January 16, 1920] 



SCIENCE 



69 



The president, Professor J. E. Howitt, in his 

 address dealt with what should be the aims of this 

 society. These, briefly summarized, are as follows : 



First. To provide adequate facilities for the 

 training of research men in plant pathology in 

 Canada. 



Second. To make provision for the publication 

 in Canada of the results of scientific investigations 

 in plant pathology not of interest to the general 

 public. 



Third. To make available to the general pub- 

 lie the practical application of results obtained 

 from scientific research in plant pathology. 



Fourth. The unification of recommendations 

 made by the various pathologists regarding the 

 control of the more common diseases. 



Fifth. The carrying out of a plant disease sur- 

 vey to secure information concerning the financial 

 losses caused by disease to agriculture and for- 

 estry and the distribution of plant diseases through- 

 out Canada. 



Sixth. The adoption of a standard of qualifica- 

 tions required of men entering the field of plant 

 pathology in Canada. 



Seventh. The apppointment of an advisory 

 board to confer with the federal and provincial au- 

 thorities regarding plant quarantine and other re- 

 strictive legislation. 



Eighth. The maintaining of a bibliography of 

 Canadian plant pathology. 



Dr. E. C. Stakman, of the University of Min- 

 nesota, was a guest of the Canadian Branch and 

 dealt with the cereal rust problems in the United 

 States and Canada. 



The papers on the following program were given 

 at this meeting: 



President's address, J. E. Howitt. 



"Health and disease in plants," F. L. Drayton. 



' ' Decay in timber of pulp and paper mill roofs. ' ' 

 (Illustrated with lantern slides.) E. J. Blair. 



"Butt rots of the balsam fir in Quebec Prov- 

 ince," W. H. Eankin. 



"Leaf blight of the white pine," J. H. Faull. 



"Pseudorhiza of certain saprophytic and para- 

 sitic agarioinae" (illustrated), A. H. R. Buller. 



Address of Welcome, President G. C. Creelman. 



Address, Dr. E. C. Stakman. 



"Education of plant pathologists." Discussion 

 led by Dr. J. H. Faull. 



"Witches broom of the Canada Balsam and the 

 alternate hosts of the causal organism," B. E. 

 Stone. 



"Some comparative observations upon the shape 



of Basidia and method of spore discharge in the 

 Uredinese and Hymenomycetes, " A. H. R. Buller. 

 (Illustrated with models and lantern slides.) 



' ' Smut of western rye grass, ' ' W. P. Praser. 



Address, E. C Stakman. 



' ' Some observations made in inspecting for leaf 

 roll and mosaic of potatoes," J. E. Howitt. 



' ' New or little-known diseases of potatoes which 

 cause the running out of seed," P. A. Murphy. 



"Breeding beans for disease resistance," G. P. 

 McRoster. 



' ' Combination sprays for apple and potato, ' ' G. 

 E. Sanders. (By title.) 



' ' Some data on peach yellows and little peach, ' ' 

 L. Csesar. 



"Fungi new to Ontario," A. W. McCallum. 



"Some fungi and plant diseases comparatively 

 new to Ontario," R. E. Stone and J. E. Howitt. 



The following officers were elected for 1920: 



President — Dr. A. H. R. Buller. 



Vice-president — Dr. J. H. Faull. 



Secretary-Treasurer — ^Dr. R. E. Stone. 



Additional Members of the Council — Professor 

 J. E. Howitt and Mr. F. L. Drayton. 



THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. 

 VI 



Colloidal reactions fundamental to growth: D. 

 T. MacDougal. (By title.) Living cell masses 

 from the growing parts of plants in which the 

 H-ion of the sap varies from PH, 3.9 to 7 may 

 show an unsatisfied hydration (absorption) capac- 

 ity which causes a swelling of 6 to 80 per cent, in 

 thickness in distilled water at 18 to 20 C. Dried 

 (dead) sections of the same material in which the 

 salts originally dissolved in the sap have been ad- 

 sorbed by solids at high concentrations during the 

 progress of desiccation, show (total absorption) 

 hydration capacities which causes enlargements as 

 high as 550 per cent, of the volume of the dried 

 material. The aspect of comparative swellings in 

 acid and basic solutions (tested between 0.5 M 

 and 0.000001 M) in the two cases are different, 

 probably due to changes in the colloids caused by 

 the adsorption of salts, etc. The actual volume 

 reached by such material in swelling includes some 

 osmotic action and is limited by the morphological 

 or mechanical features of the tissues. Artificial 

 mixtures of pentosans, agar, mucilage and gum, 

 and of plant albumins made up to simulate so far 

 as possible the composition of the plasmatic (liv- 

 ing) colloids, show comparative hydrations or total 

 swelling similar to cell masses, and of an equiva- 



