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to time demanded from the curator of this section is becoming with every year a more prominent feature and letters, requesting such information, either private or official have steadily increased in number. The characters of the questions asked are either of botanical, chemical pharmaceutical or general medical interest and, in some cases, have little apparent relation to a department of materia medica. Many inquiries to be properly answered, require investigation and much time is, therefore, consumed in this part of the work. Tow or three examples in the form of abstracts form a few of the more typical letters which were received ad answered, will perhaps best illustrate the character and extent of this kind of work: -
   On August 25th 1886, eight numbered specimens of mustard seed were recieved from John W. Schwaner of Guide Rock, Nebraska