364 Chief of a Laboratory of Plant Pathology 



ties and stocks resistant to disease, and for the investigation of 

 the physiological principles underlying plant breeding." **^ In 

 1898, when the Secretary of Agriculture approved $12,000 for 

 the study of tobacco problems, Woods called on Smith, if he 

 could find time, to prepare " a brief article of four or five hundred 

 words stating what [was] known of the relation of bacteria to 

 the fermentation and curing of the tobacco leaf " in compliance 

 with a request from Orange Judd of the American Agricultunst 

 and Neiv England Fanner. 



Smith's estimates of monetary losses suffered by different regions 

 from crop diseases always proved helpful in convincing Congress- 

 men and the public why appropriations for the Bureau of Plant 

 Industry should be increased. The losses were enormous and the 

 work's value obvious. Especially plain was the urgent need of 

 more research. At one time he estimated that losses in the west 

 during two seasons from sugar beet diseases had been more than 

 a million dollars. He ardently worked for the passage of a bill 

 in Congress which would increase appropriations sufficiently to 

 permit further study of the Michigan little peach disease. Special 

 investigations were still wanted for peach yellows, bitter rot of 

 apple, and other diseases of orchard, field, and garden crops. 



Since 1897-1898, appropriations for the Department of Agri- 

 culture had steadily been increased. That year the figure was 

 $3,182,902. In 1898-1899, the total sum was augmented by 

 $326,300; in 1899-1900, by $216,820; in 1900-1901, by $297,478; 

 and by 1901-1902, by $558,920, until the allowance was $4,582,420. 



September 12, 1901, Woods wrote Smith, then at Woods Hole: 



The new laboratory building is very nearly completed and we expect to 

 get into it at an early day. . . . The estimates are in and we have asked in 

 them for about $125,000. It may be we can get it up to $143,000. This 

 is what I want and what I think from developments last year, we will cer- 

 tainly get, — possibly an even $150,000. 



Webber is having great luck with his cotton, — has one of the finest long 

 staple uplands in existence. Orton's resistant cotton is resistant again this 

 year. He has a resistant cowpea and Webber has found that the cowpea 

 resistant to wilt is also resistant to Nematode. This is fully as important, 

 as the cowpea cannot be used in the peach orchards in the south, you know, 

 on account of the danger from Nematode to which the cowpeas are usually 



^^ Quotations and facts based on memoranda and letters found among Smith's 

 papers. 



