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City of New York to provide funds for research, particularly in 

 forestry and plant pathology. To mention only one of them, 

 there are, within the city limits over 8,000 acres of park lands, 

 largely covered with trees and shrubs, and the city owns over 

 1,100 square miles of water shed, also largely wooded. This 

 represents a forest nearly equal to the area of Long Island, and its 

 proper maintenance is of vital concern to the health and safety 

 of the city. Properly to care for this large forest, within and 

 without the city, requires the application of a knowledge of for- 

 estry and of plant diseases, and there are still baffling problems, 

 involving enormous financial loss, that cannot be solved because of 

 a lack of fundamental knowledge of plant pathology. 



Although it is provided, in our Agreement with the City, that 

 the members of the Botanic Garden staff shall engage in research, 

 " and that they shall labor to the best of their ability for the ad- 

 vancement of botanical science," our Trustees have never asked 

 the city to make any special appropriation for the purpose of 

 research. 



In 1 92 1 a gift to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden of $50,000 be- 

 came available for research in plant pathology. It was provided 

 that the principal of this gift should be expended over a period 

 of not less than four years. No provision, however, has been 

 made for the continuation of this work after the original fund 

 becomes exhausted. 



The investigations so far undertaken have been with special 

 reference to the fundamental problem of disease resistance. The 

 work of our agricultural colleges and experiment stations in com- 

 bating and eliminating the destructive diseases of crop plants, is 

 greatly hampered by the deficiencies of our knowledge of disease 

 resistance. Investigations along this line are not now adequately 

 provided for, here or elsewhere, and the Botanic Garden can 

 render no more important nor more needed service to botanical 

 research than by developing its work in this direction. Steps 

 should be taken at once to establish the work on a permanent basis, 

 and to extend it in scope so as to include all aspects of the problem. 

 Investigations in genetics, plant physiology, and other lines are also 

 now greatly hampered for lack of adequate funds. 



4. Experimental Plot and Nursery. — For investigations in dis- 



4 



