146 
search in Plant Pathology, and the favorable location of the Gar- 
den to become a center of such work. 
In response to these statements, the late Mr. Alfred -T. White, 
“Father of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden,” held several confer- 
ences with the director, and expressed his lively interest in the 
development of research at the Garden, and his belief that it 
should be placed upon a firm financial foundation. The matter 
was also discussed several times by the Botanic Garden Govern- 
ing Committee. Under date of November 15, 1920, Mr. White, 
then Chairman, addressed to the Committee a letter, offering, on 
behalf of himself and two other friends of the Garden, “to pro- 
vide in the next four years; that is, 1921, 1922, 1923, and 1924, 
a total sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000), available for this 
new Department (i.e., Plant Pathology), payable, if needed, to 
the amount of $20,000 the first year, $15,000 the second, $10,000 
the third, and $5,000 the fourth. The object in naming the larger 
sums the first two years is to cover the costs of providing neces- 
sary equipment for this Department, which will be needed as soon 
as it is set up. . . . Some time before the close of the four years 
it is reasonable to hope that the City may enlarge its annual ap- 
propriation for the support of the Garden sufficiently to provide 
for this Department in later years.” 
In the same letter Mr. White also expressed the hope that the re- 
sults of the work would “so commend themselves as to enable us 
to secure from some of the Foundations a permanent endowment 
for this important Department. ‘I believe,’ he added, “ that the 
establishment of this Department will add both to the reputation 
and usefulness of the Garden.” 
This wise and generous gift made possible the creation of a re- 
search curatorship, and the appointment of the first incumbent, 
Dr. George M. Reed, of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, as 
Curator of Plant Pathology. 
The stimulus of this gift, and the new work made possible bv 
it, was felt in ali departments of the Garden, for nothing encour- 
ages a body of scientific workers more than the assurance that 
they have the understanding sympathy and support of a body of 
trustees. 
Mr. White’s gift also strengthened the Garden in numerous 
