PLANT PATHOLOGY. 



The work of the Department of Plant Pathology during the past 

 year has been conducted along two general lines : teaching and in- 

 vestigation. 



I. Teaching Work. 



The teaching has been of two general types : student instruction 

 in the College of Agriculture, and extension teaching among the 

 people of the State. 



Student Instruction. — The course in plant pathology was offered 

 for the first time this year in the College of Agriculture. Thirty- 

 one students took this course. Although the accommodations in 

 the lowest basement of the dairy building, where the work was 

 given, w^ere not of the best, the students nevertheless manifested 

 an excellent interest and the work was satisfactory. A course in 

 farm botany and one in plant diseases was given to the winter- 

 course students. Thirty-four students took work in these two 

 courses, There were, besides these, several graduate and special 

 students doing work in the department. Considering the facts that 

 the department had no permanent laboratories or accommodations 

 of its own, and that the equipment for the work was entirely in- 

 adequate, the teaching work accomplished during the first year 

 was quite encouraging. 



The extension teaching has been mainly of three sorts: first, cor- 

 respondence with farmers of the State, chiefly in regard to plant 

 diseases and their control. This has been greatly stimulated and 

 extended by means of the disease survey work conducted in co- 

 operation with the Bureau of Plant Industry of the United States 

 Department of Agriculture. A number of growers about the State 

 have consented to act regularly as plant-disease reporters from 

 their section, and contributed reports and specimens from time to 

 time during the past season. This promises to be one of the most 

 effective means of extension teaching in ])lant pathology. Second, 

 a number of talks, lectures and field demonstrations before farmers' 

 meetings of various kinds about the State have been given. Third, 

 the practice established last year of making plant-disease exhibits 

 at fairs about the State has been continued and extended. Ex- 

 hil)its were made at five fairs, including the State fair. There were 

 several rec|uests from other fair associations for an exhibit. These 



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