EXPERIMENT STATION REPORTS. 265 



The expenditure of only a little time lias been necessary to keep tliis 

 problem going. Kecords have been gathered at stated periods, — morn- 

 ing, noon, and night, and record sheets on the thermograph have been 

 changed weekly. This makes the second year that this problem has 

 been in force and we expect to send in a report for the second year in a 

 few weeks. The need of a soil temperature survey throughout the 

 country was first emphasized by members of the American Phytopatho- 

 logical Society in connection with perennation of pathogenic organisms. 

 Following these, others have become interested and now after three 

 years considerable data have been collected from the twenty-nine dif- 

 ferent stations. A general report can soon be expected. 



There is still that crowded condition in greenhouse and laboratory 

 that was noted in my previous reports. Something should be done as 

 soon as possible for such conditions retard and hold back much im- 

 portant work that is now being done, and put off to the unknown future 

 other problems that are pressing for immediate study. 



For your sympathy, cooperation, and willing assistance in all the 

 varied lines of plant physiological studies, I wish to extend to you my 

 many thanks. 



Very respectfully, 



E. P. HIBBARD, 

 Research Associate in Plant Physiology, 



Dr. E. A. Bessey, College. 



Dear Dr. Bessey: At your request I present the following report for 

 the year ending June 30, 1920. 



The personnel of the section has remained the same. During tlie 

 mouth of June, 1920, Mr. J. E. Kotila, who had been employed on a tem- 

 porary basis to investigate potato diseases at the Chatham sub-station, 

 was appointed on a full time basis to carrj^ on further investigations 

 on potato diseases. He went at once to the Chatham station and has in 

 progress numerous potato disease experiments. 



Adams 51). 



This project is entitled: "To determine with some plant pathogenes 

 of the Fungi Imperfecti, biological relations which may give a basis for 

 identification and classification as well as understanding of physiologi- 

 cal and life history problems. The Fungi Imperfecti form a group which 

 at present has no basis for classification other than a highly artificial 

 one. Attention will be concentrated on the section of the group repre- 

 sented by the genus Phoma and its close allies." 



The project is still in progress. Greatest attention is being concen- 

 trated upon the matter of technique. During the winter considerable 

 progress has been made through the use of experimental animals and 

 at present the precipitin reaction is being utilized as a means of diag- 

 nosis. 



The utilization of this latter method to replace the anaphylactic shock 

 method has been made necessary because of the intense reactions which 

 some experimental animals give on the primary injection. This type 

 of anaphylactic reaction, which is of the nature of that described by 

 Novy and DeKruif, has made it desirable to seek the more refined method. 



Attention is also being paid to the securing in pure culture of a large 

 number of organisms of the group. 



