2 GEORGE V. SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 A. 1912 



REPORT OF THE DOMINION BOTANIST 



H. T. GUSSOW. 



Ottawa, March 31, 1911. 



Dr. Wm. Saunders, C.M.G., 



Director, Dominion Experimental Farms, 

 Ottawa, Canada. 



Sir, — I have the honour to submit herewith the second Annual Report of the 

 Division of Botany. The report is divided into two parts (1), Diseases of plants, their 

 identification and methods of treatment, and (2), Agricultural botany, under which 

 division will be found accounts of work in connection with fodder and forage plants, 

 weeds, and poisonous or otherwise injurious plants. The work of the Division has 

 made active progress, the correspondence and inquiries dealt with having doubled 

 since the last report. The increasing number of the letters plainly shows that an 

 encouraging interest is being taken in the work by the farmers and fruit-growers of 

 the Dominion. 



I am able to report that, apart from the more common diseases attacking the 

 grain and potato crops, no serious epidemic has appeared. There are, however, some 

 specific diseases attacking the peach in the Niagara district, the rhubarb plant in the 

 western provinces, and apples and plums all over Canada, which have come under my 

 notice and which are being closely investigated. Satisfactory progress has also been 

 made concerning the study of the more common smut diseases affecting grain, 

 corn, millet, etc. It was found necessary to repeat a good deal of former work as 

 there exists an unfortunate confusion as to the nature of attack and propagation of 

 the different smut fungi, and also as to their correct method of treatment. This kind 

 of work, requiring a whole season and longer for any reliable results to be obtained, 

 seemingly makes slow progress, but it is hoped that the coming year will permit of 

 collating valuable results, when they will be published. 



I here take an opportunity to acknowledge and thank my assistant, Mr. Herbert 

 Groh, B.S.A., and my secretary, Mr. Edward Lisle, for faithful and satisfactory ser- 

 vices rendered. It is with regret that I have to announce the resignation of Mr. Groh, 

 who has decided to go ' back to the land ' where I trust he will be as successful in 

 his work as he has been while connected with the Experimental Farm. 



Since the first of January, in compliance with tbe wish expressed by the Hon. 

 the Minister of Agriculture, I have taken over the control and management of the 

 Botanic Gardens and Arboretum. A long-felt want was supplied in the provision of 

 an experimental greenhouse for the carrying on of infection and other experiments 

 during the winter months, which has already been found of the great value claimed 

 for such facilities. 



I have been absent during two months from the Division of Botany on an official 

 visit to the west. This, being my first visit to the ' Great West,' has been found of 

 great value in making field observations and in becoming familiar with the general 

 conditions of the country. 



