March 22, 1918] 



SCIENCE 



283 



and foreign representatives and correspond- 

 eints. Governments have their consuls, at- 

 taches and secret service. Human medicine 

 has its public health service to guard the 

 public health, to report on disease and to at- 

 tend to sanitation. In the same way plant 

 pathology needs its intelligence service, its 

 public-health service for plants, which 

 shall assist both research and extension 

 pathologists in waging war on plant para- 

 sites. 



The Plant Disease Survey of the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture is now organizing such 

 a service, and I believe that it will prove to 

 be of great value. By accumulating a 

 large body of authoritative information on 

 the geographical distribution and annual 

 prevalence of plant diseases, together with 

 careful estimates of the losses caused by 

 them we shall assist in clarifjang the dis- 

 ease situation in the various parts of the 

 United States and in delimiting the prob- 

 lems involved. With these data at hand 

 pathologists will be enabled to choose their 

 research problems wisely and to concen- 

 trate their energies on those questions 

 which are most pressing in their respective 

 states. The Plant Disease Survey will also 

 aid the research pathologist by furnishing 

 him the information he needs during the 

 progress of his studies, such as data on the 

 nature and character of diseases in the field 

 and on the relation of diseases to climatic 

 and other environmental factors. We shall 

 also assist the extension pathologist by in- 

 forming him of the prevalence of diseases, 

 of regions where losses occur and where 

 demonstration work is most needed, of the 

 varying effects of control measures in dif- 

 ferent regions, and of other matters of im- 

 portance in planning and carrying on his 

 campaigns of education and of disease con- 

 trol. 



Up to this time the gathering of field data 

 on plant disease has been left to the indi- 



vidual investigators who have gone into the 

 field during the progress of their studies to 

 collect the information they needed. They 

 have thus been called awaj' from the main 

 features of their problems in order to col- 

 lect data which should more properly be 

 furnished them. Extensive collection of 

 field data bj^ an investigator beyond the 

 time needed to keep him in touch with all 

 phases of his problem, is time lost. He fre- 

 quently realizes this and reduces his field 

 work to a minimum, thus handicapping 

 himself in his research work by an insuffi- 

 cient body of field data. 



I shall not attempt at this time to discuss 

 in detail the plans of the Plant Disease Sur- 

 vey. We purpose to organize this work on 

 a broad basis, to coordinate all existing ef- 

 forts along this line, to systematize the col- 

 lecting of information and to make all data 

 thus gathered immediately available to all 

 to whom it may be of value. We have al- 

 read.y associated with us as collaborators 

 and local leaders the pathologists at almost 

 all the state experiment stations, and we 

 hope to extend this system of cooperation 

 until we shall include in our organization 

 all pathologists and all others able and will- 

 ing to contribute reliable information on 

 plant diseases. We also hope to develop 

 and to maintain in the field a corps of 

 trained observers who will supplement the 

 reports of our correspondents and make de- 

 tailed surveys in special regions and for 

 important diseases. Much work must be 

 done before our plans are fully developed. 

 This will require time, general assistance 

 on the part of botanists, and larger funds 

 than are j'et available. 



Let me emphasize the fact that the Plant 

 Disease Survey is distinctlj' a cooperative 

 project. It is not an end in itself but aims 

 to serve all pathological workers of the 

 country by freely supplying all available 

 data which can aid them in their work. 



