Since the organization of the Hatch Experiment Stations, the work has received a new impetus, there being economic mycologists connected with a number of these, all of which are doing valuable work.

It was not until 1885 that the importance of investigating the fungous diseases of plants was recognized by the National Government, and it was largely through the efforts of the botanists of the country that this was brought about. Commissioner Col-man's attention being called to the matter, he placed the work in charge of F. L. Scribner, who had been for some time connected with the department. Mr. Scribner resigned in 1888 to accept a position in the Agricultural Experiment Station of Tennessee, since which the work has been in charge of the writer. From the small beginning made five years ago this branch of the department has steadily grown, until to-day it stands on an equal footing with the other divisions.

Its work is naturally divided into two classes : studies in the laboratory, with a view of tracing the life histories of the various fungi in order to discover the best methods of combating them ; and field experiments or practical tests of such preventive measures as the laboratory work may suggest. To carry on this work successfully, a corps of trained experts is kept constantly employed in the laboratory, while special agents in different parts of the country devote a good share of the growing season to experimenting with the remedies.

Let us now see what have been some of the practical results of this work. In the first place, grape growers everywhere have been made acquainted with the causes of such diseases as black-rot, downy mildew and anthracnose; moreover, it has been proved to their entire satisfaction thai these diseases can be prevented by proper treatment. Between two and three thousand grape growers in all parts of the country used the remedies in 1889, and, from estimates based on reports received from about thirty, we know that the actual saving in money to these, above all expenses, was something over $ 10,000. Our agents last year, in treating potatoes for blight and rot, succeeded in saving 75 per cent, of the crop. On this basis, the amount saved to the entire country, if all the infected districts had been treated, would have been something over a million dollars.

To give a more detailed example of the practical value of this work, we will furnish the results of an experiment made by us in treating pear leaf-blight. The actual cost of treating a block of 5,000 trees has been a little less than $100. This includes treating the trees seven times last year, before and after they were budded, and four times this season. Out of the 5,000 trees, not 500 were lost, and as the block now stands it is worth at least $7,000. Heretofore it has been an unusual thing to bud half of the stocks; in fact, the loss from this source is usually about 60 per cent. Assuming, however, that the loss would have been 50 per cent., we, at an expenditure of $100, saved $3,500. Many examples of this kind might be given, but enough has been said to illustrate our point. Figures 1 to 4 will also enable the reader to judge something of the effects of treatment. Fig. 1 shows a pear tree attacked by leaf-blight, while Fig. 2 shows an adjacent one which had been treated with fungicides. The grape clusters are from photographs, and represent fairly well the difference in the fruit, as seen the 25th of July of this year on treated and untreated plats.

By the time the fruit usually ripens there will probably be none on the untreated plats to harvest, while the treated will without doubt yield from four to eight pounds per vine.

Now let us notice the discoveries made in the matter of fungicides or remedies for plant diseases, and also bring to mind the recent improved methods of applying these substances. Ten years ago about the only fungicide used was the flowers of sulphur. Now, thanks to the investigators of this country and Europe, a score or more of substances are in constant use, chief among which are the salts of copper and various combinations of the same with lime, ammonia, carbonate of soda, etc. The copper preparations are now used in preference to all others, partly because they are cheap, but more especially on account of their effectiveness and the ease with which they are prepared and applied. The cost of using them depends of course on many variable conditions, so that it is difficult to make any definite statement on this point. As a rule, however, it may be said that for the three preparations of copper now most extensively used - the Bordeaux mixture, the ammoniacal solution and the modified eau celeste - the cost of treating bearing grapes will range from one to two cents per vine for the season. The Bordeaux mixture is a more costly preparation than either of the others, but so far it has proved most effective, and in reality, therefore, is the cheapest.

Large apple or other fruit trees can be treated the entire season for from 15 to 20 cents each, while with nursery stock the cost will vary from 20 to 50 cents per thousand. I am sure that, so far as discoveries and important improvements are concerned, there have been fully as many here as in other branches of the science.

Many improvements have been made within the past two years in apparatuses for applying fungicides. Grape growers were at first forced to resort to the wasteful method of applying the remedies with old brooms and wisps of straw. All this was changed, however, by the advent of the improved knapsack sprayers which were introduced by the Department of Agriculture in 1887 and first used in the treatment of black-rot and downy mildew of the grape. For a time all knapsack machines were imported from France, there being nothing of the kind manufactured here. In 1888, a knapsack pump similar to those used by the French was invented by Mr. Adam Weaber, of Vineland, New Jersey. A great many of these machines have been sold, but owing to the price it is practically beyond the reach of a large majority of gardeners and fruit growers. To overcome this difficulty, we have recently designed a sprayer of which the actual cost need not exceed $12. This pump has been used quite extensively the present season, both in the nursery and vineyard, and so far it has given entire satisfaction.

Any one has the privilege of making it, but those who do not wish to go to this trouble can obtain it from any of the various firms who are offering it for sale.* Great improvements have recently been made in spraying nozzles, the thick, pasty nature of some of the fungicides having made it necessary to modify considerably the well-known nozzles used in applying insecticide substances. Probably the nozzle now most extensively used is that shown attached to the lance in Fig. 5. This has been evolved from the cyclone or Eddy chamber nozzle, and for general use in our work it has no equal. Fig. 6 shows the manner of handling the apparatus.

*Albinson & Trusheim, 1026 14th street, Washington, D. C.; Columbia Brass Works, Washington. D. C.; Field Force Pump Co., Lockport, New York.

Economic mycology has such a vast field before it that no one can predict what the next few years may bring forth. We can only point out in a general way some of the probable advances which our present knowledge leads us to believe will be made in the immediate future. In the first place, there are the diseases of our cereals, which have received very little attention. The losses to our grain crops from the ravages of rusts and smuts is beyond calculation. Again, there is an immense amount of work to be done in the south and extreme west, especially on the diseases of citrus fruits, cotton and other crops peculiar to these regions. The diseases of our small fruits have hardly been noticed, and so we might go on through a long list of maladies. In every case it will be necessary to study thoroughly the life history of each parasite, as it is only by knowing every stage of its existence that we can hope to successfully combat it. In addition to the diseases mentioned, there will be constant outbreaks of new maladies demanding immediate attention.

Such occurrences are not uncommon, as is shown by the appearance in California within the past four years of a disease among the grapes which has already caused millions of dollars damage.

As to the matter of fungicides and fungicide appliances, there is an immense field for improvement. As yet the main effort of mycologists has been in the direction of finding effective remedies without regard to expense, so that there is much to be done toward cheapening the cost of treatment. In our experiment stations, where mycology and entomology are often combined, much might be done in the way of experimenting with fungicides and insecticides combined. There is a promising field here for investigation, and already several states have entered it.

Legislation against these pests is another matter that is just beginning to be recognized as an important means of holding them in cheek. New Jersey has quite recently enacted a law looking toward the protection of her principal crops from the ravages of fungi, and there is no doubt that if the matter were properly agitated, other states would soon follow her example.

It is gratifying to know that the United States stands at the head of all countries in the practical work she is doing in this direction. France and Italy are doing an immense amount of work, but their efforts are confined almost wholly to the grape.

Washington. B. T. Galloway.