DEPARTMENT REPORTS. 171 



of high schools and others interested, the following collections: (1) 

 fifty important Michigan plant diseases; (2) one hundred kinds of seeds, 

 chiefly those found as contamination in seed sold in Michigan ; (3) 

 twenty-five specimens of common weeds, mounted with stiff cardboard 

 back and transparent cover. The time and labor expended in the prep- 

 aration of these are Avell spent as a contribution to the College's educa- 

 tional work in the State. 



The graduate students who have been majoring in botany have been 

 given practical problems to work out for their investigational work. 

 These have been as follows : R. W. Goss, ''The Fusarium Wilt of the Po- 

 tato" ; S. P. Doolittle, "Cucumber Scab" ; W. S. Beach, "The Fusarium 

 Wilt of China Aster" ; G. R. Gage, "Cultural Experiments with Rust" ; 

 L, J. Krakover, "A Macrosporium Leaf-spot Disease of Clover." At 

 present M. T. Munn has nearly completed his work on a problem begun 

 at the New York Agricultural Experiment Station on "Neck-rot of 

 Onions." As a minor thesis problem Mr. Elmer Brandes worked on the 

 Marsonina disease of lettuce. Other graduate problems undertaken but 

 not completed on account of the students leaving college for other posi- 

 tions were the Macrosporium Leaf-spot of Melons, and the Septoria 

 Leaf-spot of Lettuce. As minor problems in plant physiology Mr. Har- 

 rington worked on the determination of osmotic pressures in plant 

 pulps by the freezing point method and Mr. O. M. Gruzit on the effect 

 of deficiency of certain salts on the photosynthetic and other processes 

 of plants. 



As in previous years the organization of advanced students in botany 

 known as the Botanical Seminar held its regular bi-weekly meetings. Ex- 

 aminations were held for admission to the organization, these being on 

 invitation and limited to advanced students whose previous -record in 

 botany was good. Following the precedent of the two previous years a 

 prominent botanist was brought in from outside to give a public ad- 

 dress. This year Dr. William Crocker, Professor of Plant Physiology at 

 the University of Chicago, spoke on "The History of our Present Knowl- 

 edge of Plant Nutrition." 



I must call attention to the crowded condition of the building and to 

 the lack of adequate greenhouse space. The proposition made several 

 times but not yet acted upon, to raise the roof so as to make a complete 

 third floor, would add nearly 30 per cent to the available laboratory 

 space and provide a laboratory for advanced students where they would 

 be free from interruption by freshmen. 



Respectfully, 

 ERNST A. BESSEY, 



Professor of Botany. 



East Lansing, Mich., June 30, 1916. 



President F. S. Kedzie: 



Dear Sir — I transmit herewith, as my report to the State Board of 

 Agriculture on the work of the Seed Laboratory, the accompanying re- 

 port by Miss Bertha A. Hollister, the State Seed Analyst. 



Very respectfully, 



ERNST A. BESSEY, 

 In charge of Seed Laboratory. 



