138 FOREST COMMISSIONER'S REPORT. 



WHITE PINE BLISTER RUST IN MAINE. 



By G. B. Posey, Agent U. S. Department of Agriculture, 

 Bureau of Plant Industry. 



Scouting for white pine blister rust in the State of Maine 

 was begun July 6, 1916, and continued until August 4, 1916. 

 The work was taken up again August 19, 19 16, and continued 

 until October 15, 1916. During the time spent scouting in 

 Maine practically the entire white pine area of the State was 

 visited. White pines probably occur in all sections of Maine. 

 The area in which white pine growth is practically unbroken is 

 thought to be included in the following boundary : York Co., 

 Cumberland Co., Southern portion Oxford Co., Androscoggin 

 Co., Sagadahoc Co., Kennebec Co., Lincoln Co., Knox Co. 

 Southern Penobscot and Hancock and S. W. Washington Co. 

 Gooseberries and currants were found in all places visited. In 

 farming sections and vicinities of towns and cities cultivated 

 plants were found frequently. Several instances were noted 

 where they were grown commercially, but usually they were 

 found as a few plants growing in gardens or yards. Wild 

 plants were found in practically all localities. They grow along 

 road sides, stone walls, ravines, in pastures, thick forests, cut 

 over forest tracts, rocky hills, etc. In the Southern part of 

 the state, especially in York Co., these plants were not found 

 in large numbers except in low swampy lands. From Cornish 

 N. and N. W., currants and gooseberries appear to grow wild 

 abundantly in practically all localities and under very variable 

 conditions as regarding contour and humidity. In many places 

 they were found to cover nearly the entire ground surface. 



The area in which gooseberries and currants have been found 

 infected with white pine blister rust extends from Kittery 

 Point north to Rangeley, from there northwest to Millinocket, 

 and from Millinocket south to Bar Harbor. Many thousand 

 plants were examined during the course of the time spent 

 scouting in Maine. A larger number were found apparently 



