"The second method of prevention I mentioned was seed treat- 

 ment. We got our hint of spraying from France; That of seed treat- 

 ment came from Denmark. Seed treatment proves of valu Ly in 



those cases, chiefly with the smuts, in which the germs thai secure 

 infection arc earned on the seed. To a lesser extent, perhaps many 

 troubles are started partially by spores adhering to the seed. Seed 

 treatment, also, usually hastens germination. Perhaps the day will 

 come when we will generally select and treat our seed, fumigate our 

 stock and destroy our rubbish, but it is certainly not here now. 



"In the treatment of soil for prevention of disease perhaps if the 

 work could be made practical and efficient it would probably lessen 

 many of our serious fungous troubles. But the difficulty lies in mak- 

 ing it t'it her efficient or practical. The fourth method employed to 

 fight the ubiquitous fungus is plant selection or breeding. -Nature 

 apparently has often found this a successful way of warding oil' attacks ; 

 at least we find that then' is a great difference in the susceptibility to 

 attack in different varieties. Any greenhouse man knows that all 

 varieties of carnations and chrysanthemums do not rust with the same 

 readiness, though he no doubt often wishes this difference was more 

 marked than it really is. There are a number of difficulties to be 

 encountered in problems of this kind. In the first place it is evidently 

 applicable only for troubles that are persistently injurious. Then it 

 also means work that in most cases must run over a series of years be- 

 fore reliable results can be obtained. Where crossing is employed to 

 breed up new varieties there is the clanger of losing desirable qualities 

 or of introducing those that are undesirable. Finally failure is as likely 

 to be the reward for one's effort as success. 



" During the past four or five years mycologists have had under 

 consideration a great variety of diseases of plants, and considerable 

 progress has been made in clearing up life histories." Prominent 

 among these problems is that relating to Slime Moulds, also Bacteria : 

 "Thread" fungi, or Phycomycetes ; Smuts, or Ustilaginese ; Rusts, or 

 Uredinea; ; Sac fungi, or Ascomycetes ; Fungi imperfecti and Fleshy 

 fungi, or Hymcnomycetes, each of which subject Dr. Clinton considered 

 briefly yet helpfully, giving many excellent hints regarding their char- 

 acter and treatment. He touched upon the work of the great students 

 of these matters and their discoveries and theories. 



In closing Dr. Clinton said : 



" I have thus briefly outlined the work that has been done and 

 is being done by mycologists in this country. As to the outlook for 

 the future, I care not to predict. It seems, however, that we have no 

 need to complain of lack of teachers or investigators. Facilities for 

 investigation and especially for the publication of results are fairly 

 adequate. We are turning out enough literature to satisfy even the 

 most rabid. Apparently what we need most of all is more method in 

 our work and higher standards in its execution." 



The preceding article although written for American Horticul- 

 turists is full of interest for West Indians also, especially so_ as the 

 fungi arc more numerous and destructive in the Tropics than in tem- 

 perate climates. Few people suspect that the destruction of Forest 

 trees is oftener due to microscopic fungi than to any other cause. That 

 the destruction of their house timbers, so long attributed to the wood- 



