BOTANY. 



87 



field for research is open to botanists not only on the recognized 

 lines of scientific forestry, but in the direction of speeding-up Nature 

 and improving by hybridization points which give special value to 

 timber — such as grain-markings, strength with lightness, &c. 



At present it takes the lifetime of a man to get many kinds of 

 trees matured for ordinary timber purposes. Of what immense 

 value it would be if the period of growth and development could be 

 appreciably shortened. The growth of trees for timber in bulk is 

 a different matter from the cultivation of those which supply valu- 

 able chemical products — such as sugar, resin, camphor, rubber, and 

 so forth. The latter involve a new set of problems and the special 

 co-operation of chemists. 



Botany abounds in questions which scientists hesitate to answer. 

 iVmong these problems none needs more complete and continued 

 investigation than the subject of the diseases of plants. Finality 

 can no more be achieved in this matter than in the case of the 

 ailments of mankind. 



We think casually of the soil as so much inert or dead material, 

 whereas in reality it swarms with myriads of organisms as keenly 

 anxious to live at the expense of other life as man himself. Some 

 of these minute organisms are necessary to the existence of more 

 advanced plants, while others are parasitic and deadly. It is the 

 aim of one branch of botany to identify them respectively, to work 

 out their life histories and deal with them faithfully according to 

 their deserts. 



Plant life is more or less the prey of all life, and in many respects 

 a passive victim. 



We are able to protect effectively the plants we cultivate from 

 the attack of their larger enemies, but the smaller fry, especially 

 those of fungus growth which we call disease, are more subtle and 

 more difficult to deal with. 



Many plants have learned to defend themselves from enemies 

 of long standing by special development in height or shape, tough- 

 ness of bark and leaves, ferocious thorns, subtle poisons, disagree- 

 able odours, and various other devices. Against fungus diseases, 

 however, their natural defences are often weakened owing to adverse 

 conditions of the atmospriere and soil. Possibly, plants sometimes 

 learn to protect themselves from disease by means of adaptation ; 

 but the principle of the survival of the fittest applies equally to the 

 enemy organisms, and they too may adapt themselves to ' new 

 adaptations, until it becomes a case of which can go one better. 

 Meanwhile, the agriculturist is losing his crops. It is for the botanist 

 to keep up to date with the latest moves of elusive enemies, and 

 to give the crop-plant all available assistance in defence against 

 attack. Prevention is better than cure, and the evolution of disease- 

 resisting plants would be more satisfactory than revenge upon a 

 partly victorious enemy. An equally important issue is the discovery 

 of methods of cultivation which enable plants best_to resist attack. 



