THE MILLARDETIAN PERIOD 59 



mixture in 1883^ (Lodeman, 1896:27). Through his 

 efforts its use was introduced throughout the vineyards 

 of France, and the wine industry, threatened by the 

 ravages of the American mildew fungus, was saved. 

 This fungicide was shortly after introduced into America 

 to be used for the same purpose, and also against the 

 Phytophthora fungus on potatoes and the scab parasite 

 of the apple. It soon became the universal fungicide, 

 which place it held until the recent introduction of 

 lime-sulfur as a summer spray. It still remains for the 

 vine and potato as well as for many other plants the 

 best and safest fungicide. The discovery and introduction 

 of this mixture more than any other one thing influenced 

 and shaped the development of the science of plant 

 pathology during the quarter century following its dis- 

 covery. 



Rise and Development of Plant Pathology in America. 

 — The national government had for some years main- 

 tained a Commissioner of Agriculture under whose direc- 

 tion were several sections or divisions, among them one 

 known as the Botanical Division. On July 1, 1885, a 

 Section of Mycology of the Botanical Division of the 

 U. S. Department of Agriculture was estabhshed and 

 F. Lamson Scribner appointed as the mycologist. Erwin 

 F. Smith was called to be his assistant the following 

 year, 1886. This represents the first government recog- 

 nition of the science of phytopathology in this country, 



1 The discovery itself was made in October, 1882, in a vineyard of St. 

 Julian in Medoc. (See Jour. d'Agr. Prat., 1885, pp. 707-710, and also 

 801-805. There is a translation of the same article, U. S. Dept. Agr. 

 Bot. Div. Sec. PI., Path. Bui. 2, Appendix C, p. 94, 1886.) The first re- 

 port of the discovery appears to have been made by Millardet in the 

 Annates de la Societe d'Agriculture de la Gironde, 1885, p. 73. 



