March 3, 1905.] 



SCIENCE. 



325 



the admiration for the child. I imagine 

 the members of the Society of American 

 Bacteriokigists would be somewhat sur- 

 prised if thoy were asked or expected to 

 merge with other botanical societies and 

 form a section in any large botanical or- 

 ganization. And j^et this is the only logical 

 place for them, and in the time of Cohn 

 and DeBary there would have been no 

 question abcut it had the bacteria been 

 considered cf sufficient importance to war- 

 rant a separate section. It will not be 

 long, if indeed the time has not already 

 arrived, when forestry will cease to give 

 any credit to botany for the practical re- 

 sults being obtained by this rapidly devel- 

 oping profession, and other examples might 

 be given to illustrate the general tendency 

 to magnify the industrial branch of a sci- 

 ence at tlie expense of the main body from 

 which it originally, at least, obtained its 

 strength. 



Part of this diversification in botany is 

 due to tlie fact, of course, that as a science 

 it does not involve certain methods as in 

 the case of chemistry or physics. It is 

 usually a simple matter for the average 

 person to recognize the benefits derived 

 from either of the two last-named sciences, 

 because they are definitely associated with 

 test tubes and balances, reagents and 

 dynamos, and other well-known objects. 



This recognition of the method is car- 

 ried to such an extent as to result, in uni- 

 versity catalogues at least, in such hybrids 

 as 'chemical-engineering,' 'chemical -min- 

 eralogy,' 'mathematical-geology,' 'mathe- 

 matical-biology,' etc. An investigation 

 into what is usually taught under such 

 heads shows that it would be fully as legiti- 

 mate to establish courses in botanical-archi- 

 tecture because of the knowledge of woods 

 rerpiired. or zoological-engineering since the 

 power is reckoned in horses. As well try 

 to assign all work involving retorts and 

 reagents to chemistry, to call everything 



botan}^ or zoology which lequires the use 

 of a microscope, or claim for phy.sics the 

 exclusive privilege of developing all in- 

 dustry involving light or heat or motion, 

 as to maintain that because a method orig- 

 inated in one science it can not be applied 

 in another without uniting the two, or even 

 losing the problem involved in the contem- 

 plation of the tools to be used in solving it. 

 There are certain definite lines of research 

 which appear to all fair-minded investiga- 

 tors as ljeh.nging to certain fields. The 

 question to be answered is either chemical, 

 zoological, botanical or whatever the case 

 may be. A dozen sciences may contribute 

 to its solution, but the fact should alwiiys 

 stand out preeminently as to its real origin. 

 This has not always been the case in botan- 

 ical problems, and it may be a matler (f 

 some time before workers in general recog- 

 nize this principle. Nevertheless, I think 

 it extremely necessary that botanists dO' 

 not fail to call attention to such cases and 

 that in the future no opportunity be Irst 

 to obtain all proper and legitimate credilJ 

 for our science and profession. The time 

 for modestly sitting in the background and 

 seeing our best fields for work appropriated 

 by other sciences should have passed. 



It may seem as though I were a long- 

 time coming to the second part of my sub- 

 ject, but the ignorance regarding the in- 

 dustrial importance of botany, as compared 

 with the other applied sciences, seems to 

 call for some explanation, and I have 

 sought to point out, very imperfectly I will 

 admit, a few of the reasons which have oc- 

 curred to me as accounting for this peculiar 

 situation. 



To attempt to give even an outline of 

 the many botanical achievements which 

 have been of economic importance is mani- 

 festly impossible in the time at my dis- 

 posal. Neither is it necessary to submit 

 a catalogue of the work accomplished 

 by those most eminent in our profession. 



