Referee's report by John Bretland Farmer, on a paper 'Cultural experiments with 'Biologic Forms' of the Erysiphaceae' by Ernest S Salmon

Description

Sectional Committee: Botany

No clear statement regarding publication. Is somewhat doubtful whether this paper should be published in Philosophical Transactions, and it should not be published in its present form. If published the speculations respecting what the author terms 'specializing' and 'generalizing' factors, might be greatly curtailed as they seem to posses very little value. There are no illustrations. The paper does not appear to represent much advance in knowledge. The existence of 'Biological forms' is recognised already, the infections resulting after the legion are not very surprising, and the general summary is largely devoted to hypothesis that need much testing before they deserve acceptance.

In a separate report Farmer notes that the results though interesting do not appear to point very conclusively towards the solution of problems already raised by others. Suggests an additional experiment. Cultural conditions are known to affect a very large number of fungi and bacteria, and the facts brought forward in the paper to show the 'biologic-form' character and the relative ease with which these can be obliterated, hardly appear of sufficient importance to appear in the 'Transactions'. If the author can ascertain more definitely anything about the nature of the substances concerned in promoting or inhibiting growth respectively, he will then have made a distinct step in the advancement of natural knowledge.

[Published in the Philosophical Transactions B, 1905].

Endorsed on verso as received 3 February 1904.

Reference number

RR/16/103

Earliest possible date

February 1904

Physical description

Standardised form (type A) and letter on paper

Page extent

3 pages

Format

Manuscript