165 



and tlie following year secured the Bristol B.Sc. degree for 

 researcli iu the same science. From that period liis studies and 

 inclinations lay chiefly in the direction of mycology. 



For some time previously his preference for this branch of 

 botanical .science had been fostered by close connection with 

 work on various micro-organisms in progress at the National 

 Fruit and Cider Institute, Long Ashton, near Bristol. The 

 association of that institution with Bristol University was then 

 under consideration, and shortly afterwards it was attached to 

 the University to serve as the Agricultural and Horticultural 

 Research Station for the West of England. Financed by the 

 Board of Agriculture and Fisheries with the aid of grants from 

 the Development Fund, the station was immediately considerably 

 extended and its scope of work widened to include the subject 



of the treatment of plant diseases. Lechmere therefore resolved 



to concentrate on the study of plant pathology and proceeded 

 to qualify for an appointment on the staff there as mycologist. 



With that object he went to France after taking his Bristol 

 degree, entered the University of Paris and studied mycology 

 under Professor Mangin at the Cryptogam ic and General 

 Pathology Laboratory of the Pasteur Institute. Before the end 

 of his first year in Paris an opportunity of widening his train- 

 ing in preparation for his life-work was afforded by the grant 

 of a Research Scholarship by the Board of Agriculture and 

 Fisheries for a period of three years. It was characteristic of 

 his high ideals as to the thoroughness of preparation needed for 

 scientific investigation that he chose to continue his pursuit ot 

 knowledge in the capacity of a student for the three following 

 years rather than accept the post which was already open to 

 him. The first year of his scholarship was spent in Paris to 

 complete the course which he had originally mapped out for 

 himself and at its conclusion he was awarded the decree of 

 Doctor of Science of that University. The remaining period 

 of his scholarship was passed, first in London at the Imperial 

 College of Science, and subsequently at Munich in Professor 

 von Tubeuf's laboratory. 



His appointment as mycologist at the Long Ashton Research 

 Station was dated to start on September, 11)14, and it was his 

 intention to leave Germany the previous month. The threaten- 

 ing nature of European affairs caused him to hasten his depar- 

 ture; but events moved too rapidlv and he failed to reach the 

 German frontier at Lake Constance until twenty-four hours 

 after the last British civilians were permitted to leave. He 

 was for a short time detained in the neighbourhood then thrown 

 into prison temporarily and subsequently transferred to the salt 

 mines in Bavaria, where he was incarcerated until XoveniWr 

 of the first year of hostilities. There he suffered the severest 

 hardships, accentuated by serious illness, and there is little 

 doubt that this portion of his internment was largely respon- 

 sible for the undermining of a constitution which was never of 

 the best. From the salt mines he was sent to Euhleben. In 

 spite of the rigour of the conditions in the race-course camp, 

 especially in the early days, the change was a welcome one 



