162 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



May 27, 1911. 



forms are clearly set forth. This gave a great stimulus 

 to many investigators, .so that during the subsequent 

 thirtj'yearsan immense mass of information was accumu- 

 lated both in connexion with the life-histories and path- 

 ological importance of many species and with their 

 systematic classification and the nature of their repro- 

 ductive airangemeiits. It should, however, be borne in 

 mind that practically the whole of the work was car- 

 ried out by private individuals, either working in their 

 own laboratories or m those of various universities and 

 academic institutions throughout the world. As a con- 

 sequence of this, the information obtained was only 

 available, through the medium of the more advanced 

 teaching establishments or of the universities, to those 

 engaged in the study of Natural Science, and its impor- 

 tance from a much wider agricultural point of view 

 was not fully recognized. Along with this develop- 

 ment in the knowledge of their parasites went a very 

 rapid increase in the understanding of the nature of 

 plants themselves, so that by about the year 1880 there 

 were accumulated large stores of knowledge available 

 for the right direction of a campaign against plant 

 diseases. 



Once the information had been obtained, the next 

 step from the agricultural standpoint was to render 

 it useful to the planting community. This was done 

 by the recognition by Governments of the importance 

 of the work that could be performed. In England 

 such recognition consisted for a long time of the 

 employment <if a research mycologist on the Staff 

 of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. One of the 

 first countries in which prominence was given by the 

 Government to the practical application of mycological 

 knowledge would appear to have been the United 

 States. For the last thirty years this country has been 

 employing an ever increasing number of plant path- 

 ologists in connexion with the Department of Agri- 

 culture of the Federal Government: while at the pres- 

 ent time almost every State Experiment Station, sup- 

 ported largely from the funds of that State, has one or 

 more mycologists on its staff 



When the Imperial Dejiartment of Agriculture 

 was founded in 1898, it soon became evident that 

 officers capable of dealing with the pests and diseases 

 of plants were urgently needed, and this was well 

 emphasized by the prevalent diseases of the sugar- 

 cane. About the same time it became necessary to 

 appoint a mycologist on the Staff of the Royal Botanic 

 Gardens at Peradeniya in Ceylon, and at the present time 

 almost every (iovernment Department of Agriculture 

 in the British Empire employs one or more such 



officers. In India, not only is there an Imperial Mycolo- 

 gist to the Government of India, aided by an assistant 

 mycologist and several research students, but one at 

 least of the Presidencies, Madras, has its own officer. 

 Instances of the employment of Ciovernment Mycolo- 

 gists could be added from all parts of the world. 



These Departments of Agriculture bring about 

 the dissemination of what is known in connexion with 

 fungi in two ways. They work directly through the 

 associati(jn with planters of the scientific officers on 

 their starts, and indirectly by means of their publica- 

 tions: while at the same time, owing to their connexion 

 with the Government, they are able to introduce the 

 teaching of the requisite scientific knowledge into the 

 curricula of the schools. This last point serves to 

 emphasize the importan'.'o that attaches to the con- 

 nexion of scientific knowledge with so thorough an 

 instrument for inducing its spread as is provided in the 

 form of the various Governments. 



Further valuable assistance in the ])rotection of 

 plants from disease is rendered by Governmonts through 

 the legislation which they are empowered to enact. 

 Such legislation can prevent the importation, into any 

 given country, <jf diseases likely to cause serious damage 

 to its crops. At the same time it can enforce, if 

 necessary, the adoption of adequate measures for 

 eliminating or eradicating the more serious diseases 

 which do exist. In both these cases the technical 

 knowledge of the scientist is necessary, though this 

 alone is powerless without the aid of the Government 

 machinery for enl'orcing the necessary measures, and 

 without the general appreciation of the reasonableness 

 and wisdom of the measures on the jiait of the com- 

 munity. 



The recognition of the importance of mycology on 

 the part of Governments has been followed by similar 

 recognition on that of the general public. As a con- 

 se<juence of this, there exist to-day several associa- 

 tions of planters, and more than one private company 

 engaged in agriculture, who maintain a scientific staff", 

 including a plant pathologist, at their own expense. 

 The Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association may be 

 cited as an instance of this. Moreo\ er, the tendency on 

 the part ot private companies to employ their own 

 mycologists is distinctly increasing. This tendency, 

 although a step in the right direction, is not to be 

 advocated without qualification. There is consider- 

 able probability that the money necessary would be 

 much belter spent in contributing to the mainten- 

 ance of a Larger number of such officers on the 



