192 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



REPORT OF THE P.OTANIHT. 



Director R. S. Shaw: 



Dear Sir — I submit herewith the followinc: report of the work of the 

 Botanical division for the 3^ear ending June 30, 1912. 



During tlie course of the past year. Dr. William H. Brown, Research 

 Assistant in Plant Physiology, resigned to take effect September 1, 1911, 

 having accepted a position in the Bureau of Science at Manila, P. I. 

 His place was filled by Dr. R. P. Hibbard, previously Botanist of the 

 Mississippi Experiment Station. This change, of necessity, interrupted 

 the work in plant physiology quite seriously but at present Dr. Hibbard 

 is very actively engaged in carrying on some very interesting experi- 

 ments which promise to be of great ultimate value. 



Professor Coons has been working on a certain type of apple canker 

 for his special topic but has been getting in touch with the plant disease 

 situation in all parts of the state, so far as jmssible. For this purpose, 

 he has made a number of trips into different regions. 



The equipment of the Botanical division has been very decidedly 

 added to by the purchase of three pieces of Freas Constant Temperature 

 apparatus, namely, drying oven, digester and water bath, in addition 

 to various electrical apparatus necessarj^ in the study of solutions. 

 Numerous books of value in the study of plant diseases and plant 

 physiology have been obtained from the Experiment Station library 

 fund as well as a few by direct purchase. 



It has been necessary for the Botanical division to overflow into the 

 hallway to place some of its apparatus and supplies, as well as to have 

 certain of the apparatus placed in the basement and the botanical 

 greenhouse. 



Examination of seed samples in accordance with the provisions of the 

 Pure Seed Law, has been carried on in the past year as in the previous 

 year, under the immediate supervision of Mr. Mancel T. Munn, who, 

 upon his graduation, accepted a position in the N. Y. Experiment Sta- 

 tion at Geneva, where he will have charge of the seed work. A bulletin 

 on the results of the seed examinations last year and this year is in 

 preparation. 



Respectfully submitted, 



ERNST A. BESSEY, 



Botanist. 



East Lansing, June 30, 1912. 



