COLLEGE "WORK IN PATHOLOGY 



307 



From the official list of agricultural colleges and experiment 

 stations for December, 1911, the number of men may be found' 

 who are teaching any of the subjects which form a part of the agri-- 

 cultural course in the several state colleges. 



Of the forty-eight state institutions given in the list referred to, ' 

 only fourteen (Vermont, New York, Maryland, West Virginia, 

 North Carolina, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, 

 Arkansas, Utah, Washington, Oregon and California) have pro- 

 fessors of plant pathology. New Jersey has been added to these 

 since the list was pubhshed. Two others (Alabama and Iowa) 

 have assistants in the botanical department carrying the title of 

 assistants or instructors in plant pathology. In some of the other 

 colleges courses in mycology or plant diseases are given under the 

 biological, botanical or horticultural departments. 



A definite course in plant pathologj^ as mentioned in the cata-. 

 logs varies in importance from*a single term, usually in the 

 senior year, to post-graduate courses leading to the higher degrees. 

 There is little information as to the scope of the course, as in 

 some institutions it is offered as a unit of work in the department 

 of botany; in others as a semester or term subject in the depart- 

 ment of forestry or of horticulture. 



AIM OF COURSE 



A subject which is of sufficient importance to form a course 

 in the senior year in colleges, or in post-graduate work in univer- 

 sities, should have some definite purpose or aim beside the mere 

 subdividing of the field to which it may belong. There should 

 be a definite reason for a course other than dividing a large class 

 into small sections as teaching units. In plant pathology what 

 is the purpose or goal for which the course is organized? In the 

 catalogs examined no purpose is stated; no reason is given for the 

 existence of the coui'se as offered. The lack of defined character 

 and relationship in most instances gives one the impression that 

 the courses are offered as a means of subdividing large classes, 

 rather than as a step toward a definite goal. 



THE PLANT WORLD, VOL. 16, NO. 11, NOVEMBER, 1913 



