116 Phytojyathological Conference 



hand, a vigorous stand was made for the inclusion of cut flowers and 

 bulbs of the flowering kind, a matter which is likely to give some countries 

 a good deal of trouble. Finally, an important discussion took place 

 on the diseases for which inspection is to take place. A single certificate 

 of health was felt to be insufficient ; a list of diseases prepared by the 

 Conference too fruitful a subject for dispute ; and after a short debate 

 it was unanimously decided to leave each country to prepare its own 

 list of the diseases against which it wished to be protected. The pre- 

 paration of this list will be a matter of extreme difficulty, and may have 

 an important bearing on the nature of phytopathological research. 

 But the really important article is that which lays down the rules on 

 which the list is to be prepared. This article was drafted by a special 

 Sub-Committee though modifications were introduced when the report 

 was presented to the Committee and, as far as my recollection serves, 

 at the final sitting of the Conference. It prescribes that the list is to 

 be as restricted as possible, that no pests are to be included whose 

 host plant is not to be found in the country of destination, and that 

 the common pests whose distribution have been widespread in almost 

 every country for many years are to be excluded. This in itself would 

 be sufficient to keep the list from being unduly long, since few people 

 could be found who would object to the inclusion of such pests as could 

 properly fall within the category left open. But in order to emphasise 

 the limitations two further definitions were proposed. On the motion 

 of one of the Danish delegates it was decided that the pests must be 

 capable of being easily conveyed by living plants or parts of such plants, 

 and on the suggestion of one of the English delegates it was agreed 

 that the pests must be epidemic in character, and destructive or at 

 least injurious to the plant. It was explained that destructive meant 

 destructive to the life of the plant, and that injurious meant destructive 

 to the commercial value of the crop, or to that part of the plant for the 

 economic use of which the plant itself is cultivated. This article would 

 prevent such a pest as Nectria ditissima being included, though it 

 appeared on several of the provisional lists presented by delegates 

 present at the Conference, since it is not only of old standing and general 

 distribution but it cannot be said to be destructive to the tree or to the 

 crop it bears. There are plenty of apple trees in this and other countries, 

 which have been cankered for many years and yet continue to bear 

 a serviceable crop of fruit. 



The proposed Convention is not a very drastic affair, and it is quite 

 as likely to be attacked on the ground that it does not go far enough 



