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II. THE TRAINING PROBLEM. 



By Professor V. H. BLACKMAN, Sc.D., F.R.S., 



Professor of Plant Physiology and Pathology in the Imperial 

 College of Science and Technology. 



On the principle that one must first catch one's student before one can 

 train him it is clear that the prospects and conditions of service in applied 

 mycological research must be such as to attract students possessing the 

 right qualities. Fortunately conditions in this respect are now much 

 more favourable than they used to be. Advance in the fundamental 

 knowledge which is the pre-requisite to rapid advance in practice can 

 only be attained by workers of high scientific calibre. As the type of 

 training given must bear some relation to the lines on which it is expected 

 that mycological research will advance, I can hardly help touching on 

 fields other than training. 



A wide outlook by the student is absolutely necessary, for plant 

 pathology touches botanical science at so many points. Early specialisa- 

 tion must be determinedly avoided. A general training in botany with 

 associated sciences such as is found in most university courses must be 

 the basis of work. This should be followed by special training in system- 

 atic mycology, special mycological technique, and plant pathology. 

 Although the student must have a knowledge of the chief groups of 

 fungi, it is impossible in my opinion that all plant pathologists should, 

 as I believe it has been suggested, be competent fungal systematists. 

 The time required to produce such a systematist is far too great, and 

 in general such a proficiency could only be attained at the expense of 

 a knowledge of other sides of the subject. 



The number of plant diseases is so large tliat a student during his 

 training cannot become acquainted with all of them. The most satis- 

 factory way is for the student* to gain a first hand knowledge of some of 

 the important diseases in each of the chief groups of fungi, and at the 

 same time to acquire such facility in the examination of diseased plants 

 as will enable him to determine exactly, or a])proxiraately, the causal 

 organism or will enable him to isolate the organism for future observation. 

 I may })erhaps be forgiven for j)oiniing out, what is really a commonplace 



