Studii;s on Crown Gall of Plants 449 



Minnesota alumnus who had taken a year's graduate work with 

 W^ird at the Ihiiversity of CaniLMidi;c, in addition to securing a 

 doctorate of philosophy from his alma mater, specialized in 

 plant pathology. In his Outline of the History of Phytopath- 

 ology:'" Dr. Whctzel has said, " The lirst distinct department of 

 plant pathology to be established, so far as I know, was the one 

 at Cornell University in the autumn of 1907. Shortly thereafter 

 (1909) the one at the University of Wisconsin, with Professor 

 Jones at its head, was announced." Whetzel, as also Jones, had 

 taught plant pathology before their respective departments were 

 established, Jones -ever since he had gone to the University of 

 Vermont and even more after his half year of study with Smith 

 in 1899. When the department of plant pathology was created 

 at Cornell University, Bailey was dean and director of the New 

 York State College of Agriculture of which the new unit became 

 a part. Whetzel as assistant professor, Donald Rcddick as instruc- 

 tor, and Mortier F. Barrus as an assistant comprised the depart- 

 ment. Whetzel immediately began consulting Smith. His first 

 letter thanked Smith for some cultures of B. mnylovorus and 

 suggestions as to culture media: 



I am inclined to think that so far as we are concerned we shall follow 

 your methods of making culture media since much of the work on the 

 cultural characters of bacteria causing plant diseases has been done in your 

 laboratory. Moreover, I find in attempting to follow the recommendations 

 of the American Public Health Association that they are more or less cum- 

 bersome and unsatisfactory as compared with the methods which you 

 recommend. 



I have a letter from my man Mr. Reddick saying that he has had the 

 pleasure of meeting you, and he has no doubt told you that I expect to be 

 in Washington next Saturday and Sunday and part of Monday. It is not 

 just the best time to be in Washington but seems to be the only time when 

 I can get away. I hope that I may have the pleasure of meeting you and 

 seeing your laboratories. 



Before going to Cornell University in 1902 to be an assistant 

 in George F. Atkinson's department of botany in the college of 

 arts and science, Whetzel had earned two degrees at Wabash 

 College, Crawfordsville, Indiana. His professor in botany had 

 been Mason B. Thomas who was also dean of the faculty there 



" Op. cit., 109. 



