72 PROTECTION OF PLANTS, 1915-16 



There is still another cause for alarm in the situation. Millions of fruit 

 packages are sent out of this district each year, and great numbers of these 

 carry to uninfected districts the spores of the rust. We cannot say yet 

 just how long these spores retain their power of infection, but if it is even 

 so short as a few days, there is constant danger of the disease being spread 

 into other parts of the province. For this reason a yearly inspection of the 

 whole province will probably be found necessary until danger from this 

 source has been eliminated. 



I do not know of any case of the Blister rust in the Province of Quebec 

 and I sincerely hope that the disease will never gain a footing here. Since 

 this province, however, has been subject to the same chances of infection 

 that we have had in Ontario, I would strongly recommend that adequate 

 steps be taken to see that there is no area of infection anywhere within the 

 boundaries, if this has not already been done. This precaution is all the more 

 valuable now since all danger of future importations of the disease has passed 

 away owing to the regulation prohibiting the entrance of all European 

 pines liable to the disease. 



