344 VI. General Discussion 



research worker. Generally speaking the practical man has a certain 

 contempt for the scientific man because in his experience the average 

 scientist knows little of plant culture under commercial conditions. 

 Practical experience is essential. No less important is compatibility 

 of temperament, for growers include all classes of men. An ideal scheme 

 of co-ordinated research would include central stations such as Rotham- 

 sted where fundamental principles could be elucidated : then smaller 

 sub-stations such as those in the Lea Valley and at East Mailing where 

 particular crop problems could be dealt with. These latter should each 

 have an advisory officer forming a connecting link between the growers 

 and laboratories. Purely administrative officials such as the Ministry's 

 inspector should also be in touch with some central or district laboratory. 

 In the past there has not been sufficient cooperation. The advisory 

 officer is comparable with the medical practitioner who is also medical 

 officer of health for his district, whilst the laboratory is akin to the 

 specialist. The fundamental problem in all advisory work is to gain the 

 confidence of the grower. Having this, experiments can often be carried 

 out in the actual nurseries under the most severe commercial conditions 

 and these are extremely valuable, not only to the particular grower but 

 to the industry as a whole. 



G. C. GouGH {Ministry of Agriculture). 



The inspector must learn his facts from the crop, for it is not infre- 

 quent that a laboratory recognition of a disease is useless in the field. 

 He must also possess much tact, for practical men are of all manners and 

 conditions and respond very differently. The administrative regulations 

 however apply to all growers and must therefore be simple and straight- 

 forward. They must also not be selective but treat all alike and this has 

 sometimes not been the case. It is essential that the formulation of such 

 orders be carried out by scientists in conference with field men, for 

 laboratory truths do not always hold in the field. For example many 

 "new'' diseases have been described by scientists but in every case it has 

 been found that these are really of old standing and widespread incidence 

 and that their "introduction" or "newness" is merely due to the fact 

 that they have been overlooked. 



W. F. Bewley {Lea Valley Experimental Station). 



The success in bridging the gap between the central research institute 

 and the grower def)ends upon the success of the sub-station, and the 

 success of the sub-station de])ends upon the scientific worker. The success 



