REPORT OF THE STATE BOTANIST 1913 7 
be permanent, nor is it likely that the trees thus affected will suffer 
from more than a slight setback. The damage consists chiefly in 
the unsightly appearance of the foliage. Local and even widespread 
occurrence of this sort of damage has frequently been reported 
in former years but not with such severity as during the summer 
of 1913. . 
A new fungus enemy of the maple. Several ornamental sugar 
maples at Glen Cove were observed by Mr F. E. Willets to be 
suffering from an attack of a fungus which caused the death of 
numerous twigs and branches, so that by August the trees were 
quite unsightly with the accumulation of dead twigs and brown 
leaves upon them. The fungus has been identified as Stegano- 
sporium piriforme (Hoff.) Cd., which is said to have been 
destructive to maples in a town in southern Minnesota at one time. 
It seems, however, not to have been previously noted in New York 
State. It is not usually regarded as a serious enemy of the maple 
and its destructive work at Glen Cove may be due to a combination 
of circumstances, not the least of which was the weakened con- 
dition of the trees due to the excessive and prolonged drought. 
Weather and fungi. Numerous observations in former years 
have led to the conclusion that unusually dry seasons were pro- 
ductive of but few forms of fleshy fungi, and Doctor Peck makes 
special comment upon the abundance and variety of fungi following 
a damp or rainy summer (Annual Report of State Botanist for 
1912, page g). The season of 1913 seems to furnish abundant sup- 
port to his conclusions for in most parts of the State few fleshy 
fungi developed during the summer, although numerous common 
ones appeared late in the fall and a large crop of field mushrooms 
followed favorable summer rains in most localities. Many corre- 
spondents have concurred in attributing the scarcity of fleshy species 
during the summer to the unusually dry weather. 
Condition of the collections. The collections having been moved 
to the new Museum quarters early in the year, much time was 
necessarily occupied in properly arranging the herbarium and dupli- 
cate specimens in the new metal cases. 
The collections of fungi made by the staff or received through 
contributions during the past year have been placed in cardboard 
boxes suitable for their reception and arranged in their proper 
places in the herbarium. The collections (345 in number) include 
55 specimens of fungi and 290 specimens of ferns and flowering 
plants, collected in the counties of Albany, Madison, Rensselaer, 
Oneida, Onondaga, Schenectady and St Lawrence. 
