26 PROTECTION OF PLANTS. 1917-18 



Ribes appears here early enough in the season to induce us to believe that there 

 are at least these two centres of propagation. 



The Inspected Territory. 



On the South shore of the St. Lawrence the patrolled area includes all the 

 territory east of Lotbiniere, Megantic and Compton counties — in all eighteen 

 counties. Only a part of the counties of Portneuf, Champlain, St. Maurice and 

 Three Rivers was inspected on the North Shore. In the Ottawa district, in the 

 home of white pine, we visited the lower valleys of the Lievre, Noire, Coulonge, 

 Gatineau and Rouge rivers, located in the counties of Pontiac and Labelle, and 

 also the valley of the Ottawa itself, as far North as Des Quinze river. Around 

 Montreal the counties of Soulanges, Vaudreuil, Laval, Deux Montagnes, Argen- 

 teuil, Hochelaga and Jacques-Cartier were also inspected more or less thoroughly. 



The Area Infested. 



We found the disease in the counties of Lotbiniere, Nicolet, Wolfe, Megantic 

 Richmond, Sherbrooke and ShefTord; at least 275 cases of distinct infection 

 were traced, so that it seems this area is deeply affected. As one would suppose, 

 the disease was located along the main roads, and in certain localities it seems to 

 spread particularly along the right-of-way of the railroads. 



As all this section is situated in the Appalachian district, the topography is 

 somewhat rugged where the forest areas are still pretty well represented. It is 

 also worth mentioning that in all this section there are but few plantations of 

 currants or gooseberries, cultivated from a strictly commercial point of view; in 

 fact, for domestic use, these plants are not found on more than 30% of the farms. 

 The white pine, which was once thoroughly distributed here as a commercial 

 species, has disappeared, as such, and is to be met only in small groups or as isolat- 

 ed trees in few localities, and also as ornamental trees in the villages and towns. 

 Our inspectors have noticed the presence, under forest cover, of wild gooseberries 

 and currants in abundance. 



It is also plausible that the infection may be propagated at the same time 

 from the Lotbiniere property at Pointe du Platon and from the United States 

 boundary line, so that in a short time the disease may spread over the whole 

 intermediate area. But this is a mere supposition, and a more detailed examina- 

 tion may lead to the discovery of few other centres of propagation. 



Across the St. Lawrence the rust was found to be widely spread in the parishes 

 of St. Anne de la Perade, Batiscan and Champlain, in particular along the 



