138 



Society has not only witnessed niucli 

 scientific liistory but has helped to 

 make it. Like plant pathology itself, the 

 Society was born of need. Grave prob- 

 lems required solution, and although 

 the dollar sign was on many of them, 

 the dollar was only a symbol of a 

 surer and better life. The pioneers had 

 but few dollars for their work, so they 

 borrowed "e pluribus unum" from the 

 dollar to help their dollars do more 

 work. The demands on plant pathology 

 have become so varied and diverse that 

 manifold intellectual attainments and 

 diverse skills are required to meet them. 

 But there is a unity ... in the purpose 

 to solve practical problems and to con- 

 tribute to human enlightenment. The 

 American Phytopathological Societ\', 

 model of efficiency in democracy, is a 

 powerful synergistic system in further- 

 ing that purpose. 



Plant pathology has helped reveal 



LOWER PLANTS, DISEASES, AND MEDICINE 



profound and useful truths. It was 

 among the pioneers in revealing the 

 vast and variable world of micro-organ- 

 isms and in identifying man's friends 

 and foes amongst them. It has rendered 

 similar services in the vastly significant 

 field of virology, with its ramifications 

 and applications to plants, animals, and 

 humans. And it has helped elucidate 

 the role of chemical micro-elements in 

 the health and diseases of plants. It 

 has not only helped man solve many of 

 his most basic problems, but it has 

 helped illuminate his intellect and ex- 

 pand his intellectual horizons; it has 

 helped man to comprehend infinity in 

 minuteness as he had begun to compre- 

 hend infinite magnitude. Plant pa- 

 thology has helped to satisfy man's 

 hunger for good and his thirst for 

 knowledge. And is not that reason for 

 pride? May there ever be reason for 

 more and greater pride! 



QUESTIONS 



1. Why should anyone worry about the 

 fact that plants can become sick? 



2. What connection is there between 

 overpopulation of people in the world 

 and the work of the plant pathologists? 



3. Are plant diseases of ancient origin or 

 are they the result of soil depletion and 



the use of chemical fertilizers as some 

 "organic gardeners" claim? Explain. 



4. What possible connection could there 

 be between wheat rust and the bar- 

 berry? 



5. What plant disease was so severe that 

 a political upheaval resulted? Explain. 



