VI. General Discussion 341 



of drains and there is much to be said for this. It is essential that the 

 mycologist should have a sympathetic attitude to the cultivator and 

 from his earliest stages contact with growing crops is essential. Intimate 

 crop knowledge is imperative, for too often it is complained that the 

 suggested remedies are worse than the disease. Treatment must be on 

 an economic basis. 



The teacher must possess a wide outlook so as to counteract the 

 tendency to segregation of knowledge which up to a point is necessary 

 to progress but dangerous if over-emphasised. There are bound to be the 

 teaching aspect, the research and the advisory branches but the teacher 

 himself must be sufficiently broad to give the students the necessary 

 comprehensive viewpoint. Often in the laboratory there is a false per- 

 spective and much time is wasted on labouring trivialities which should 

 be spent on big problems. Only crop and field experience enable one to 

 see things in their right proportions. 



A. D. Cotton {Ministry of Agriculture). 



I have been asked to describe briefly the kind of administrative 

 research which will be carried out in the Ministry's new laboratory at 

 Harpenden, for in future there will be two laboratories situated there, 

 the Institute of Plant Pathology controlled by the Lawes Trustees and 

 the Ministry's laboratory. The functions of the latter may be classified 

 under four headings. 



1. Intelligence. This mainly concerns the plant disease survey of 

 which one report has already been issued and one is now in the press. 

 This deals with the incidence and relative importance of pests., 

 primarily of agricultural plants but also of those affecting trees and 

 ornamental plants. Full records are kept and these will be available 

 to all interested. 



2. Advisory. This work entails a great amount of routine corre- 

 spondence but it is expected that this will be reduced when the new 

 leaflets are widely spread. It will also comprise the exhibition of 

 specimens, field demonstrations and propaganda. 



3. Administration. This work is often uncongenial to the scientific 

 man but it must be done. The regulations concern the practical grower 

 and they must be issued in consultation with him, the scientific man 

 safeguarding their accuracy to fact. Trade regulations must have the 

 support of the growers. 



4. Research. Often there are problems of immediate urgency such 



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