubinek de Zaitvabessenyo, director of the National Society of Agriculturalists; M. George de Linhart, royal councilor, formerly professor in the Academy of Agriculture; M. Zvoni- mir Zepic, township councilor. Belgium. — ^M. Proost, director general of the rural office in the ministry of agriculture and public works; M. O. BoUe, delegate to the permanent committee of the Inter- national Institute of Agriculture. Brazil. — Prof. Vincenzo Grossi, consul of Brazil at Rome; Dr. Cortines Laxe, under commissioner of Brazil to the international expositions at Turin and Rome. Bulgaria. — M. D. Rizoff, minister plenipotentiary of Bulgaria to His Majesty the King of Italy, delegate to the permanent committee of the International Institute of Agriculture. Chile. — M. S. Aldunate Bascunan, minister plenipotentiary of Chile to His Majesty the King of Italy; M. Alejandro Bertrand; M. Enrique Paut-Vergara, consul general of Chile in Italy. China. — ^His Excellency M. Ou-Tsong-Lien, minister plenipotentiary of China to His Majesty the King of Italy. Costa Rica. — ^M. R. Montealegre, minister plenipotentiary of Costa Rica to His Majesty the King of Italy. Cuba. — ^M. C. M. de Cespedes y Quesada, minister plenipotentiary of Cuba to His Majesty the King of Italy, delegate to the permanent committee of the International Institute of Agriculture. Denmark. — IJaron H. C. 0. de Rosenkrantz, grand huntsman of the court; M. H. H. Konow, gentleman of the chamber, secretary of the legation of Denmark to the Government of Italy, delegate to the permanent committee of the International Institute of Agriculture; M. K. Vall6e, secretary in chief in the ministry of agriculture. Ottoman Empire. — Dr. Mehmed Dj^mil Bey, delegate to the permanent committee of the International Institute of Agriculture. Egypt. — M. B. Chimirri, deputy to the Italian Parliament, delegate to the per- manent committee of the International Institute of Agriculture. EquadoT. — M. A. Norero, minister plenipotentiary of Equador to His Majesty the King of Italy. Spain. — M. Enrique Trenor y Montesinos, Coimt of Montornes, chief of the agri- cultural service of the Province of Valence; M. Ignacio Girona y Villanova, engineer in agronomics; M. Augusto Echeverria y Bardel, engineer in agronomics, councilor of agriculture, delegate of Spain to the permanent committee of the International Institute of Agriculture; M. Leopoldo Salas y Amat, engineer in agronomics, chief of the agricultural section of Malaga. United States oj America. — Hon. David J. Foster, former chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives; Hon. Charles F. Scott, former chairman of the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives; Mr. Vic- tor H. Olmsted, Chief of the Bureau of Statistics of the Department of Agriculture; Mr. E. Dana Durand, Director of the Censuo of the United States; Gen. Edgar R. Champlin; Mr. David Lubin, delegate to the permanent committee of the Interna- tional Institute of Apiculture. Ethiopia. — Prof. Cuboni, director of the section of vegetable pathology at Rome, delegate to the permanent committee of the International Institute of Agriculture. France. — ^M. Daubrfee, councilor of state, director general of waters and forests in the ministry of agriculture; M. Vassiliere, director of agriculture in the ministry of agricultm-e; M. Dabat, director of hydraulics and of agricultural improvements in the ministry of agriculture; M. Louis-Dop, vice president of the International Insti- iute of Agriculture; M. Decharme, chief of the service of mutual credit and agricul- tural cooperation in the ministry of agriculture; M. Lesage, chief of the service of technical studies in the office of agricultural information in the ministry of agriculture. INTEKNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURE. 9 Algeria. — ^M. Lesage, chief of the service of technical studies in the office of agricul- tural information in the ministry of agricultiure of France. Regency of Tunis. — M. Malet, engineer of agronomics, chef du secretariat of the office of agriculture, commerce, and colonization. Great Britain and Ireland. — Sir Thomas H. Elliott, K. C. B., permanent secretary in the board of agriculture and fisheries; Mr. T. P. Gill, secretaiy in the department of agriculture and technical instruction for Ireland; Mr. H. C. Bering, counselor of the Embassy of Great Britain to the Italian Government, delegate to the permanent committee of the International Institute of Agriculture. Australia. — Mr. H. C. Bering, counselor of the Embassy of Great Britain to the Italian Government, delegate to the permament committee of the International Institute of Agriculture. Canada.- — Hon. Arthur Boyer, senator, delegate to the permanent committee of the International Institute of Agriculture; Mr. T. K. Doherty, chief of the bureau of publications of the department of agriculture, special correspondent of the Inter- national Institute of Agriculture. British India. — Sir Edward Buck, K. C. S. I., delegate to the permanent committee of the International Institute of Agriculture. New Zealand. — Mr. H. G. Bering, counselor of the embassy of Great Britain to the Italian Government, delegate to the permanent committee of the International Institute of Agriculture. Mauritius. — Mr. H. G. Bering, counselor of the embassy of Great Britain to the Italian Government, delegate to the permanent committee of the International Institute of Agriculture. Greece. — M. A. Carapanos, charge d'affaires of Greece to the Italian Government. Italy. — Marquis R. Cappelli, president of the International Institute of Agriculture, vice president of the Chamber of Beputies; M. L. Bodio, councilor of state, senator of the Kingdom; M. G. Raineri, former minister of agriculture, industry, and com- merce, deputy in Parliament; M. E. Ottavi, deputy in Parliament, president of the Society of Italian Agriculturalists; Br. V.Magaldi, director general of credit, savings, cooperation, and social insurance in the ministry of agriculture, industry, and com- merce; M. L. Luciolli, director of the bureau of customs, treaties, and legislation in the ministry of finance; Prof. Chino Valenti, central commissioner, of agricultural statistics in the ministry of agriculture, industry, and commerce; Prof. Palazzo, director of the bureau of meteorology and of geodynamics in the ministry of agriculture, industry, and commerce. Erithrea and Italian Somaliland. — M. B. Chimirri, deputy in the Italian Parliament, delegate to the permanent committee of the International Institute of Agriculture; Baron G. Sonnino, Senator of the Kingdom of Italy. Japan. — M. Tozaburb Tsukida, expert in the ministry of agriculture and com- merce ; M. Naotoshi Marumo, first secretary of the Embassy of Japan to the Government of Italy. Mexico. — M. Attilie Boschi-Huber, consul of Mexico at Rome. Montenegro. ^M. E. Popovitch, consul general of Montenegro at Pvome; M. G. Volpi, director general of the tobacco monopoly of Moutenegro, delegate to the permanent committee of the International Institute of Agriculture. Nicaragua. — M. V. E. Bianchi, consul general of Nicaragua at Rome, delegate to the permanent committee of the International Institute of Agriculture. Norway. — M. Thor Von Bitten, minister plenipotentiary of Norway to His Majesty the King of Italy; M. A. Fjelstad, delegate to the permanent committee of the Inter- national Institute of Agriculture. Netherlands. — M. H. Jonkeer Van Weede, minister plenipotentiary of the Nether- lands to His Majesty the King of Italy^ delegate to the permanent committee of the ' International Institute of Agriculture. Peru. — Br. M. M. Mesones, delegate to the permanent committee of the Inter- national Institute of Agriculture. Persia. — M. A. del Gallo, Marquis de Roccagiovine, delegate to the permanent com- mittee of the International Institute of Agriculture. Portugal. — M. Luiz Filippe de Castro, professor in the Institute of Agronomy at Lisbon, delegate to the permanent committee of the International Institute of Agri- culture; M. Lambertini Pinto. Roumania. — M. G. C. Nano, minister plenipotentiary of Roumania to His Majesty the King of Italy, delegate to the permanent committee of the International Institute of Agriculture. Russia. — His Excellency M. A. Yermoloff, secretary of state, privy councilor, member of the council of the Empire; His Excellency Prof. P. Broounoff, councilor of state, director of the bureau of meteorology, member of the scientific committee of 10 INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURE. the general direction of agrarian organization and of agriculture; His Excellency M. G. Zabiello, councilor of state, consul general of Russia at Rome, delegate to the permanent committee of the International Institute of Agriculture; M. A. Jaczevsky, member of the scientific committee of the general direction of agrarian organization and of agriculture. San Marino. — His Excellency Prof. L. Luzzatti, minister of state of the Kingdom of Italy, delegate to the permanent comjnittee of the International Institute of Agriculture. Servia. — M. Vouitch, minister plenipotentiary of Servia to His Majesty the King of Italy. Sweden. — Baron C. N. D. de Bildt, minister plenipotentiary of Sweden to His Maj- esty the King of Italy; Prof. H. J. B. Juhlin-Dannfelt, secretary of the Royal Acad- emy of Amcultxire at Stockholm. Switzerland. — Dr. Jean-feaptiste Pioda, minister plenipotentiary of Switzerland to His Majesty the King of Italy, delegate to the permanent committee of the Inter- national Institute of Agriculture; Prof. Ernest Laur, president of the Swiss Peasants' Confederation at Brougg. Uruguay. — M. Enrique J. Rovira, vice consul of Uruguay at Rome. RECAPITULATION OF THE EEPORTS, DEBATES, AND RESOLtrTIONS OP THE THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY. At the opening meeting of the general assembly, on May 14, His Excellency Hon. Giovanni Raineri, delegate of Italy, was elected president of the assembly, and His Excellency Baron De Bildt, delegate of Sweden, and Mr. David J. Foster, delegate of the United States, were chosen as vice presidents. In the temporary absence of Mr. Raineri, Baron De Bildt was called to the chair. The meeting then proceeded to constitute, among its members, four commissions, or committees, to deal with the several questions before the assembly, as follows: Commission I. — Administration and finance. To this commission were submitted the following reports from the permanent com- mittee of the institute: Report by the president of the institute. Marquis Cappelli, on the present situation of the institute and its work during the past 18 months; report by M. Zabiello, delegate of Russia, on the financial situation and the budget for 1911 and 1912; report by M. O. Bolle, delegate of Belgium, on the desirability of appointing foreign correspondents to report to the institute on scientific and technical questions affecting agriculture in their respective countries. Commission II. — General statistics. This commission had to consider the following reports from the permanent commit- tee: Report of Dr. Mueller, delegate of Germany, on the crop-reporting service and the measures to be taken to extend and improve it; also the report by M. Zaviello, delegate of Russia, on commercial statistics, stocks, exports, imports, and prices. Commission III. — Agricultural intelligence and diseases of plants. To this commission were submitted, on behalf of the permanent committee, a report by Prof. Cuboni, delegate of Ethiopia, on an international understanding for fighting the more important diseases of plants, such as the rust of cereals, and on the>desivability of international measures for the suppression oithe noxious weed, dodder; report by M. Louis-Dop, delegate of France, on agricultural meteorology; report by M. De Miklos, delegate of Hungary, on dry farming; report by M, De Miklos, on the protection of useful birds. Commission IV. — Agricultural cooveration, insurance, and credit. This commission considered the report by M. Bolle, delegate of Belgium, on in- surance against hail; also the report by M. De Pozzi, delegate of Austria, on the statistics of cooperation. The president then called on the spokesman of the delegation of each country to state on which commission such delegation wished its various members to sit. Mr. Foster, as chairman of the American delegation, made the following announce- ment as to the distribution of the members of the American delegation: Commission I. — Mr. Foster, Mr. Olmsted, Mr. Durand. Commission II. — Mr. Olmsted, Mr. Durand, Mr. Lubin. INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURE. 11 Commission III. — Mr. Scott, Mr. Champlin. Commission IV. — Mr. Scott, Mr. Champlin, Mr. Lubin. Each commission then proceeded to elect a president, vice president, and reporter, as follows: Commission I. — President, Sir Thomas Elliott, delegate of Great Britain; vice presi- dent, Hon. Laurent De Roth de Pongyelok, delegate of Hungary; reporter. Baron Hans De Knobloch, delegate of Austria. Commission II. — President, His Excellency Dr. Thiel, delegate of Germany; vice president, Mr. Victor H. Olmsted, delegate of the United States; reporter, M. Lesage, delegate of France. Commission III. — President, M. Dabat, delegate of France; vice prasident, M. S. Aldunate Bascunan, delegate of Chile; reporters, M. Malet, delegate of Tunis, and M. De Miklos, delegate of Hungary. Commission IV. — President, M. Chimirri, delegate of Erithrea and Italian Somali- land; vice president, M. Girona y Villanova, delegate of Spain; reporter, M. Decharme, delegate of France. The meeting then adjourned. On Sunday afternoon the American delegation met in the American room at the institute; Mr. Foster, Mr. Durand, Mr. Olmsted, Mr. Champlin, and Mr. Lubin were present. The meeting was called to order at 3.30. Mr. Foster was elected chairman and Mr. Lubin secretary of the delegation. A preliminary discussion was had on the merits of the various methods for reporting the condition of growing crops, sub- mitted to the assembly for its choice, and a tentative line of policy was adopted on this head. The meeting adjoiuTied at 4 p. m. At 5 p. m. a reception was given in the institute building to all the members of the delegations to the general assembly. Their Majesties the King and Queen of Italy were present and the members of the American delegation were presented to them by the permanent delegate, Mr. Lubin. On Monday morning the American delegation met in the American room of the institute. The work to come up before the several commissions was briefly passed in review. Mi'. Lubin pointed out that an important q^uestion to come before the first commission would be that of the languages in which the publications of the institute should appear. According to the by-laws, French is the official language of the institute, but Mr. Lubin stated that, as delegate to the permanent committee, he had insisted on the need of English editions of the publications and had succeeded in obtaining them. He said furtherthat objections were raised by the delegates of other nations, who demanded like privileges, but that the permanent committee had decided to continue the English editions for the time being and to submit the matter to the general assembly to decide on some means by which the adhering countries, interested in having editions in their own languages, could contribute toward their fair share of the extra cost of translation and printing. The delegation accordingly decided to advocate seme such plan with the end of obtaining several thousand copies of each edition for the United States, to be dis- tributed by the Government. The work to come before the second commission was then reviewed. It was pointed out that the one point of prime importance for the institute, on which there promised to be a decided divergency of opinion between the delegations from the different countries, was the selection of a uniferm method for transposing the original data on the condition of the growing crops from the different countries, so as to enable the institute to arrange comparable and uniform data in tables and calculate therefrom a summary on a percentage basis in the form of the "single numerical statement" for the world. After discussion, the delegation decided that its policy should be to favor plan A, as outlined by the permanent committee, which is a plan similar to that now employed by the United States, and which provides for expressing the condition of the growing crops as a percentage of a condition, which, if no unusual change takes place, promises a yield per unit of area equal to the average yield for the past 10 years. The general assembly convened at 12 o cleck Monday to install the president-elect, His ExLcellency Hon. Giovanni Raineii. President Raineri, after welcoming the delegates from the adhering governments, congratulated the institute on the work it had accomplished since the last general assembly, and said he was happy to inform the assembly that the International Agri- cultural Congress, at its meeting at Madrid, from which he had just returned, had decided to forward its resolutions to the International Institute of Agricultuife, so that the permanent committee may study them with a view to taking steps with the adher- ing governments for having such of them as came within its province carried uito effect. He felt sure the assembly would appreciate this mark of confidence on the part of the agricultural world. 12 INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURE. The meeting then adjourned to give time for the four commissions to consider and report on the various items of the program assigned to them. On Friday, May 19, and Saturday, May 20, meetings of the general assembly were held, at which the reports and recommendations of the four commissions were received and considered and various resolutions adoi)ted, in general following closely the recom- mendations of the commission. The business thus transasted by the commissions and the general assembly was divided under the following heads: 1. Review of the past work of the institute; administrative matters. 2. Status and development of the agricultural, statistical, and crop-reporting work of the institute. 3. The future work of the institute with regard to the statistics of visible and invis- ible stocks, exports, imports, and prices. 4. Diseases of plants. 5. Protection Si birds. 6. Dry farming. 7. Agricultural meteorology. 8. Insxirance against damage by hail. 9. Statistics of agricultural cooperation. 10. Finance. 11. Miscellaneouo. It will be convenient to deal with these matters under their separate heads: 1. Review op the Past Work of the Institute. A comprehensive report on the work accomplished by the institute during the 18 months which have elapsed since the meeting of the last general assembly was sub- mitted on behalf of the permanent committee by the president of the institute. Marquis Cappelli. After describing the progress made with the different branches of work, the president recommended some minor modifications in the by-laws of the institute which experience showed were necessary for its successful development. These were subsequently adopted by the assembly on the recommendation of the first commission, and were as follows: la, BY-LAWS OP THE INSTITUTE. "The following is the text of articles 15 and 19 of the by-laws of the institute, as adopted by the general assembly: "Art. 15. The president of the permanent committee is the president of the insti- tute. He, and in his absence the vice president, represents the institute and fulfills all the functions and accomplishes all the acts consequent on its corporate capacity. He signs orders for payment and official documents addressed to the governmento and the delegates. "He has the general supervision of all the work of the institute and controls the execution of the decisions taken by the permanent committee. "Art. 16. The general administration of the International Institute of Agriculture comprises the following services: "(1) Bureau of the secretary general. "(2) Bureau of general statistics. "(3) Bureau of agricultural intelligence and diseases of plants. "(4) Bureau of economic and social institutions. "Art. 18 (A). The bureau of general statistics attends to the following matters: "Agricultural statistics; collestion, centralization, and publication of agricultural information and statistics on animal and vegetable production, and the trade, distri- bution, and consumption of agricultural produce; ruling prices and stocks of agri-. cultural produce; general and special market price lists for agricultural produce; markets, fairs, etc.; interpretation and comparison of diverse statistics; centralization of fiscal and customhouse statistics on agricultural products; imports, exports; daily, weekly, monthly agricultural statistics; general statistics; special, periodical, and non- periodical statistics; statistical commissions in ull countries, etc. "(B) The bureau of agricultural intelligence and diseases of plants attends to the following matters: "1. Agricultural intelligence: Collection, centralization, and publication of prac- tical information on animal and vegetable production; inquiries and studies on animal and vegetable products; centralization and summarizing of diverse periodical informa- tion on tlie agricultural situation in all countnes. "2. Diseases of plants: Extent and intensity of diseases; remedies; injurious cryptogams; entomology. INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURE. 13 "Art. 19. The bureau of economic and social institutions attends to the following matters : "Wages of rural labor; statistics and information concerning the organization of agricultural cooperation, insurance, and credit." Looking into the future the president's report pointed out that it is essential for the institute's publications to appear in the principal languages in order that the informa- tion may obtain world-wide circulation. This opinion was fully shared by the first commission, which had the president's report under consideration. The views expressed by the American delegation, that the United States Government should pay its fair share of the cost of translation and printing of an English edition for circula- tion in the United States, met with the warm approval of that commission and of the assembly. Other countries, notably Germany and Austria, for a German edition, and Brazil for a Portuguese edition, expressed their intention of proposing similar plans to their Governments. It was informally agreed by the general assembly that for the remainder of this year the institute would continue to publish the English edition of the bulletins, as heretofore, so as to give time for arrangements to be made with the Governments along the lines proposed. The date for the next meeting of the general assembly was fixed for the spring of 1913. 2. Agricttltural Statistics and Crop Reporting. This was perhaps the most important subject before the assembly. The discussions in the second commission and in the assembly were based on the report submitted on behalf of the permanent committee by Dr. Mueller, permanent delegate of Germany. The report of Dr. Mueller stated that as a result of the decisions taken by the general assembly in December, 1909, the Governments of Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Eritrea and Italian Somaliland, Greece, and Mexico have informed the institute that they are taking steps to organize an agricultural statistical service which will be able to supply the information required for the institute's service. Twelve countries — Argentina, Belgium, Chile, Denmark, Tunis, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Hun- gary, Norway, Roumania, and Switzerland — which prior to 1910 never published numerical reports on the condition of their growing crops, adopted in 1910 the sys- tem proposed by the institute and send in their reports regularly. Five countries — Bulgaria, the United States, Luxemburg, Holland, and Sweden — while continuing to report their crop conditions in accordance with the systems they were already using, transpose their original data in accordance with the plan adopted by the institute. Germany, Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Ottoman Empire, and Italy have announced that they are making alterations in their statistical services so as to comply with the requirements of the institute. The report of Dr. Mueller pointed out that if the official control which the insti- tute's crop-reporting information is to exercise over the reports circulated by irrespon- sible private agencies is to be effective, the Governments must still fua-ther improve their national crop-reporting services, so as to supply the institute with regular, rapid, and reliable reports on the condition of growing crops and harvest yields in each of the adhering countries. Reference was then made in the report to differences of opinion which have arisen as to the right interpretation of the decisions of the last general assembly on the method of reporting on the condition of growing crops. The French Government objected to having its original reports on crop conditions transposed into a probable percentage of yield. It claimed that its reports are purely descriptive of the condi- tion of the crops at the time of report and have no reference whatsoever to the probable yield. In view of these difficulties the report expressed the opinion that an interna- tional crop-reporting system can only be perfected when crop conditions and yields are reported by the several countries on a uniform plan. As a step toward attaining this basic uniformity, it proposed that a study of the question be made by the per- manent committee. This study should be submitted by the Governments to their statistical experts and returned with comments to form the subject of proposals to the next general assembly. Pending the adoption of such uniform methods, the report called on the assembly to select for current use one of three systems, designated as A, B, and C, for transposing the original reports on crop conditions as forwarded by the Governments. The report proposed that the regular statistical-information service of the institute be extended to vineyards, silk, sugar, tobacco, and flax, for which staples a large number of the adhering Governments supj)ly statistical data in a measure to permit of starting such a service. Other staples will be included in the service gradually as the Governments place themselves m a position to supply the necessa,ry information. Finally, the report placed before the assembly a proposal for the publication by the institute of an international yearbook of comparative agricultural statistics. 14 INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTUEE. The debates in the second commission, with respect to the recommendations of the permanent committee, as presented in the report of Dr. Mueller, bore chiefly upon the proper method for reporting crop conditions. The three alternatives proposed by the permanent committee, as a tentative basis for the current crop reports of the institute, were as follows: A. The original reports shall be transformed into percentages of a condition, which, provided no extraordinary phenomenon takes place thereafter, promises for each unit of area a yield equal to the average yield of the last 10 years. B. The original returns shall be transformed into "notes of classification." The "notes of classification" employed for this transformation shall be as follows: 150 to indicate an excellent crop condition, 125 to indicate a good crop condition, 100 to indicate an average crop condition, 75 to indicate a poor crop condition, 50 to indi- cate a very bad crop condition. C. The transformation shall be effected by comparing the condition of the crop at a given date with the average of the conditions of the same crop at the same date for the 10 preceding years. Inasmuch as plans A and C are quite similar, the principal point of discussion in the commission was as between these plans on the one hand and plan B on the other. It was urged as an objection to plan A that it involved an attempt to forecast the crop one or more months in advance of harvest, and that it was impossible to make such a forecast with accuracy because of possible changes which might arise thereafter. It was argued that if, for example, in May the Government announced officially that the condition of a given crop promised a yield equal, say, to the average, or 100 per cent, and if afterwards untoward circumstances reduced the actual yield to much less than the average, the public would criticize the Government and injury would be done in the markets through reliance upon this incorrect forecast. The members of the American delegation took an active part in the discussion in defense of plan A as against plan B, and the delegates of various other countries argued strongly in the same direction. • It was pointed out that any form of expres- sion concerning the condition of the crops at a given date during their growth was bound to be considered by the public in its bearing upon the probable harvest; that in fact there would be no use whatever in collecting reports regarding crop con- ditions during their growth were it not for the significance of those conditions in relation to the probable harvest; that everyone knew that unforeseen events might occur and that the report of the condition of the crops on a given date was always understood to be subject to that possibility, and that it served only to give informa- tion as to what the crop would probably be if no such unusual event should occur. Finally it was urged that the only system by which the reports of all countries could be brought together and averaged was a system of definite percentages based upon an average crop or some other standard, such as a normal or excellent crop; that the "notes of classification" proposed under plan B were merely equivalent to words describing the condition of the crop ; that such words would necessarily have different meanings in different countries, "excellent," for example, in one country being a much higher percentage above average than in another country, so that an average based on them would have no definite significance; and that, moreover, different persons would interpret these "notes of classification" in different ways, so that specu- lators would thus have free scope for misleading the public should they so desire. After prolonged discussion a vote was taken in the second commission, in which 14 countries were in favor of the adoption of plan A and 3 in favor of plan B. The reporter for the commission, M. Lesage, delegate of France, summarized the debates in a report to the general assembly and set forth the conclusions of the second com- mission on this and other less important points. The general assembly, with some little modification, adopted with practical unanimity the resolutions recommended by the commission. They are in full as follows: REGULAR INFORMATION SERVICE FOR THE SEVEN PRODUCTS — WHEAT, RYE, BARLEY, OATS, CORN, RICE, AND COTTON. 1. The general assembly is of opinion that it is absolutely essential, for national and international interests, that each of the countries belonging to the institute possess an agricultiu^ statistical service. In those countries in which such a serv- ice does not yet exist, or where it is not so organized as to correspond to the require- ments of an international crop-reporting service, the requisite organization should be taken in hand as rapidly as possible. The general assembly instructs the permanent committee to take the requisite steps with the adhering Governments for the establishment or reorganization of an agricul- tural statistical service in their countries, so aa to give complete satisfaction to the wishes expressed on this head by the International Institute of Agriculture. INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURE. 15 2. The general sesembly resolves that the institute's crop-reporting service on the production of whesit, rye, barley, oats, corn, rice, and cotton shall continue. 3. The general assembly confirms its decision of 1909, which declared that the agricultural statistical services of the adhering countries ought to supply, as a minimum of data for a regulinr international crop-reporting service, the following: (a) Periodical statement of the total area and its distribution amongst the principal categories of cultivation. (b) Annual 8tat<3ment of areas sown and planted to the above-mentioned staples. (c) Statements of areas sown and of the conditions under which sowing has taken place at the different periods of the year (rain, drought, frost, etc.). (d) Regular monthly reports on condition of the growing crops and communication of these reports at the same date from all the adhering countries. At the same time with these should be sent reports on meteorological phenomena and events, such as diseases of plants, invasions of insect pesta, etc., affecting the condition of the growing crops. (e) Approximate estimate of probable harvest yield, to be made in relative or actual figtu-es or expressed as a percentage of an average yield, to be made about one month before the harvest is well under way, and at the same time a report on the condition of the growing crops for the same month. (/) Preliminary statement of actual harvest yield to be made as soon as possible. (g) Final statement of harvest yield to be made as soon as possible after the har- vest is completed, and, when necessary, for the different sections of the country. 4. As difficulties have arisen in_ interpreting the text of No. 3, paragraph 2, of the decisions of the general assembly in 1909, and in the application of a uniform system for transposing the reports on condition of growing crops, the general assembly decides to replace No. 3, paragraph 2, by the following: The necessary crop-reporting data which are to be regularly transmitted to the institute are: (a) Concerning reports on areas. — The areas sown during the winter and those sown during the spring to be reported in actual figures and as a percentage of the area sown the previous year. The areas to be harvested shall be reported in actual figures. Final statement of areas which have been harvested. (6) Concerning the reports on the condition of the growing crops. — I. The original data to be forwarded to the institute in the form in which they are reported in each country. The institute will always publish such original data in a special table. When, however, these data are given in figures calculated separately for the several regions or provinces of a country, the institute will come to an understanding with the Gov- ernment of that country with a view to expressing the condition of the growing crops of the entire country as a single numerical statement. II. UntU such time as the adhering countries shall have adopted a uniform system for reporting on the condition of growing crops, the Governments which use figures to express such conditions are requested to transmit to the institute, along with the original data, the results of a transposition of such data as indicated under No. 7. (c) Concerning the approximate estimate of probable yield.^ — -A figure is to be trans- mitted to the institute, along with the report on the condition of the growing crops (original data and transposed), stating either the probable yield per hectare, or the probable total yield of a given crop, or the probable yield expressed as a percentage of the average yield for the past 10 years. {d) Concerning the preliminary and final statement of acttial harvest yields. — A figure is to be transmitted to the institute representing either the average yield obtained per hectare, or the total actual yield of a given crop. 5. The assembly expresses the wish that the reports on the condition of the crops be made in each country so as to reach the institute before the 15th of the month, and be published at latest on the 20th of the same month. It is of the utmost importance that the data on areas sown and the preliminary and final statements of actual harvest yields be communicated to the institute as soon as possible after they have been ascertained. The institute should publish, as far as possible, week by week all data supplied by the Governments which they may send in before the above-mentioned dates. 6. The general assembly considers that an international crop-reporting service can only have commercial value when the national systems of reporting on the area, condition, development, and yields of the crops are based on uniform principles It therefore calls on the permanent committee to submit to the Governments a state- ^Tbat to be made one month before harvest. 16 INTEBNATIONAIi INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURE. ment of tlie reasons for sucli uniformity and a scheme of organization to meet the ends in view. The general assembly requests the adhering Governments to submit this statement to their experts, whose comments should be communicated to the institute for insertion in a report. This report will form the basis for a discussion on the question of "the unification of the national systems of reporting on the areas, condition, development, and yield of the crops." Said subject to be placed on the program of the next general assembly. The general assembly instructs the permanent committee to request the Interna- tional Statistical Institute to study this question at its next session and to communi- cate to the institute the results of its deliberations. 7. In the meantime, and after receiving once for all the preliminary authorization of the respective Governments, the institute will transpose the original data on crop conditions during the three months preceding the harvest into a percentage of a con- dition which, if no unusual phenomena occur, promises for each unit of area a yield equal to the average yield for the past 10 years. For those countries which do not yet possess a 10 years' average, the basis for the calculation will be the average for as many years as are covered by the statistics existing in that country for the crop under consideration. REGULAR INFORMATION SERVICE FOR OTHER STAPLES. 8. The general assembly, after examining the study made by the statistical bureau of the institute on the subject of silk (mulberries, cocoons, silk) ; sugar (sugar beets and sugar cane, sugar); vineyards (grapes, must, wine, spirits of wine); tobacco; olives and olive oil; hay; flax (linseed and linseed oil); and almonds, is of opinion that a monthly information service can only be extended at present to the following staples: Vine- yards (grapes, must, wine); silk (mulberries, cocoons, silk); tobacco; sugar (sugar beets and sugar cane, sugar); flax (textile and seed); coffee. As in most countries the crop-reporting service is at the present time inadequately organized and developed, even for the above-mentioned staples, the genei-al assembly calls on the Governments to perfect the system for getting out such statistics so that reports on the condition of the growing crops, estimates of probable yield, preliminary and final statements of actual yield, may be made to the institute in due form and regularly at stated periods. With reference to the statistics on vineyards and wine, the general assembly is of opinion that such statistics should include as a minimum — (o.) An annual report, or a report made at least once every 5 years, on the area planted to vines; (5) A report on the condition of the vines in the first period of their vegetation (when flowering is over); (c) A report on the condition of vines about 15 days before the vintage; (d) An estimate of yield (must) as soon as possible after the vintage; (e) Final statement of yield (wine) as soon as possible. Governments which report on the condition of vineyards in their monthly reports on crop conditions will not be required to forward to the institute the special report provided for under paragraphs (6) and (c). 9. The general assembly instructs the permanent committee to submit to the Governments the result of the studies undertaken by the statistical bureau of the institute on other staples. It proposes to extend the information service to these staples as soon as the official statistical data collected by the adhering countries allow. As a temporary measure the institute bulletin will print under a special heading statistical information which the adhering Governments may forward on any staple not yet regularly dealt with by the institute's crop-reporting service. THE INVENTORY AND AGRICULTURAL STATISTICAL YEARBOOK. 10. The general assembly, after examining the work undertaken by the bureau of statistics in connection with the world's statistical inventory of agricultural produc- tion, resolves: (1) That the inventory be kept up to date by the statistical bureau of the institute for its own use. (2) That the yearbook of compan.tive international agricultural statistics be pre- pared in conformity with the program outlined by the reporter and be published regularly in the last quarter of each year. This yearbook shall include, as far aa possible, the original data contained in the returns foi the preWous year. INTEEJSTATIONAI, INSTITUTE OF AGBICUL.TUEB. 17 3. Statistics of Stocks, Exports and Imports, and Prices. The views and recommendations of the permanent committee on the proposed future work of the institute were submitted to the assembly in a report by M. G. Zabiello, permanent delegate of Russia, accompanied by a volume of supplementary studies prepared by the statistical bureau of the institute. Attention was called in this report to the importance of official inquiries into the amount of invisible stocks, i. e., stocks held over from the previous harvest still in farmers' hands. Such inquiries have been made for some years past by the Govern- ments of the United States and Canada; and last year the semiofficial German Council of Agriculture (Landwirtschafterst) made a report on invisible stocks for the German Empire. The report urged the need of such inquiries in all the large producing countries, as stocks in farmers' hands are an important factor in price formation. Tho importance of good statistics on visible stocks was also dealt with. The resolutions on this subject suggested in the report were approved by the second commission and by the general assembly (see p. 17). On the subject of statistics of exports and imports, M. Zabiello's report stated, in brief: The general assembly in 1909 instructed the permanent committee to have a thorough study made of the statistics of exports and imports. The object was to ascertain the reasons for the vast discrepancies which exist between the figures for exports to certain countries, as given by the exporting countries, and those registered as entered by the importing countries. These discrepancies are due mainly to the deflection of cargoes during transit, and to the registration of imports and exports under different classifica- tions in the different customs administrations. The desirability of improving such statistics has formed the subject of resolutions passed by statistical and other con- gresses for years past, bxit so far no effective step has ever been taken in this direction. The report stated that the studies on this subject which the institute has undertaken are not yet completed, and asked the authorization of the assembly to have them carried on and completed for wheat only. The discussion in the second commission on the subject of exports and imports centered mainly round a proposal brought in by M. Louis Dop, delegate of France, and supported m an amended form by M. Luccioli, delegate of Italy, as a means of obtaining correct statistics of the point of origin and of destination of agricultural prod- ucts in international trade. The idea underlying the French delegate's proposal is to do for shipments of merchandise what is done for the purpose of establishing correct statistics of passenger traffic on international railways, by means of railway tickets, which are delivered up by the passenger at his final destination and retiurned by the authorities there to the administration of the railway whence the passenger started. A waybill could be issued by the administration of the customhouse whence the goods started and delivered to the customhouse where the goods are discharged, which should then return to the point of origin. Fears were expressed in the discussion that such a system might be impracticable, as it might impose extra and undesirable formalities on commerce, and as it is almost impossible to determine the final destination of a cargo. Some speakers expressed the opinion that it was not of any interest to the producer to know the final destina- tion of his produce. This was controverted; the American delegates, amongst others, pointed out that it would be of considerable interest to the United States to be able to determine the ultimate destination of its agricultural exports. The unanimous sense of the commission was that the proposal made by the delegate of France was deserving of consideration and study. The proposal in the report submitted by M. Zabiello that the institute complete its crop-statistics service by publishing, in 1912, a weekly price bulletin, giving the current price quotations for the principal world market centers, met with the unani- mous approval of the second commission and the general assembly. In accordance with the amendment proposed by M. Louis Dop, delegate of France, the "single numerical statement" for the world's supply will be placed alongside of these price quotations. The resolutions regarding statistics of stocks, international trade, and prices, arrived at by the assembly, after considering the report of the second commission, were as follows: "1. As it is necessary that the institute complete the studies it has begun before starting a regular public information service on trade statistics, this service will only be begun from July 1, 1912. But for experimental purposes the institute shall begin a monthly information service on trade statistics in the form of a bulletin, not in- tended for the public, which shall be reserved for the use of the adhering Govern- ments and the members of the permanent committee and subjected to their criticism H. Doc. 303, 62-2 2 18 INTERNATIOJSTAIi INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTUEE. diiring this preparatory stage. Thia experimental service shall begin at a date to be fixed later on by the permanent committee. It will comprise statistical data on visible stocks, imports, and exports, and the weekly price quotations on the prin- cipal market centers as supplied by the bourses. The data on stocks will only be given for wheat, rye, barley, oats, and com; those on exports, imports, and prices for these five staples and for rice and cotton. "2. The permanent committee is instructed to complete the detailed study of statistics on visible stocks, floating cargoes, and exports and imports, so as to submit to the next general assembly proposals for the improvement and unification of sta- tistical information on these subjects. These studies shall be made for wheat only, and they should examine whether it be desirable and possible to adopt a method of controlling the returns of exports and imports and floating cargoes by accompanying each cargo by a waybill issued by the customhouse from which the goods start and withdrawn by the fiist customhouse at which the goods are delivered. ''The permanent committee shall make a special study of the organization of the principal international markets and their commercial usages. "3. The general assembly recommends the Governments adhering to the institute to perfect their services of information on visible stocks and to consider the proposal of starting a monthly service on the subject if they do not yet possess one. Thia service should at least deal with the five following staples: Wheat, rye, barley, oats, and corn. "4. The assembly further invites the Govermnenta to study the possibility of mak- ing a report on invisible stocks, in farmers' hands, for the five staples above mentioned once a year, preferably at the same date as the first numerical estimate of the probable yield of the growing crops, namely, one month before harvest. The Governments are requested to send the result of these inquiries to the institute, which wiU only publish same after receiving express authorization from the Governments. "5. The permanent committee is instructed to draw up a special report on the proposal of reducing to uniform principles customhouse statistics as far as the definition of 'special trade" and goods in transit is concerned; also on the classification of imports according to their country of origin, and exports according to the country of destination. This report will be presented to the adhering Governments to be sub- mitted by them to experts on this subject whose observations will be communicated to the institute and form the basis of a report on this question to be brought before the next general assembly. " 4. Diseases of Plants. The proposals on this head, submitted by the permanent committee to the assembly in a report by Prof. Cuboni, delegate of Ethiopia, were referred to the third commis- sion. The general assembly in 1909 instructed the permanent committee to prepai-e, on the basis of information supplied by the adhering Governments, a report on the present organization of service on plant diseases in the several countries. This report has been prepared by the institute's section on diseases of plants and contains the information for the following 22 countries: Germany, Belgium, Bulgaria, Chile, Den- mark, Spain, France, Tunis, Great Britain and Ireland, Australia, Canada, British India, Mauritius, Italy, Luxemburg, Mexico, Holland, E-oumania, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, and Uruguay. The United States have announced that they are for- w;arding a complete report on the service as organized in America. Reports also came in from Brazil, Hungary, Nigeria, and New Zealand, and a supplementary report from the Russian Government on the special entomological service organized m that coun- try. This material, however, came to hand too late to be included in the published volume, which was therefore circulated in the form of proofs, to be completed by the institute as the material is received. China, Costa Rica, Egypt, Erithrea, and Peru informed the institute that such a service is now under consideration by those Gov- ernments and will soon be established. The following countries have not yet replied to the institute's inquiries on this head: Argentina, Austria, Cuba, Turkey, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Algeria, Greece, Italian Somaliland, Japan, Montenegro, Nicaragua, Noiv way, Persia, Portugal, Salvador, San Marino, and Servia. The report stated that this work shows that while in some countries admirably organized services on diseases of plants exist, in others the organization is entirely rudimentary. In view of this fact, and of the great interest that all countries have in securing effective international protection against the invasion and spread of diseases of plant and insect pests, the permanent committee proposed that the institute invite the adhering Governments to appoint an international technical commission, com- posed of eminent specialists from the adhering countries. This commission should draw up a program for an international understanding and common action on ques- INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OP AGRICULTURE. 19 tions of plant pattiology. The proposals of the permanent committee on this head were unanimously approved by the third commission. The permanent committee also proposed that the assembly recommend to the adhering Governments to take specific steps for the international control of the trade in forage seeds and for the destruction of dodder. On this point, however, the third commission considered that action would be premature, as the destruction of dodder is only one of the many points which should properly come up for discussion before the proposed international commission. It was therefore decided to suppress that portion of the proposals. The third commission elected M. A. Jaczevsky, delegate of Russia, as reporter to the general assembly on the question of plant diseases, and the proposals of the com- mission as presented by him were unanimously adopted by the general assembly, as follows: "1. The general assembly instructs the permanent committee of the International Institute of Agriculture to draw up a report calling the attention of the adhering Governments to the need of appointing an international commission on vegetable pathology, to draw up a program, and, if possible, to come to an understanding on international measures for the control of plant diseases. "2. The general assembly request the adhering Governments to instruct their experiment stations to communicate without delay to the institute the result of their experiments, especially those dealing with the efficiencjr of the remedies against plant diseases, in order that these reports may be published in the institute's Bulletin on Diseases of Plants." 5, Protection op Birds. In accordance with the instructions given by the general assembly in 1909, the permanent committee submitted a report on the legislative measures enacted in the several countries for the protection of useful birds, the reporter for the committee being M. De Miklos de Miklosvar, permanent delegate of Hungary. The following resolutions on this head were passed by the assembly, on the recom- mendation of the permanent committee and of the third commission: "1. The general assembly takes note that 20 Governments have enacted effective legiolation for the protection of useful birds, and is gratified to note that 3 Governments have taken steps in this direction as a result of the decision of the general assembly of the International Institute of Agriculture in 1909. "2. In view of the importance to farmers of such protection, the general assembly decides to communicate the data collected on this subject to the adhering Govern- ments, with the request that they complete such protection, and in the case of countries where such protection is not enacted that the necessary steps be taken to establish it with a view to universal cooperation for the protection of useful birds. "3. The general assembly deems it desirable to follow developments under this head and instructs the permanent committee to keep in touch with the several Gov- ernments, and to inform the next general assembly of the progress made in this direc- tion." 6. Dry Farming. A report on this question (see annex 13) was submitted on behalf of the permanent committee by M. De Miklos De Miklosvar, and referred for study to the third commis- eion. The debate in that commission showed that some doubt had been expressed by a minority in the permanent committee as to the fitness of bringing up such a technical problem as dry farming before the general assembly. The sense of the commission, as expressed by the delegations of the United States, Hungary, France, and Tunis, and afterwards unanimously indorsed by the assembly, was that the institute fulfilled one of its functions in taking up this matter, since the institute is intended to act as a clearance house for the exchange of information between the adhering nations on such important problems. It was shown that over 90 per cent of the countries represdhted in the institute are directly or indirectly interested in the solution of the problems con- nected with dry farming. It was decided that the report should be forwarded to the adhering governments and their attention especially called to the importance of the questions it raises, and the following resolutions were unanimously adopted: "1. The general assembly decides that the adhering governments be invited to make experiments in dry farming, in accordance with the method advocated by Mr. Campbell, as adapted to local requirements. "2. That the adhering governments be asked to communicate every year the results of their comparative experiments to the institute, so that the institute may collect them and inform the agricultural world on the efficacy of this method of tilling 20 INTEElSTATIOlsrAl, INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTUKE. the soil, and on the value of the several varieties of plants, rotation of crops, and dif- ferent fertilizers as deduced from the practical results obtained in the different coun- tries." 7. Ageicultural Meteorology. In the report submitted on behalf of the permanent committee on the crop-reporting service by Dr. Mueller, permanent delegate of Germany, the following statement is made: "Last year the general assembly decided that the adhering States be called upon to communicate information of natural phenomenon and events, diseases of plants, and invasion of insect pests which affect the condition of the crop. But information of this description has been very meager, and what has come to hand has been very incomplete. This is clearly a most regretable deficiency, for private news dealing with these events affects the bourses often to a quite unjustifiable extent. By gen- eralizing such information the importance or extent of the damage done is almost always exaggerated. The only remedy is to be found in official information based on special inquiries. But these inquiries can not be made in a haphazard manner. For this purpose a well-organized service of information and inspection is required, which unfortunately does not yet exist in many countries. The institute proposes to make efforts to induce the Government to organize such services, and proposals MT.11 be submitted to the general assembly for the organization of an international meteorological service for the purposes of agriculture and also for an international service for the observation of plant diseases and invasions of insect pests. These services will be able to cooperate with the crop-reporting service already organized witk a view to exercising an effective control over all private information of a nature to influence the market for agricultural staples." The decision taken by the assembly toward bringing about international action in the matter of diseases of plants and insect pests has already been stated; similar action was taken in favor of an international service of agricultural meteorology. The report for the permanent committee, made by M. Louis Dop, permanent delegate of France, sets forth the advantages which could be derived from such service, and describes the nature and mode of procedure of the meteorological services already existing in the several countries. It was pointed out in the course of the debate in the third commission that the French Government had already decided to organize this service along the lines sug- gested by the reporter as best suited for such a purpose, and had made the requisite appropriation. M. Palazzo, delegate of Italy, and a member of the International Meteorological Commission, expressed his hearty approval of the report. The follow- ing resolution was adopted by the third commission and unanimously approved by the assembly: "The assembly decides: "That the report of M. Louis Dop on the question of agricultural meteorology be submitted ofiicially by the International Institute of Agriculture to the president of the international meteorological committee. "The president of the committee will be requested to call a meeting of his colleagues to place before them officially the request of the institute that they resume the study of the problem of agricultural meteorology, which has already been discussed by several international congresses of meteorology, with a view to drawing up a program for the international organization of agricultural meteorology. "This program will subsequently be submitted for the approval of the adhering governments, in conformity with article 9, paragraph f, of the convention of June 7, 1905." 8. iNStTBANCE AgAINST DaMAGE BY HaIL, A report on this question, prepared by the permanent committee, was presented by M. Bolle, permanent delegate of Belgium. It was supported by a detailed study of the present status and development of insurance against hail in the different countries, prepared by the bureau of economic and social intelligence of the institute. The report was referred for consideration to the fourth commission. The permanent committee, in presenting this report, considered that hail is one of the most widespread causes of serious injury to farm crops and that insurance against this evil is not as widespread as it should be. It considered that one of the first steps toward rendering such insurance general, safe, and profitable would be to procure reliable statistics on the incidence of destructive hailstorms and on the damage caused by them to the crops. Such statistical data, gathered on a uniform plan for all adhering countries and assembled and published by the institute, would form a reliable basis on which actuaries could calculate the risk incurred and would allow of judging whether policies were issued at a fair rate. INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AGBICULTTJEE. 21 The fourth commission, however, after discussion, decided that it would be unde- sirable to ask for the detailed information called for under this head by the permanent committee. It considered hail a local and not an international question, and con- cluded that the assembly should only call the attention of the adhering govemmenta to the subject. The following resolution was proposed by the fourth commission and adopted by the assembly; "The general assembly calls the attention of the several governments to the desira- bility of organizing a regular service for ascertaining the incidence of hailstorms and the damage they have caused, based on the general principles set forth in the report presented to the permanent committee on this subject. "The general assembly also requests the Governments to report to the institute legislative, administrative, or private measures relative to insurance against hail, and instructs the permanent committee to present a report on this question at the next session of the assembly." 9. Statistics op Agricuxttjeal Cooperation. The general assembly of 1909 passed a resolution instructing the permanent com- mittee to draw up a plan for the organization of international statistics of cooperation. The delegate of the United States to that assembly, Mr. George K. Holmes, made the following statement on this question: "The proposal for the adoption of a uniform system of statistics of agricultural cooperation will be received with much satisfaction by the United States. The De- partment of Agriculture is making an inquiry into the different branches of this ques- tion, and will conform, as far as possible, with the statistical method which the insti- tute will propose. "In collecting information on agricultural cooperation the United States should in future work along the plan which will be approved by the institute." In accordance with the instructions of the assembly of 1909 the permanent commit- tee ordered the bureau of social and economic intelligence to make a thorough study of the question. On this a report was submitted on behalf of the permanent committee by M. De Pozzi, delegate of Austria to the present general assembly. This report was referred for consideration to the fourth commission. The discus- sion showed that the commission fully accepted the main ideas underlying the pro- posals. The proposals set forth that these statistics must embrace all associations which come within the economic conception of cooperation. They should not be limited merely to those associations which are registered as cooperative, or which come within the purview of the special legislation on cooperation enacted in certain countries. The sense of the commission was that the definition of cooperation given in the per- manent committee's report should be still further enlarged so as to include all coopera- tive associations formed for the economic or social advancement of the agricultural population. The following resolutions on this head were unanimously adopted by the fourth commission and by the general assembly: "1. The general assembly considers that in order to accomplish one of the functions assigned it by the convention of June 5, 1905, the institute must possess comparable data of agricultural cooperation obtained on a uniform plan. "2. The general assembly therefore calls on the adhering Governments which have not yet got such statistics, or which have only imperfect ones, to organize such a serv- ice, so as to make it possible for the institute to extract therefrom Qie data it requires and which are scheduled separately in a later paragraph. "3. These data could be commimicated directly by the different Governments in their final shape; that is to say, already drawn up in tables of which the institute would furnish a sample, or they could be abstracted by the institute itself from the statistical reports sent in by the Governments. "4. The general assembly considers that in order to obtain accurate and comparable data for all countries which have some form of agricultural cooperation the inquiries must be restricted to a few points. These miist be fundamental ones, and such as to give an idea of the absolute value (if measureable in figures) or the relative value of agricultural cooperation in the several countries. But before deciding on the details of such statistics a definition of agricultural cooperation must be given. "5. The general assembly is of opinion that in giving a definition of cooperation one must be guided not by jxiridical but by economic considerations. An association must be recognized as a cooperative association if it purposes to promote the economic inter- ests of the members by placing in common their capital and labor, or by subjecting them to mutual obligations, even if such association has not the form recognized aa 22 INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AGEICULTURE. 'cooperative' by the jurisprudence of the differient governments, and only exists de facto, without being registered or formally recognized by law. Nevertheless, the general assembly admits the advisability of stating in the case of each cooperative asso- ciation the nature of its constitution from a juridical standpoint. The general assembly also recognizes the need of taking into consideration, apart from the economic criterion, the moral and social factors which have a part in the formation of agricultural cooper- ative associations. "6. This definition of cooperation being agreed to the different subdivisions into which it falls should be settled, so that each unit may be properly classified from the start. "The general assembly considers that here again practical rather than theoretical considerations should be the guide. It must be remembered that often one cooperat- ive association fulfills several functions; therefore a cooperative association should be classified under that branch of its business, which is of most importance; such asso- ciations rarely restrict themselves to one single branch of work. "As a starting point for the work of each Government the general assembly suggests the following six main categories which would seem to fit in with present conditions: "Q) Credit. "(2) Pm-chase and purchase and sale combine. "(3) Production. "(4) Production and sale combined. "(5) Insm-ance. "(6) Miscellaneous cooperative associations. 10. Finance. In conformity with article 5 of the convention of June 7, 1905, which established the institute, it rests with the assembly to fix the limits of the expenditure which may be incurred by the permanent committee and to audit and approve the accounts. To enable the assembly to discharge this important duty, a full report as to the finan- cial situation of the institute, along with the estimates of expenditure in 1911, was presented by the permanent committee, the reporter for the committee being M. Zabiello, permanent delegate of Russia. The report shows that as the several branches of the institute's work were only partially organized imtil January, 1911, a surplus has accumulated amoimting, at the end of 1910, to 669,703 francs, 42 centimes. The total estimated revenue for 1911 amounts to 814,500 francs, made up as follows: Francs. Contribution from His Majesty the King of Italy 300, OOO Quotas paid by the adhering Governments 499, 500 Interest on money deposited 15, 000 Total 814, 500 As the institute has no need to form a reserve fund in the commercial sense, the permanent committee proposed that the sin-plus of 660,000 francs be applied to sup- plement the regular income of the institute in meeting the requirements of the full service which is now in working order. The estimates for 1911, presented to the assembly, show that it is expected to meet this year's expenditure out of the regular income, though the increased expenditure on printing may make it necessary to draw on the reserve fund for a sum which will not exceed 69,000 francs. For the succeeding years 1912 and 1913 it is easy to foresee that the enlarged program of work which the permanent committee is pledged to carry out will entail increased expenditure. This can, however, be met out of the surplus over from the first years. The reporter expressed the belief that this siirplus would suffice to meet the increased expenditure of the institute for another three years, i. e., until 1915. But in view of the increased volume of the institute's work it will then become necessary for the adhering Govern- ments to increase their contributions to the maximum foreseen under the treaty of June 7, 1905. In the course of the debate it was pointed out that whenever the institute finds that it requires that increased contribution, it has the right to notify the adher- iug Governments to that effect in accordance with the terms of the treaty, which says: "In any event the contribution per unit of assessment shall never exceed a max- imxim of 2,500 francs. "As a temporary provision the assessment for the first two years shall not exceed 1,500 francs 'per unit. ' " INTERNATIONAL, INSTITUTE OF AGRICULiTUEE. 23 In the discussion in the first commission, to which this report was submittedj the delegate for Hungary stated that after the first two years of the institute's life, i. e., since 1910, the Hungarian Government, in accordance with the treaty, had appro- priated the higher sum for its contribution, and was prepared to pay same whenever called upon. The action of the general assembly was as follows: The statement of receipts and expenditure for the financial years 1909 and 1910 and the estimates for 1911 were approved. The assembly decided — To vote a lump sum to cover the expenses of the institute for the years 1912 and 1913; this lump siim, amounting to a maximum of 2,298,000 francs, will include all the sums available for the financial years 1912 and 1913, and is subdivided as under: Francs. Balance from previous years (minimum 60,000 francs) maximum 669, 000 Total receipts expected in 1912 814, 500 Total receipts expected in 1913 814, 500 Total 2,298,000 2. To request the Govemmenta of the adhering countries, through the interme- diary of their respective delegations, to insure the regular payment of their annual contributions to the institute during the first fo;ir months of the year. 11. Miscellaneous. In connection with the discussion of the various branches of the service of the institute in the collection of statistical and other information from the several coun- tries, it was deemed wise by the general assembly to permit the permanent committee, in cases where it seemed desirable, to arrange for the selection of individuals — officers of the Government or otherwise — in the several countries to supply documents and other material to the institute. The following resolution was adopted: " The general assembly decides to accept the principle of appointing official corre- spondents to the institute in conformity with article 20 of the by-laws. " These correspondents will supply the institute with the requisite scientific docu- ments." Aside from the formal resolutions of the general assembly above set forth certain less formal actions in the nature of expressions of wishes or desires were taken. These were as follows: "1. The general assembly expresses the wish that the permanent committee place in the hands of the adhering Governments the reports on questions up for discussion before the general assembly at least two months before the assembly meets. "2. The general assembly of the institute considers that the competent bureau would do a very useful work in collecting the greatest possible number of data and practical information on the cost of production of agricultural staples on certain estates in different countries, and by publishing such information in a special chapter of the Bulletin of Agricultural Intelligence. "3. The general assembly expresses the wish that the institute request the adhering Government for regular information on the consumption of fertilizing substances, BO as to insert such information in the monthly Bulletin of Agricultural Statistics." Before concluding its proceedings the assembly requested its president to convey to his Majesty the King of Italy, through the proper channel, the expression of its most sincere gratitude for his continued and generous support of the institute and the personal interest he takes in its work. At the conclusion of the proceedings, Mr. Foster delivered the following address in the name of the American delegation: "My fellow delegates from the United States and myself can not let this assembly bring its proceedings to a close without expressing our appreciation of the courteous consideration with which the suggestions and proposals made by the American dele- gation have been received. We wish to place on record the great pleasure it has given us to be thus brought in contact with so many eminent authorities from all the nations of the world. "The delegation wishes to express its thanks to the officials of the institute, to the president, and to the permanent committee for the work accomplished so far, which IS full of promise for the future. These results are largely due to the untiring and intel- ligent work of the illustrious president of the institute, Marquis Cappelli. "Rome is the seat of the institute, and Rome will always be its permanent head- quarters, but it has occurred to me and to my colleagues of the American delegation 24 INTERNATIONAL, INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTUEE. that the general assembly might perhaps hold its sessions from time to time in other countries. I do not make this suggestion as a motion to be discussed or considered at this time. I only wish to say that if ever the permanent committee sees fit to adopt such an idea, and if the institute would accept the invitation, the Government of the United States would be proud to receive the representatives of all the nations as its guests at Washington. "This delegation wishes to state to the assembly the profound impression made on it by seeing gathered in this hall the representatives of all the nations of the earth, convened together not to discuss the interests of one country or of one people, but the economic interests of the whole human family. "As the eminent delegate of Chile remarked in this morning's debate, the primary need of our civilization is to have at a fair price an abundant supply of the staples of agriculture, which are the daily bread and clothing of the people. "The peoples of the earth pray every morning for their daily bread, and the prob- lem which the institute has to solve is to so regulate the relations between consumers and producers that this daily bread may be bought and sold at a price which will be fair to both. "By solving this dual problem we shall strengthen the nations in their sovereignty, bind the world together in the new internationalism, and hasten the dawn of tJie day of the lasting peace of God." o