ON THE TRAIL OF THE FUSARIUM SPORE 159 



Young fellow, I believe it possible to create strains 

 of plants which will be able to resist your attacks, 

 and I surely am going to try to create such vari- 

 eties," soliloquized Farmer Good as he sat there 

 before his microscope, mapping out his campaign of 

 work for the coming year, which was eventually to 

 revolutionize the work of grain production. 



However, all this time the villain was likewise 

 making use of his opportunities. As the infected 

 wheat straw was scattered in the winter over the 

 gardens, the villain made ready to attack any vege- 

 table that might be planted in the spring, and when 

 the straw was put over the flower beds he at once 

 attacked the chrysanthemum plants, so that the 

 stems became weakened, and later on broke over, 

 causing the destruction of the blooms. Also, when 

 the straw was scattered over the fields as fertilizer 

 to be plowed under, the spores were again placed in 

 position to do the most harm to the following crop. 



As the winter days wore on and the welcome days 

 of spring arrived. Farmer Good had completed his 

 program. He was going to plant several rows of 

 corn from seed that showed no disease or infection, 

 and alongside in alternating rows he intended to 

 plant seed which showed infection in varying stages, 

 while during the summer he would take many ob- 



