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made available for such purposes as the testing of the new German fungicides already mentioned. Could not the Ministry of Agriculture provide the funds?

Dr. Pethybridge stated that it was against the present policy of the Ministry of Agriculture to carry out tests of proprietary fungicides.

6. Dr. Brierley explained that he had been led to ventilate the question, partly as a result of discussions which he had had with English pathologists who were of opinion that the condition of fungicidal research was very backward, and that many more facilities were required for research on the more fundamental aspects, and partly with overseas mycologists who had expressed a desire for practical research assistance and greater correlation between work in this country and the overseas dominions, and between fundamental research and practical fungicidal problems in the field. He gathered that overseas workers also wished to gain a closer personal touch with research institutions, such as those at Long Ashton, Rothamsted, or Wye, which were not represented upon the Honorary Committee of Management of the Imperial Bureau, and yet where fungicidal inquiries were perhaps most actively in progress. He considered that, perhaps, some committee which could secure co-operation between the home and overseas workers, and suggest lines of experimental work, might provide the best machinery for these purposes.

It was generally admitted that progress had been very slow in regard to the development of fungicides, more particularly, perhaps, in regard to knowledge of the basic principles underlying fungicidal action, and that the investigations had suffered, as Mr. Salmon had said, from want of continuity. In order to provide a much-needed stimulus, he thought a small committee of the men actually engaged in such investigations, or responsible for Institutions or Depart- ments where special facilities for such studies existed, should be formed. Not only could such a body keep in touch with the problems of the workers overseas, but it might well be able to arrange facilities to enable Dominion and Colonial mycologists to carry out research when in England on leave or if seconded specially for the purpose. 'A research or watching committee of the sort he had in mind could consider the value of any new line of work that appeared worth following, could make provision for continuity in the investigations, and perhaps secure the necessary funds for carrying them out. Such a committee would, of course, have no power of dictation to workers.

On any such committee the chemical side should be adequately represented, as the union of chemists and biologists was indispensable in research of this nature. He instanced, from personal knowledge, the Fabrics Research Committee of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research as having proved the value of collaboration of botanists with chemists. He thought, however, that the Depart- ment of Scientific and Industrial Research was far from being the best body to undertake the setting up of a committee for the purposes outlined above. The Imperial Bureau of Mycology would appear to be in a much better position to do so effectively. The committee should, he thought, be a very small one and consist mainly of the actual workers or responsible heads of specific departments in the institutions where such work was in progress and should, of course, work in the closest possible contact with the Director of the Imperial Bureau, who was the recognized liaison officer of the overseas mycologists and in many ways the guiding spirit of their work. A primary value of the committee would be to assist the Imperial Bureau in its work by giving possibility of more intimate contacts and the provision of greater facilities for research.

7. Dr. Butler thought that such a committee, which. if established by the Imperial Bureau of Mycology, would necessarily be composed of members who were neither at present on the Managing Committee nor on the staff of the Burea", could do little more in regard to keeping overseas workers in touch with the research institutions in England than was done under the existing organization of the Bureau. It was the recognized policy of the Burean to endeavour to place overseas workers in touch with individuals or institutions in England or elsewhere in all cases where assistance of the sort was required. In so far, therefore, as the liaison aspect of the Committee's work was concerned he doubted whether such a body was necessary, nor did he consider that a co-ordinating committee which might be in a position to bring pressure to bear on individuals or institutions in regard to their work was advisable.

8. The Chairman drew attention to the interests of the Development Com- mission in matters such as those under discussion, and thought that they might be appached if any specific proposals were made.

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9. Mr. Salmon pointed out that the great need was really to secure in some way or other that there should be continuity of research and to make provision for exact investigation of the numerous problems which were at present left unsolved or solved in an empirical fashion. Workers like himself often had neither the time nor the facilities for following up promising lines of work.

Dr. Pethybridge added that proper facilities for field testing of fungicides were lacking in many cases. He thought, however, and in this the other members of the sub-committee concurred, that there ought to be no insuperable difficulty in arranging through the Advisory Centres for field tests on an adequate scale of new or improved fungicides after they had satisfactorily passed the laboratory tests.

10. Mr. Tattersfield said that it was clear that there was a need for funda- mental laboratory research in regard to fungicides, and that it would also be necessary to provide facilities for field experiments and tests on a large scale. If a committee were set up these were the main objects that should be borne in mind.

11. Dr. Butler thought that they already had, in the Insecticide and Fungicide Department at Rothamsted, a nucleus for the fundamental research referred to, and it seemed to him that the proper course was to support this Depart- ment in every possible way.

12. The Chairman said that that left the question of field tests to be con- sidered. Could such tests be arranged through the medium of Experiment Stations such as those at Wye, Long Ashton, and East Malling?

Mr. Salmon said that such tests could be carried out at Wye if they were included in the annual programme of work, and no doubt it would be possible to arrange for them elsewhere..

Mr. Cotton inquired whether outsiders, such as overseas mycologists home on leave or otherwise, would be able themselves to make experiments or carry out tests at Wye, and Mr. Salmon replied that this would hardly be possible.

13. The Chairman summed up the discussion by saying that all appeared to be agreed as to the necessity for conducting fungicidal investigations, but that the need for establishing a sub-committee or other body for the purpose of co-ordinating or watching over these investigations was not as yet apparent. He proposed the following resolutions as embodying the results of the discussion, and these were passed unanimously

I. The sub-committee, after carefully considering the questions arising out of Resolution No. 8 of the Imperial Mycological Conference (1924), agrees that the Managing Committee of the Imperial Bureau of Mycology be recommended to take into consideration the co-ordination of investiga- tions of fungicides, particularly the encouragement of fundamental research on this subject.

II. The sub-committee ventures to recommend to the Managing Committee that they endeavour to establish a liaison with the Rothamsted Experi- mental Station with a view to ascertain, if possible, the financial consequences of a considered scheme of co-ordinated fungicidal investi- gations on a scale adequate to the importance of the subject. D. PRAIN,

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No. 75.

Chairman.

HALF-YEARLY REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE IMPERIAL BUREAU OF MYCOLOGY FOR THE PERIOD ENDING. 30TH SEPTEMBER, 1924.

Finance.

THE period for which contributions were guaranteed by Dominion and Colonial Governments expired on the 31st March, 1924. At the request of the Managing Committee, the various Governments were invited by the Secretary of State to continue their existing contributions for a further year, pending a review of the policy and requirements of the Bureau by the Imperial Mycological Confer- ence in July, 1924. Owing to the generous response accorded to this invitation the financial position of the Bureau for the current year is very satisfactory (see Appendix II). As a result of the recommendations of the Imperial Mycological Conference, which were endorsed by the Managing Committee, a further appeal for