1911-12.] BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH 15 



appointed in as many different localities as possible. One 

 of their principal duties is to instal and supervise experi- 

 ments of various kinds. Their reports are sent in to the 

 Central Institution, and when the results from a sufficient 

 number of localities seem to justify any conclusion bein^ 

 drawn as to the success of. say. some preventive or remedial 

 measure in connection with a certain disease, then such 

 information is printed in bulletin form and circulated. 



In Germany we rind much the same kind of organisation. 

 In Bavaria, for example, the Central Institution, namely, 

 the Institute of Agricultural Botany, is situated in Munich, 

 and is under the direction of Dr. Hiltner. who has a staff 

 of highly trained experts in all branches of plant protection. 

 In conjunction with this Central Institution there are a 

 great number of local stations (Auskunftstellen) situated 

 in the smaller towns, villages, etc.. throughout Bavaria. In 

 charge of these centres are local agents or representatives. 

 not necessarily expert plant pathologists, but nevertheless 

 men of scientific training. Many of these local represen- 

 tatives are clericals, schoolmasters, leading agriculturists, 

 etc. Their principal duty is to send in reports on speciallv 

 prepared schedules to the Central Institution as nearly as 

 possible every four weeks. Each local station has in turn 

 correspondents (Vertrauensmanner) in as many country 

 districts as possible. These correspondents are. so to speak. 

 the men on the spot, and they are constantly in touch with 

 the local agents, and thus the Central Institution is kept 

 constantly informed regarding the state of held and garden 

 crops all over the country, and. should occasion arise. 

 experts can at once be sent to investigate and advise. The 

 Imperial Biological Institution for Agriculture and Forestry 

 situated at Dahlem. near Berlin, is the principal institution, 

 and is kept posted up to date from all the other Central 

 Institutions of the empire. 



The ceaseless activity of these institutions has already 

 resulted in the accomplishment of an extraordinary amount 

 of useful work of the highest scientific importance and 

 economic value. 



As a Society, we cannot hope to deal with problems in 

 applied botany on the same scale as a well-organised and 

 subsidised State Department ; but. nevertheless, we could 



