THE DARK ERA 



The Dark or Middle Era includes what is known in 

 civil history as the dark ages, covering roughly the period 

 from the fall of the Roman Empire (476 A. D.) until the 

 beginning of the seventeenth century. The writings 

 of this period show Httle that is new regarding plant 

 diseases. This was the period when science and learning 

 may be said to have slumbered, hence it is not strange 

 that so fragmentary and unorganized a body of knowledge 

 as was phytopathology at that time should have had few 

 additions even in the form of isolated observations. 



There is, however, one bright spot in the aU but 

 universal darkness. This is the work of the Arabian 

 country gentleman and agricultural encyclopedist, Ibn- 

 al-Awam. He Hved and wrote during the tenth century 

 at Seville, Spain. Thoroughly familiar with the writings 

 of Theophrastus, Pliny, and other ancient writers on 

 agriculture, including those of ancient India, he was 

 nevertheless an independent observer and thinker. 

 His phytopathologic comments are almost entirely on the 

 diseases of trees and the vine. He describes the symp- 

 toms of many diseases briefly but with accuracy and gives 

 extensive consideration to their control (Savastano, 

 1890-91 : 16, 17, 70).' 



1 Clement-Mullet, J. J.: Le livre de I'agriculture d'Ibn-al-Awam 

 (Kitab-al-Felahah). Traduit de I'Arabe, 1 : 1-100 (Preface) + 1-657 

 + Index 1-24, 1864; 2:1: 1-160, 1866; 2:2: I-X + 1-293, 1867. 

 For his treatment of diseases of trees and- other plants see vol. 1, ch. 

 14, pp. 543-597. Savastano (1890-91 : 16) in citing this translation 

 20 



