38 a EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



as to insure only slight variations from normal of temperature 

 and humidity. Preliminary results indicate that much of value 

 may be expected from this feature of the investigation. In the 

 greenhouse a study of the energy of assimilation under varying 

 light intensities is being conducted. A method of obtaining a 

 measure of total daily light also is under experimentation. 

 Fundamental to the main problem, much work has been done 

 in the laboratory on the response of stomata to changes in light 

 intensity and light quality. 



The number of seed samples received for purity and germina- 

 tion tests showed an increase over former years, and more than 

 the usual number of tobacco seed was sent in for cleaning and 

 separation. At times the facilities of the department for doing 

 seed work have been taxed to the limit, and should the work 

 continue to grow, additional expenditures for equipment and 

 help will be necessary. 



In the work of reorganizing the mycological collection more 

 than 10,000 specimens have been relabeled and placed in new 

 packets of uniform size. Steel cases with a capacity of about 

 9,000 packets have been purchased. In order to house the 

 complete collection under fireproof conditions about three more 

 cases should be provided. The herbarium is a valuable adjunct 

 to research in plant pathology and mycology; it could not be 

 replaced if destroyed, and should be effectually guarded against 

 fire and vermin. 



In collaboration with the Plant Disease Survey of the United 

 States Department of Agriculture, a survey of disease conditions 

 within the State has been conducted for a number of years. 

 This work recently has been reorganized at Washington, and its 

 scope and usefulness will be greatly enlarged. It must be 

 looked upon as forming a foundation for future work in plant 

 pathology^ and should be given the hearty support of the sta- 

 tion. The writer frequently has urged the importance of mak- 

 ing the disease survey a regular station project, and it is hoped 

 that financial as well as moral support may be given to this 

 work in the future. 



