VI. General Discussion 343 



A. B. Bjruce {Ministry of Agriculture). 



It is essential that the research worker be assured of a reasonable 

 reward and I may perhaps indicate the scheme which has been formulated 

 by the Ministry to improve the prospects of those engaged in investigation. 

 A research service is to be formed analogous to the Civil Service which 

 will provide research scholarships and permanent posts with salaries 

 graded to a maximum of £800 per annum, above which would be the 

 directors of the institutes. Such a rising scale cannot ensure a Newton 

 or a Pasteur but it is a great improvement on past conditions and marks 

 a very definite victory for a state department wrestling with a reluctant 

 Treasury. There is further the guarantee of a pension and it is hoped 

 ultimately to extend such a scheme not only to research institutes 

 obtaining government grants but to advisory workers at agricultural 

 colleges. 



The Chairman (Professor F. Keeble) referred to the share Mr Bruce 

 had taken in winning this victory and the debt of gratitude owing to him. 



A. B. Bruce {Ministry of Agriculture) wished to associate with himself 

 Professor Keeble, Sir Daniel Hall and especially Mr Dale. 



H. V. Taylor {Ministry of Agriculture). 



The first thing the mycologist must do is to study the farmer and 

 grower, for unless he can appreciate their attitude, he is likely to possess 

 but little influence. I should also like to emphasise the value and necessity 

 of team work. For example 100,000 tons of potatoes were rotting in 

 Lincolnshire and the mycologist was called in and found bhght. But the 

 matter was not so simple, for the bacteriologist reported bacterial rot 

 following bhght. Again the weather was probably much to blame, for 

 the season had been very wet and the crop late and showing second 

 growth, which were physiological and meteorological matters. Team work 

 throwing light on the problem from many aspects is necessary if the 

 farmer is to be advised accurately. 



Regarding administrative problems the scientist is apt to overlook 

 just the points which the administrator insists upon and any regulations 

 issued must not only have a scientific basis, but be economically sound 

 and applicable on a practical scale. In my opinion there is little hope 

 for any real progress in mycological applications until satisfactory team 

 work is carried out. 



A. B. Lister {Lea Valley Experimental Station) spoke as an advisory 

 officer attached to a Research Station rather than as a specialised 



