THE AMERICAN BOTANIST . l-V 



SQriRRi:i< Axn FoRKST. — On many ot the western yel- 

 low pine forests in the Xorthwest, the pine S(|inrrel and the 

 second-j^rowth pine ma}' he said to he engaged in a struggle 

 to the death, with the s(|uirrel holding a conspicuous advan- 

 tage according to latest reports, says the Forest Service. L'ni- 

 ted States l^epartment of Agriculture. The scjuirrelV ad- 

 vantage is due to the fact that, somewhat like the early hird. 

 he is husilv collecting the seed hefore it has a chance to ■'<lig 

 itself in" and develop into a pine seedling. In examining 

 some 15-vear-old cuttings in Montana, the Priest River For- 

 est l\xperiment Station found that practically no new growth 

 has Come in. Cones are plentiful on the two or three seed 

 trees an acre left for seeding new growth and show sufticient 

 seed to start up at least an open stand in 15 or 20 years against 

 all other enemies of young trees; but there is evidence that 

 the pine squirrel is determining otherwise, and that pos>ihly 

 nothing short of ])lanting such areas with seedlings will cir- 

 cumvent the sharp e\es and insatiable appetite of this >niall 

 f < -e. ' 



Hl'Ropc:a.\ Corx I^)0RKR. — Probably the most destruc- 

 tive of all the pests that prey on maize or Indian corn i- the 

 hau^opean corn borer. This is a small worm-like creature 

 about an inch long which turns into a yellow-brown moth. 

 The damage to corn is done in the larval stage of the insect, 

 the "worm" burrowing into all parts of the stalk and ear and 

 even eating the tassels and leaves. Fortv-two lar\ae ha\e 

 been taken from a single ear of corn. But this is not lialt 

 the animal's misdeeds. In the absence of corn it will \\x'(.\ 

 on nearly every garden crop with the exception of the leg- 

 gumes. It prefers celery, potatoes, cotton, rhubarl), dahlias, 

 sunflowers and gladiolus, but scarcely a f(X)d-plant is immune. 

 It appeared in this C()untr\- in the vicinity of Boston about 

 1917 and has since spreail to central Ohio. It is practically 



