322 PROCEEDINGS OF THE OHIO ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



to year. The methods of the breeder are being used also by 

 plant pathologists in securing resistant varieties. Individual se- 

 lection, followed by pedigree cultures, must yet prove invaluable 

 in this respect. The application of breeding methods in securing 

 plants adapted to certain climates has recently reached valuable 

 results. In short, breeding offers profitable employment for skill 

 of the highest order; and it seems that we are to produce in the 

 future, and often on short notice, all that can be desired in way 

 of imj)roved plants and plant ])roducts. 



PATHOLOGY 



Plant diseases have been recognized for centuries ; but their 

 study followed animal pathology and bacteriology, and plant 

 pathology is one of the newest sciences. Bacterial diseases of 

 plants were not recognized generally until the beginning of our 

 period ; but bacteriological animal pathology was then beginning 

 to lay the foundation for the technique of plant pathology in 

 general. The technique of studying fungi in relation to plant 

 diseases has been developed during our quarter-century, though 

 there was, during the preceding decade, some laboratory study 

 ■of causal organisms from the pathological i)oint of \iew. At this 

 time, little was known of resistance and immunity, and agricul- 

 turists and horticulturists gave practically no atttention to dis- 

 eases. The American texts on plant pathology all belong to our 

 period, while the better ones are very recent. 



The section of mycology of the United States Dej^artment 

 of Agriculture was established in 1885, and several state ex- 

 perimental stations followed within a year or two. The system- 

 atic study of plant diseases dates from 1886. following shortly 

 the establishment of the first agricultural exi)erimental station at 

 Geneva, New York. Some ])a])ers had a])])eared earlier, but 

 there was no organized movement. l>efore 1890, few American 

 workers were giving attention to plant j^athology. Though more 

 than one hundred plant diseases were known, few people were 

 interested in the subject or thought it of practical value. From 

 the beginning of our period to the ]M'esent time, interest has 

 -grown mitil hundreds of ])lant pathologists and manv thousands 



