168 Keport of the Botanist of the 



INTRODUCTION. 



In the season of 1S09 this Station, in cooperation with the 

 Eastern New York Horticultural Society, made a fruit disease 

 survey of the Hudson Valley. The report^ on that work was 

 published as Bulletin 167. Although, in, some respects, the sea- 

 son was unfavorable for such an investigation, the results of the 

 survey were so satisfactory that it was decided to make a similar 

 survey of Western New York in 190O. 



The two seasons' experience convinces us that the plant-disease 

 survey, properly conducted, is profitable work for an experiment 

 station botanist, for the following reasons: (1) It brings the 

 station into closer acquaintance with the farmers of the State, 

 and this is beneficial both to the farmers and to the station. 

 (2) It brings the station officer engaged in the survey into closer 

 acquaintance with the agriculture of the State, with its methods 

 and its needs. Information of this nature greatly increases the 

 efficiency of the station botanist possessing it. He learns what 

 pathological problems most need solution and gets suggestions as 

 to the best means of solving them. He also learns to distinguish 

 between practical and impractical remedies. The ultimate aim 

 of the investigator of plant diseases should be the discovery of 

 practical remedies for them^ and this end can not be attained 

 unless the investigator has some knowledge of agricultural prac- 

 tice—the more the better. (3) The survey work familiarizes the 

 investigator with the behavior of plant diseases in the field. 

 Field observations serve to check up the results obtained from 

 laboratory study. They also furnish information which is of 

 great value in answering correspondence pertaining to plant dis- 

 eases. Such correspondence is an important part of the work ot 

 a station botanist, and in order that he may answer the inquiries 

 in the most satisfactory manner he should know what diseases 

 occur in his State, the amount of damage usually done by them, 

 their symptoms and how they are affected by soil, climatic, and 

 other conditions. (4) Such a survey is certain to bring out some 



^Stewart, F. C, & Blodgett, F. H. A Fruit-Disoase Survey of the 

 Hudson Valley in 1899. N. Y. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bui. 167. 



