168 REPORT OF THE BOTANIST OF THE 
INTRODUCTION. 
In the season of 1899 this Station, in codperation with the 
Eastern New York Horticultural Society, made a fruit disease 
survey of the Hudson Valley. The report! on that work was 
published as Bulletin 167. Although, in some respects, the sea- 
son was unfavorable for such an investigation, the results of the 
survey were so satisfactory that it was decided to make a similar 
survey of Western New York in 1900. 
The two seasons’ experience convinces us that the plant-disease 
survey, properly conducted, is profitable work for an experiment 
station botanist, for the following reasons: (1) It brings the 
station into closer acquaintance with the farmers of the State, 
and this is beneficial both to the farmers and to the station. 
(2) It brings the station officer engaged in the survey into closer 
acquaintance with the agriculture of the State, with its methods 
and its needs. Information of this nature greatly increases the 
efficiency of the station botanist possessing it. He learns what 
pathological problems most need solution and gets suggestions as 
to the best means of solving them. He also learns to distinguish 
between practical and impractical remedies. The ultimate aim 
of the investigator of plant diseases should be the discovery of 
practical remedies for them, and this end can not be attained 
unless the investigator has some knowledge of agricultural prac- 
tice—the more the better. (38) The survey work familiarizes the 
investigator with the behavior of plant diseases in the field. 
Field observations serve to check up the results obtained from 
laboratory study. They also furnish information which is of 
great value in answering correspondence pertaining to plant dis- 
eases. Such correspondence is an important part of the work of 
a station botanist, and in order that he may answer the inquiries 
in the most satisfactory manner he should know what diseases 
occur in his State, the amount of damage usually done by them, 
their symptoms and how they are affected by soil, climatic, and 
other conditions. (4) Such a survey is certain to bring out some 
*Stewart, I. C., & Blodgett, F. H. A Fruit-Disease Survey of the 
Hudson Valley in 1899. N. Y. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bul. 167. 
