REPORT OF THE SOCIETY 83 



The new quarters were situated on the main street of the town, in a large 

 office building, where space on an unfinished floor was secured and fitted 

 up in accordance with plans drawn up by the assistant in charge. The 

 laboratory consists of a large room (18 feet x 27 feet), well supplied with 

 water, electricity, and natural gas for heating and laboratory use. It is 

 fitted out with suitable furniture, work tables, drawers, and shelving, and a 

 small dark room for photographic purposes was built in one corner. The 

 equipment comprises such accessories as are needed for carrying on identi- 

 fication of diseases, fungus cultures, and photography, and a heated window 

 cabinet permits the growing of any small plants needed in experiments. A 

 projection lantern is also included, which is .arranged for the use of both 

 electricity and acetylene, and for the use of this lantern in lectures about 

 150 slides have been prepared to illustrate various diseases and their life 

 histories. 



During 1915 and 1916 the services of Mr. G. O. Madden, B.S.A., have 

 been of material assistance in carrying out the work of the laboratory. 



The work carried out in this station has from the beginning followed a 

 policy which includes three main features, viz. : — 



1. A general oversight of the Province with especial regard to fruit- 

 growing localities, in order to watch for the appearance of new diseases, and 

 to gather information concerning those already present. 



2. To give all possible assistance to the growers in the control of their 

 diseases. 



3. To conduct experiments which would enlarge our knowledge of 

 important diseases and establish adequate and practical means of control. 



Bringing the experimenter close to the farm or orchard has a number 

 of advantages. He is enabled to come into intimate and daily relationship 

 with the growers themselves; he obtains a first-hand knowledge, not only 

 of the diseases, but of the various local conditions which must be considered 

 in the problem of their control. The method also allows the student to 

 learn the life history and follow the course of development of diseases by daily 

 contact with them — a method far superior to the short and hurried yearly 

 trip to which necessity often restricted the early pathologists. In addition 

 materials for study are easily procurable in sufficient quantity and at the 

 required stages of development, and most of the experiments can be con- 

 ducted on the farms or in the orchards under actual commercial conditions. 

 Experimental work done in this way is not only very convincing to the 

 growers but it is often an incentive to them to carry out other experiments 

 of their own. In this connection it may be stated that the work of this 



