104 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



diseases. One or more of these are to be found in operation in 

 most states at present I believe. They are : 



1. The maintenance by the State, through state appropria- 

 tions a/t the college of agriculture and the experiment station, of 

 an expert plant pathologist or botanist, together with one or 

 two assistants in each case and the necessary equipment for 

 laboratory work. 



2. Provision, also by state funds, to the college of agricul- 

 ture, for extension work among the farmers of the State. A 

 very small part of this fund was in our case available for pur- 

 poses of disseminating knowledge in regard to plant diseases 

 and their control. This work was mainly in the nature of short 

 ralks or lectures here and there about the State. In addition to 

 this some opportunity was afforded for similar extension work 

 in the farmers' institutes on funds appropriated to the State 

 Department of Agriculture. 



3. Provision for the inspection of fruit trees, chiefly nur- 

 sery stock, and the destruction of such as show serious infec- 

 tion by certain insects or fungi. This work in New York is 

 also supported by state appropriations to the State Department 

 of Agriculture. 



Your attention is directed to the fact that these different 

 means of attacking the problems of plant diseases and their 

 control are supported solely on state or federal appropriations. 



SOME OF THE PROBLEMS BEFORE US IN I907 TO WHICH THE 

 GROWERS WERE DEMANDING INSTANT ATTENTION. 



1. The black rot of grapes. In 1906 an epidemic of black 

 rot had resulted in an almost total loss of the crop in many 

 sections of the grape regions. The industry was threatened 

 and the discouraged growers cried loudly for help. 



2. Apple Scab and Bordeaux Injury. Ever since bordeaux 

 came into general use in the State for the control of apple scab 

 more or less injury to foliage and fruit had been reported. So 

 serious liad the matter become that in 1907 Professor Hedrick, 

 Horticulturist of the State Experiment Station, issued an ex- 

 tensive bulletin CNo. 287) giving a summary of the known facts 

 and the results of his observations on this problem. No satis- 

 factory solution of the difficulty, however, was offered and by 



