YR Wie 
eae eae 
s ‘ 1 aN 
52 ILLINOIS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 
where have departments wholly devoted to this branch of 
botany. Conclusive evidence to justify the formation and 
maintenance of these new departments at public expense is to 
be found in the results obtained by the corps of active prac- 
titioners associated with every experiment station. But to 
what extent has the great body of knowledge accumulated by 
the experts become effective in the practices of the average man 
engaged in growing plants? My observations in this particular 
field have been somewhat extensive, ranging from the large 
commercial nurseries to the back woods farmer. It has been 
found that the producer who treats his seed wheat for smut or 
his potatoes for scab, or who in any way modifies his practice 
to prevent the infection of his crops or to control the spread of 
contagious diseases is the very rare exception. The resultant 
losses are measured in hundreds of millions of dollars. 
In bacteriology the contrast between the valuable knowledge 
extant and the portion functioning among the people is greater 
than in any other field of botany. And since many of the edicts 
of the bacteriologists are laws of health nonconformance to 
them through ignorance is all the more disastrous. City 
ordinances calculated to protect public health are for the most 
part dead letter laws. No law can be inforced against an 
indifferent or antagonistic public opinion. Ignorance when not 
antagonistic is usually characterized by indifference. Instead 
of our public schools being places where specific and effective 
instruction is given on the nature and control of contagious 
diseases, they are more often places where contagious diseases 
are disseminated. Itis truly pathetic to hear well meaning 
parents rejoice because Willie got the whooping-cough or 
Johnie the mumps, measles, chicken pox, scarlet fever or what 
not, while he is young. Their theory is, and to our disgrace it 
is the prevailing theory among the masses, that people must 
have these diseases and therefore the sooner it is over with the 
better for all concerned. 
It would be ludicrous if it were not so serious to witness the 
attempts to prevent infection when the information goes out 
from the health officials that the city water supply is contam- 
inated. City folks are not the only nor even the worst offenders 
against the laws of sanitation so well known to the botanists. 
We 2 
Mi 
7 
