184 Investigations in Plant Pathology 



and other fungicides, germicides, a powder recommended by local 

 individuals, and special substances were tried. Oidium, anthrac- 

 nose, and peronospora of the vine had been checked in Europe. 

 He saw no reason why with time and careful work this disease 

 also could not be understood as to cause and methods of prevention 

 and cure. He told Galloway: ^- 



Observations of value have been made relating to resistant stocks, and 

 this feature of the work will be continued. Yet from what is known it is 

 probable that Vinifera tops can not be maintained on native roots in this 

 region in the face of the present prevalence of the trouble. The variation 

 in the hardiness of varieties is evident and many notes are in hand on the 

 subject. The effects of grafting on stocks of perhaps twenty different 

 varieties have been recorded. I have noted the effects upon the raisin 

 when considered from a market stand-point, the loss in productiveness of 

 vines, etc. 



When M. B. Waite had arrived at Washington in the autumn 

 of 1888, he had found no laboratory equipment for research in 

 bacteriology in the quarters of the Section of Vegetable Pathology. 

 Further study of pear blight was contemplated. He gathered 

 together some equipment which could be spared from the labora- 

 tories of the Bureau of Animal Industry, and set up what he has 

 since described as " the first bacteriological laboratory for the 

 study of plant diseases at Washington or east of the Alleghany 

 Mountains." 



" When Smith came in from field work in the fall of 1889," 

 Waite has told/=^ 



he at once became interested in this bacteriological work and equipment. 

 He had read about these things, but had never had an opportunity to come 

 in contact with them, that is, with such problems as the making of cultures, 

 pouring of plates, isolation of organisms, sterilization and preparation 

 of culture media . . . Smith . . . was already becoming somewhat dis- 

 couraged by his inability to find any causal organism [of peach yellows}. 

 He said repeatedly that he envied me in that I had a specific disease widi 

 a disease-producing organism to work on — one that I could see with the 

 microscope, and cultivate, propagate, and inoculate and study. He stated 

 several times publicly that he watched the work with intense interest. 

 What started him was the desire to hunt for bacteria as the cause of peach 

 yellows, so he made up some culture media, including some neutral peach- 

 twig infusions. 



'" Op. at.. All. 



^^ Memorandum approved also by A. F. Woods of the Department. 



