300 Recognition in America 



ment of Biology of the University of Rochester, endorsed him for 

 the position. 



On November 8, 1897, Smith's salary as an expert assistant in 

 the Division of Vegetable Physiology and Pathology was raised 

 from $1,800 to $2,000 per annum. He remained with the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture not alone because of the salary-increase but 

 because he believed that by staying he could accomplish " the 

 greatest good to the greatest number." ^^ The laboratory facilities, 

 good comradeship, and scientific inspiration in the Department of 

 Agriculture were still attractive to him. 



Director Jordan asked Smith concerning the merits of two other 

 workers in the Department, but finally chose to " select a pro- 

 mising young man " for the work. " What is your opinion of 

 Stewart," he said, " not of what he has done, but what he may be 

 able to do.-^ " 



On September 7, 1895, Fred Carlton Stewart, botanist since 

 December 1, 1894, at the Geneva station, and whose work until 

 about 1898 was mainly at Jamaica, New York, had written Smith: 



At Springfield I heard your paper on the bacterial disease of tomatoes, 

 potatoes, etc. You were on the program for another paper on Fusarium 

 wilts but I did not hear that one. From this I learn that you have been 

 giving a good deal of attention to wilt diseases, hence I write you about a 

 potato wilt. 



He described the disease found abundantly in southeast New 

 York, and asked Smith his opinion as to its cause. He was an 

 advanced graduate in science (1892-1894) at Iowa Agricultural 

 College. Early in 1893 Galloway had consulted Pammel to recom- 

 mend someone to take Fairchild's place when the latter had gone 

 to Europe. President W. M. Beardshear and Pammel recom- 

 mended Stewart as one of their " very best graduates [and] well 

 informed in regard to fungi, and botany in general as well as 

 horticulture," He wanted " a place where [he could] give [his] 

 entire attention to botany." His " considerable training in physio- 

 logical botany " made him " a very desirable man " for the 

 position in Washington. But several men were considered for the 

 place, and from them Secretary Morton chose Woods. Stewart, 

 meanwhile, had matriculated at Harvard for advanced study under 



^^ Letter, Jordan to Smith, November 8, but obviously a reference to what Smith 

 himself had said. Other letters from Jordan to Smith were on November 19, 29. 



