526 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



He reviewed the present knowledge of rusts, paying particular atten- 

 tion to the work of Eriksson as well as of a number of investigators 

 who have studied heteroecious rusts. The probable nuni])er of species 

 of rusts which are more or less definitely known was estimated at one 

 thousand or more. Among the grass rusts no species attacks species 

 of grasses of more than one tril)e. Doubt was expressed as to the 

 accuracy of the mycoplasma theory of Eriksson. In conclusion the 

 possible lines of cytological investigations with the Uredinete Avere 



pointed out. 



Before another section of the Association B. T. Galloway outlined 

 the work of the Bureau of Plant Industry of this Department. Among 

 the investigations in vegetable pathology only one was mentioned, 

 that in selecting cotton resistant to the wilt, whereby the important 

 sea-island cotton industry has been reestablished. Investigations in 

 vegetable physiology were grouped under two heads: (1) Those relat- 

 ing to the food of plants, and (2) those relating to the improvement of 

 plants. Under the first head mention was made of the eii'orts to 

 increase the available nitrogen in the soil through the agency of nitro- 

 gen-collecting bacteria. The more general use of legumes has been 

 promoted, and new legumes have been introduced, together with the 

 micro-organisms necessary for their successful production. Among 

 the investigations for the improvement of plants those mentioned as 

 among the most important were in l)reeding and selection for special 

 qualities, such as in wheat for immunity to rusts and other diseases, 

 and in corn for increase of oil, starch, or nitrogen. The speaker 

 also called attention to the trial shipments of fruit for the opening 

 up of new markets and for the education of fruit growers in methods 

 of shipping. 



As was to be expected, the subject of plant breeding received much 

 attention at the various meetings of the botanists, and it was evident 

 that the matter was one of very live interest to a large contingent. 

 The Society of Plant Morphology and Physiology had arranged for a 

 discussion of MendeFs Law and its Bearings, to be led by L. H. 

 Bailey and H. J. Webber, In this Professor Bailey took up the sub- 

 ject of mutations and variations, outlining de Vries's investigations and 

 theories. Mutations were said to be fixed in their character from the 

 time of their appearance, while variations are more or less progressive. 

 Attention was called to the work of Mendel, which was highly com- 

 plimented as being an important factor in putting aside the former 

 idea that hybrids ai-e largely due to chance, and showing that, to a 

 certain extent at least, they are governed by certain fixed laws. The 

 recent studies of Mendel, de Vries, Correns, and others were said to 

 .show most emphatically that in the studies of hybridism the old taxo- 

 nomic idea of species must be abandoned. The practical benefit to be 

 obtained from the recent investigations in hybridity, so far as the 



