Current Literature. 4 2 7 



as to the cost of the actual work of spraying, pruning, and plant- 

 ing, and the cost of administering shade tree departments. 



The experience of such cities as New Jersey, Newark and East 

 Orange, and of cities in other states, would have been very useful. 



H. S. G. 



The Present Status of the White Pine Blight. By Perley 

 Spaulding. Circular No. 35, U. S. Department of Agriculture, 

 Bureau of Plant Industry. Pp. 12. 



This circular has been issued to allay fears for the safety of 

 the White Pine which has been subject to a noticeable disease 

 during the past few years. In 1907, the disease was apparently 

 due to a parasitic fungus in the leaves, although the primary 

 cause may have been the extreme climatic conditions of the pre- 

 ceding winters. Relatively few trees were actually killed by this 

 leaf blight. No new trees became affected, and half of the dis- 

 eased trees recovered in the following season. 



In 1908, the diseased pines were suffering chiefly from twig- 

 blight which was due in some cases to winter killing, in others 

 to insect and fungus parasites. Serious damage by the parasites 

 is not anticipated, and winter killing of twigs usually results only 

 in retarding growth for a year or two. C. D. PL 



The Present Status of the Chestnut Bark Disease. By Haven 

 Metcalf and J. Franklin Collins. Bulletin No. 141, U. S. Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture. Part V. Pp. 45-53. 



This bulletin is not so hopeful as the circular from the Bureau 

 of Plant Industry mentioned above. The disease appears prac- 

 tically to exterminate the chestnut trees in any locality which it 

 infests, since, in the past five years it has killed more than half 

 of the trees in New York City and its environs, where it is esti- 

 mated to have caused a financial loss of several million dollars. 

 From this center it has spread north to Rhode Island and south 

 to Virginia. 



The disease is being distributed rapidly by means of nursery 

 stock. Cases have been noted where it has undoubtedly spread 

 to native trees from this source. The bulletin recommends that 

 chestnut nursery stock be placed upon the quarantine list by the 

 state governments. Apparently the only way to fight the disease 



