112° 1:8.C. Proceedings of the Ninth [N.S., XVIII, 
time only recently. The only way to cope with such a situa- 
tion is to have a reserve of trained men ready to combat such 
outbreaks. The point I want specially to emphasize in this 
connection is the desirability of raising up a body of young 
pathologists to meet this situation. The pathologist must have 
a thorough grounding in general botany as well as special 
training in fungi and physiology. All of us who are in teaching 
positions where such training may be given have before us the 
opportunity to help by providing such instruction as will fit 
students to be efficient pathologists. 
PALAEOBOTANY. 
purely scientific interest, and partly as a means of comparing 
geologic horizons. Saunt! has given us a résumé of the present 
position of Indian palaeobotany, and SewaRD AND SAHNI? 
have recently restudied old collections from the Indian 
a bed 
sizes strikingly how incomplete this knowledge is. There 1s 
considerable opportunity in India for investigations in paleo- 
botany. 
UTILIZATION OF PLANT RESOURCES. 
I have hesitated about introducing this topic, not because 
there is any lack o rk, but because it tends to 
diverge from the usually accepted field of botany. The popula: 
tion of India is dependent to an unusual degree directly on 
the vegetation for food. Ancient crowded populations tend to 
become balanced against their food resources, and the supply 
of food becomes a limiting factor to increase in population. 
Our natural resources are already very completely utilized, 
but this utilization is often not only unscientific, but absolute- 

! Samui, B. Presidential address, as yet unpublished, before the 
Section Botany, Calcutta meeting of the Indian Science Congress, 1921. 
2 Sewarp, A.C. and B. Saunt. Indian Gondwana plants, a revision 
Mem. Geol. Surv. India, N.S. 71: 1-54. 1920. ‘ 
3 Scorr, D. H. e present position of the theory of descent, : 
ation. + the early history of plants Chem. News 123: 289-593, 301- 

