Fungous Dishashs of Plants, Pf.ach Yhli.ows 169 



fessor, " you will find no further interruptions, but that your efforts 

 to get at the bottom facts of this mysterious scourge may meet 

 with complete success." 



On October 1 "S Spalding wrote: " I hope you will keep on with 

 the 'yellows' though it would be a gratification to have you 

 working here again." He was proud of his class of four students 

 studying fungi and twenty-six students in biology and advanced 

 Work. Smith and he exchanged some letters concerning a spot 

 disease of quince leaves. But the most important question in need 

 of immediate settlement was: how was Smith to complete his 

 work, already stafted, toward getting his doctorate in science at 

 the Universit)' of Michigan.^ In his preliminary report on peach 

 yellows he had described what investigations remained uncom- 

 pleted. He applied to the university faculty for permission to 

 combine the work toward his doctorate with this which was now 

 tantamount to an outline of his plans for the work of his new 

 commission. On Noverber 9, 1888, Alexander Winchell, professor 

 of geology and palaeontology, notified him that the faculty unani- 

 mously had granted him "permission to study in absentia." 

 Spalding's letter of three days before explained more fully. It 

 read: 



Your letter came yesterday, just before faculty meeting. Dr. "Winchell 

 presented your case and after some explanation on my part as to the neces- 

 sity of your having an opportunity to conduct the investigation in the field 

 and to do a portion at least of the work in Washington, the faculty voted 

 to permit you to go on with the work /;; absejjtia and to present yourself 

 for examination in June next. 



At the same time the feeling was expressed that it was desirable for you 

 to do a portion of the work if possible here, and from what you had 

 written I took the responsibility of saying that you would work here a part 

 of the year if you could. So the matter is left with you, but if things shape 

 so that you can be here for a semester, or for some time, it will be agree- 

 able to the wishes of tlie faculty. They are disposed to give you every 

 chance, but at the same time to hold to the principle that it is best in 

 almost all cases for the candidate to be on the groimd. 



Now about the book. "We must go through with it and we shall find no 

 better time if we wait ten years. Let us make a break and do it even if we 

 come far short of our ideal. Even such a little book as Winter's, if illus- 

 trated and brought down to the times and with the ideas of Bekampfung 

 worked in, would be far better than to leave the thing any longer. Now 

 I propose this — My class will be working (I think) a good part of the 

 year on Peronosporeae, Ured'tneae, and Ustilaghieae. I ivill xvrite up those 



