Or iiii; ScinNCi- oi Plam Hactiriolocv 297 



crops — rusts, smuts, mildews, and blii^ht," and Rurrill a course 

 in " Vegetable physiolot^y — life, nutrition, growth, and products 

 of plants." '"'' These, and otiier, similar courses added to plant 

 disease instruction, inaugurated some years earlier by Farlow, 

 Burrill, Rcssev, Arthur, Spalding, and others. 



Instruction in plant bacteriology still was not academically 

 recognized except in courses on plant diseases, in uistances such 

 as Russell's lectures, or as a minor part of courses on animal and 

 medical bacteriology. Examples must have been few, since trained 

 bacteriologists seldom knew about plants and their ills. But a 

 rising new generation of students was beginning to create a 

 demand sufficient for Smith to take cognizance of a need for a 

 book on plant bacterial diseases. 



Other brackets of Smith's " Memorandum of things to do " are 

 of interest: 



Work out Cotton, Watermelon, Okra, and Cowpea wilt and publish an 

 illustrated bulletin. (Publish a short note on the Nectriella this fall). 



Work out the Tomato blight and Potato blight and rot problems and 

 publish. 



Work up a big paper on Parasitic Alternarias — including mine on melon, 

 Galloway's on potato, Waldron's on squash, the one on tomatoes, on cotton, 

 etc. Go over whole subject, make cross- inoculations, and let some light 

 into this subject. ^*^ 



If any vitality is left, take up again the Peach Yellows problem. 



Smith might have carried out all of these resolutions had not 

 his other duties exacted so much study and diligent laboratory 

 investigation. To verify and, where necessary, extend the conclu- 

 sions of authors who had published on bacterial diseases of plants, 

 imposed a heavy responsibility, especially since these works formed 

 an important basis for his critiques of knowledge on the subject 

 for his series of articles in the American Naturalist. 



An important literature in laboratory technology had to be read, 

 and its methods applied. In 1895 George W. Fuller's report on 

 standard methods '"' for making and adjusting beef broth, the 





Exp. Sta. Record 4 (5): 451, Dec. 1892. 



Plant pathology: a retrospect and prospect, op. cil., 607. Smith mentioned 

 three species of Alternaria: Galloway's early blight of potatoes, Peglion's muskmelon 

 spot disease, and Dorsetts spot disease of violet (overcome later by breeding a 

 disease resistant variety). 



"' Agnes J. Quirk and Edna H. Fawcett, Hydrogen-ion concentration vs. titratable 

 acidity in culture mediums, Jour. Infectious Diseases 33(1): 1-59, and reprint. 

 " Historical," at pp. 2-3. Intro, by Smith. 



