1911.1 PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 31. 75 



REPORT OF THE BOTANIST. 



G. E. STONE. 



The routine and research work of the botanists and assist- 

 ants for the past year followed similar lines to those of other 

 years, except that perhaps the routine work has had a tendency 

 to increase, leaving less time for research work. This has been 

 remedied to a considerable extent, however, by the addition of 

 Mr. Sumner C. Brooks as laboratory assistant. Mr. Brooks 

 was graduated from the class of 1910, and his appointment as 

 assistant relieves Mr. Chapman of much routine work and 

 gives him time for research, for which he is well fitted. Miss 

 J. V. Crocker has, as usual, been of much service in attending 

 to the correspondence and records, and has given valuable as- 

 sistance in the seed testing. Much assistance has, as formerly, 

 been obtained from the undergraduate students, and Mr. E. A. 

 T.arrabee and Mr. Ray E. Torrey have devoted all their spare 

 time to the department, and were employed during the whole 

 summer vacation. 



Diseases More or Less Common during the Year, 

 The season of 1910 opened unusually early, as is shown by 

 the meteorological records and by the blossoming of trees, 

 shrubs and flowers. The season was, on the whole, rather dry, 

 and crops suffered to some extent from drought, a condition 

 which was emphasized by the severe droughts of the two pre- 

 ceding years. 



The peach leaf curl, which naturally follows a cold and 

 rainy period, was quite common. Some frost occurred in IMay, 

 and in some localities it was reported in June. The effects of 

 this showed on asparagus, and frost blisters were common on 

 apple foliage. An unusually large amount of apple foliage 

 was sent in to this department for examination in early sum- 



