THE TEACHING OF PLANT PATHOLOGY 
W. H. DAVIS 
It is not the ‘intention of the writer to give an exhaustive trea- 
tise on the teaching of Plant Pathology but to stimulate thought 
for better methods of teaching, for broader presentation of the 
subject and for more practical courses. 
Plant pathology is a comparatively new science, having its 
origin about 1855 when de Bary published his classic “Die Brand 
Pilze.'' Many sciences have been developed for generations 
thereby affording a greater lapse of time for the thorough organi- 
zation of the subject matter. A great part of this material has 
been passed on to the layman by word of mouth. Wa;r, manufac- 
ture, commercialism and other agencies have added their bit to 
the usefulness of the older sciences. Great impetus has been given 
to the development of plant pathology during the war by the prop- 
aganda for the eradication of the barberry and by the Plant Dis- 
ease Survey of the U. S. Government. As one worker has 
expressed it, “Plant Pathology is coming into its own.” 
The methods of placing the practical facts of plant pathology 
before people who can use them most effectively, should be im- 
proved. At present, this is being done by literature, courses in 
agricultural colleges and extension work. It is estimated that 
only five per cent of the people can intelligently read and apply 
the subject matter of bulletins, that the courses offered in agricul- 
tural colleges are generally too highly specialized for practical 
purposes and that the extension work in this line is negligible and 
often unsatisfactory. Be that as it may, better means for inform- 
ing the people should be employed. It is interesting to note that 
the losses on thirteen crops for the year 1918 were reported by 
the U. S. Government on August 1, 1919, as about one and one- 
third billion dollars. Such a vast leak in our “Ship of State” 
should be a strong argument for the better dissemination of con- 
trol methods to save our most important crops. 
A member on an Iowa draft board said that he was surprised 
to know that a great portion of those who registered there for 
service had no more than a fifth grade education. It is a fact 
that more than three-fourths of our agricultural population leave 
