78 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



scouting for the disease since the campaigns of 1916 and 1917. 

 Last spring, however, representatives of the Federal depart- 

 ment made some extensive examinations in the towns of Tops- 

 field and Ipswich. In those tow^ns, on approximately 5 miles 

 of strip line, they found 14 per cent of the pines infected with 

 the disease. Similar examinations were made in Duxbury, 

 Hanover and Pembroke, where the reports indicate that the 

 eradication of cultivated Ribes in 1917 had without question 

 served to check the further spread of the disease from infec 

 tion centers existing in that section. In Lenox and Sandisfield 

 very intensive examinations were conducted during the sum- 

 mer and the results demonstrated very clearly that the eradi- 

 cation of Ribes in Lenox in 1916 and 1917 had unquestionably 

 retarded the progress of the infection in that town, the number 

 of new infections being very low in comparison to the number 

 of recent infections in Sandisfield, where no Ribes eradication 

 has been undertaken. 



During the course of the regular field work, infection on 

 Ribes has been reported in all the projects except two, in 

 which cases no Ribes were found at all. Pine infection in some 

 considerable degree was also found during the Ribes eradica- 

 tion work in Newburyport, North Andover and Topsfield and 

 in a limited area in Petersham. 



Educational w^ork has been carried on by the division through 

 the distribution of an illustrated circular, the use of circular 

 letters, warning notices, etc., and a special exhibit illustrating 

 the work of the fungus was exhibited at the larger county fairs 

 during the fall months. 



The Legislature of 1920 passed an act providing compensation 

 for all Ribes destroyed in the years 1918 and 1919. Three 

 claims have been received and settlement allowed to the amount 

 of $301.25, or 46 cents per bush. 



The blister rust work has been carried on under the direction 

 of Mr. C. C. Perry. To his thoroughness and faithful work 

 much of the success which has been attained is due. 



A detailed summary of the field work of the season is given 

 in the following table: — 



