Document oepxQZKZmRgn5mDJRMm7MXk9w

June 3, 1935 Dr. W. A. Ruth Department of Horticulture University of Illinois Urbana, Illinois My dear Dr. Ruth: I have before me your letter of June first and also your earlier communication enclosing a copy of your letter to Mr. Overley of Washington State College. I have talked the matter over with Mr. Dutton and one or two other members of our staff. We think that, in general, the idea of trying to get a research project of the type outlined undertaken by an agency such as you suggest is a good one. I am a little afraid, however that the scale on which you propose to work is hardly adequate. Unless an experiment of this kind is conducted on a comprehensive scale and in such a way that it is more or less foolproof and criticism-proof, it won't make a dent in the situation. I think it is one of those cases where it is better either to make a killing or to do nothing at all. Instead of three people under test, there should be fifteen or twenty. Furthermore, it might be desirable to secure the cooperation of a committee representing the American Medical Association, both in planning the experiment and in judging and evaluating the re sults. I realize that this will add substantially to the expense, but if all that is contemplated is just a simple ,,test with three or four people involved, the results obtained, regardless of their nature will not make very much of an im pression on the medical world or on enforcement and regulatory agencies. I am not making these statements for the purpose of throwing any cold water on the scheme. The scheme is all right. The proposed scale, however,, is entirely inadequate. With best regards, I am Yours very truly, JT - 0003549 V. R. Gardner (Signed) V. R. Ga.rdner, Director of Experiment Station N9751