red by the term
"tuber-propagated" would be the Irish potato and the Jerusalem
artichoke. This exception is made because this group alone, among
asexually reproduced plants, is propagated by the same part of the
plant that is sold as food."

It will be noted that there is quite a spread, however, between the
exact language of the law and the Committee report, for example: under
the law it would appear that a dahlia might be excluded, and it also
raises the question, under the language of the law, as to many of the
root plants, such as peonies and others. Obviously, Congress did not
intend to exclude plants such as the dahlia, peony and others, as
evidenced from the excerpt in the Committee report above quoted, and
whether the matter of the production of a new dahlia by
cross-pollination and tested out through the growth of the bulbs, can be
made to harmonize with the language of the law is the question. The
Committee report says that tubers mean only "Irish potatoes and
Jerusalem artichokes." It always occurred to me that the sweet-potato
is also a tuber, but the Committee report apparently attempts to exclude
it.

There are any number of interesting questions that occur to those of us
who are fortunate enough to have some knowledge of the law as well as a
few fundamental principles of horticulture, but in spite of whatever
weakness the law may or may not have, it is undoubtedly a step in the
right direction, and meets a long-felt want.

The Secretary of Agriculture said in his letter to the Committee:

"The proposed legislation would appear to be desirable and to lend
far-reaching encouragement to agriculture and benefit to the
general public."

Thomas A. Edison, who is also quoted in the Committee report, said:

"Nothing that Congress could do to help farming would be of greater
value and permanence than to give to the plant breeder the same
status as the mechanical and chemical inventors now have through
the patent law. There are but few plant breeders. This (the bill)
will, I feel sure, give us many Burbanks."

It is certainly to be hoped that many of those interested in northern
nut culture, as well as in fruits and ornamentals, will avail themselves
of the privileges of this bill to give us something better. We are not
satisfied with our varieties today and should not be. The greatest
problem in nut culture, as well as fruit and ornamentals, is th