
47 
sory Committee on Industrial Research of the National Research 
Commoll held in New York last May: 
. the real work of organization and research must be 
done iy men who make it the whole business of their lives. It 
cannot be successful if parceled out among a lot of universities 
and colleges to be done by teachers however eminent and stu- 
dents however zealous in their leisure hours. The other thing 
is that while the solution of specific industrial problems and the 
attainment of specific industrial objects will be of immense value, 
the whole system will dry up, and fail unless research in pure 
science be included with its scope. That is the source and the 
chief source of the vision which incidentally solves the practical 
problems.” 
One can hardly overestimate the importance of promoting bot- 
anical investigation by the endowment of research positions, and 
by providing for publishing, disseminating, and popularizing the 
results of research. I feel that the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is 
now at a critical stage of its development with reference to this 
particular work. Steps should be taken as soon as possible for 
the establishment of several research curatorships, with the nec- 
essary assistants and equipment, and provisions for publishing 
the results of research. 
Among the positions that should be created and filled are the 
following : 
1. Curator of plant pathology, 
2. Curator of the herbarium, 
3. Curator of plant physiology, 
4. Curator of soils. 
The study of plant pathology would be greatly facilitated if 
there existed, in this country, a central supply bureau for pure 
cultures of the organisms (fungi and bacteria) that cause plant 
diseases. Such centers for organisms causing human disease 
are now in existence in this and other countries, and have been 
of very great service. By undertaking a work of this sort the 
Botanic Garden would not only benefit personally, but would 
render a valuable service to botanical science throughout the 
United States. The work could be carried on in connection with 
a curatorship of bacteriology or of plant diseases. The cost 

