Evening star., 1925-08-30
Diseases of Trees
Scientific Research Needed TO Save
Ornamental Paintings.

Study of disease in park trees and
other city paintings has been neg
lected by the States. 1t Is asserted
by Prof. Robert A. Harper of Colum.
bia University In a report TO the
board of managers of the New York
botanical garden. Prof. Harper.
chairman of the scientific directors
OF the garden. declares that q sweep
ing attack by research on the evils
of decay is demanded.
1T Is noteworthy" says Prof.
Harper, that with the pressure OF
work on the diseases of our great
agricultural and horticultural crop
plants, the diseases OF ornamentals in
general and the diseases of park and
other municipal decorative planta.
tions have been largely and in many
cases wholly neglected by our state
experiment stations"
Prof. Harper recommends on behalf
OF the scientific directors, composed
OF members of Columbia faculties,
that the work Of the garden be ex-
tended to cover this field, adding:
While Government agencies such
as the Department Of Agriculture,
State agricultural colleges and exper-
iment stations have fully proved
their value and justified invoking
the taxing power of the State for
their support, they can by no means
meet the needs of the situation as 1t
now exists.
Government institutions must aim
to meet immediate exigencies in agri.
culture from year to year, and es-
pecially must devote themselves TO
the work OF directly aiding the
farmer and nurseryman in the app1i-
cation OF known methods Of culture.
Ina al hA H., -
disease
Like PracticiBg Physician.
Their service in the control of
plan diseases Is ather that OF prac-
ticing physicians than of research
pdtho hologiSts. But We have now
reached period in plant science
where further advance demands the
experimental investigation of funda
mental problems. extending over long
periods OF time and requiring in
many cases costly apparatus"
The plantations in Bronx Park are
now in a number Of cases seriously
nenaced by insect pests. according TO
Prof Harper, who says that the gar
den STAFF needs a pathologist. Recent
explorations. he reports, have enriched
the gardens stock Of South America n
ma ateriai.
The normal activities OF sreat
botanical garden in maintaining col
lections of plants representing ade-
quately the native vegetation Of the
earth afford very unusual heredity and
environment and all the other problems
whose present day Importance the new
science of senetics Is so strongly EN-.
phasiZtns,' continues Prof Harper.
The great Horticultural collections
which bring together from all over
the world the latest products of the
oreeders art, as well as maintaining
the earlier types for comparison, are
not only of great service to dealers
and growers as means of certifying
what Is genuinely new and distinctive
but constitute invaluable material for
the studies OF the geneticist.
The cost of bringing together and
maintaining such collections can be
met In no other way more advanta ge-
ousiy than by utilizing their artistic
and educational value in botanical
garden and park system. We recon-.
mend provisions for the fuller utiIiZa
non In research of the materials in
this field.
Germ Diseases of Trees.
The scientific directors feel that the
New York botanical garden has pa ri
'o pI6H III IHe IcNcIODment 0f the
newer phases Of experimental plant
science. There are fundamental prob
lens of disease which can be more
effectively attacked on plant materials
than on any others
The germ dises ses whether of
plants or animals or man. form one
common group in many OF their fun.
damental relations 10 the living or.
Sanism. Such problems as those pre-
sented by individual immunity and its
inheritance: the problems of epidem.
loloEy and many others are the same
throughout the plant and animal king.
dom and can be attacked more directly
IN many cases on plant materials.
There are fundamental longtime
problems as TO the growth and re.
production of trees on which the sue.
cess of forestry practice and reforest.
alton must depend. which an endow.
ed institution like the garden with its
continuity of orga MIA ton can especial.
ly well attack"
Plans to develop the gardens re.
search work are now under way. il
was said. 8 a part Of the 81 600 Ooo
eHpa nsion program of the board OF
ma ma gers.