22 FOREST COMMISSIONERS REPORT. 



rarely affected; and (2) trees in the interior of a dense stand 

 seem to be more rarely affected than those near the edge. 

 Otherwise the blight seems indifferent to the health or to the 

 situation of the tree or to the character or moisture of the soil 

 in which the tree is growing." 



In the summary we find the following: 



"So far the disease has done but little damage, but it has now 

 obtained such a foothold that if it proves to be infectious it 

 may have serious results. The cause of the trouble is still 

 unknown. The situation is not one zvhich calls for alarm, but 

 simply for ivatchfulness and investigation." (The italics sup- 

 plied by the writer). 



The last sentence quoted indicates a very conservative view, 

 much in contrast with the average newspaper article upon which 

 the popular notion of the white pine blight has been based. The 

 circular in question gave 29 stations at which the disease was 

 said to be found in Maine and represented the counties of York, 

 Cumberland, Androscoggin, Oxford, Sagadahoc, Kennebec, 

 Somerset, Waldo, Hancock, and Penobscot. The location of 

 two of the stations was given with acdiracy and the writer 

 visited one of these three times during the present summer. 

 This was at Brunswick and here trees were found which 

 agreed exactly with the description given above. Two or 

 three other trees affected in the same manner were found at 

 Orono and at Winthrop and specimens showing the same trouble 

 were received from Lewiston. Doubtless there are trees having 

 the same appearance scattered over the State but out of the 

 thousands examined by the writer during the season these were 

 the only ones found so affected. 



During the summer many acres of pine growth were exam- 

 ined in various localities giving a pretty fair representation of 

 that part of the State lying south of the line of the Canadian 

 Pacific Railroad, except Franklin and \\'ashington counties. 

 Some observations were also made north along the line of the 

 Bangor and Aroostook in connection with other duties. Very 

 few cases were found where the pines were not more or less 

 injured. 



Young trees were invariably more severely affected than old 

 trees. In fact, all other things being equal, the younger the 



