52 The Pi.ant World. 



matter of the successful isolation and culture of "disease-produc- 

 ing bacteria. Today, as well brought out by the participants in 

 the symposium, it is understood that disease is exhibited through 

 abnormal cellular activity and that its satisfactory study can 

 only be accomplished through a thorough knowledge of normal 

 physiology. As to disease resistance, it has become apparent 

 that true resistance is a matter of inheritance and that its pro- 

 duction requires practical application of the principles of selec- 

 tion, variation, mutation, etc. The broader conception of plant 

 pathology is thus seen to involve problems of cytology, effects 

 of mineral food, action of enzymes, the chemistry of specific 

 remedies and reactions, the arts of plant culture, the influence 

 of climatic factors, and the special physiology of both host and 

 parasite. It may well be that no single investigator has beenorwill 

 be able to compass the field thus open, but it is well that such a 

 survey of its boundaries has been made. 



In continuation of the notable History of Botany by Sachs, 

 Professor Reynolds Green, of Cambridge, has essayed the oner- 

 ous task of using the concave mirror to visualize in condensed 

 form the progress of botanical science during the latter half of 

 the century ending in 1900. The leading memoirs have been 

 selected to show the main trend of research, with but little atten- 

 tion to the intensive and reduplicating studies which absorb the 

 activities of so many laboratories. Also, the Atlantic is wide 

 and many sights and sounds familiar to the American make but 

 little impression on the farther shore. 



The departures in botanical science are not all attributable 

 to botanists, and the list of names cited for accomplishments, a 

 few of which are clearly trivial or incidental, includes Atkinson, 

 Brewer and Watson, Britton and Brown, Campbell, Chamberlain, 

 Chittenden, Copeland, Draper, Farlow, Fontaine, Golden, Gray, 

 Harper, Jeffrey, Johnson, MacDougal, MacMillan, Newcombe, 

 Osborne, Overton, Peirce, Sargent, Spalding, Ward (L), Webber 

 and Wieland. 



That this list would not agree with the results of Professor 

 Cattell's recently compiled statistics of the standing of American 

 men of science goes without saying. One might be compared to 

 the "Blue Book" of New York, and the other to "Who's Who 

 in New York." 



