1917-18 DEPAKTMEXT OF LANDS, FORESTS AND MINES. 



159 



Branch to visit the Timagaiui Forest Reserve where the affection appeared to be 

 particularly severe, and to make an investigation of its cause and its seriousness. 

 Reference to Washington, D.C., elicited the information that while this disease 

 had been reported from the North-eastern United States it was imperfectly known 

 and its cause not yet ascertained. The prevailing impression in Northern Ontario 

 seemed to be that this discoloration originated in late winter or early spring 

 as an effect of frost, but observation proved that it developed in the new leaves 

 in the latter half of July as they emerged from the buds or were as yet in an 

 early stage of their growth, and experiments demonstrated that the symptoms 

 progress slowly from the needle tips downward and may involve from a third to 

 two-thirds or even the whole needle. Many of the blighted needles fall in August 

 and' September, but others adhere for a year or longer. One immediate applica- 



10 — Sand dune covering apple orchard. 



lion ()f ibis information — already utilized — consists in tlie fact that it is now 

 possible to recognize this malady as something distinguishable from sulphur fume 

 injury with Avhich it has been confused; and there is a call for sucli a diangosis 

 over an area of perhaps 20 miles in radius from roa^^t bed centres. 



■■ Needle blight '*' is extremely prevalent in the Timagami Forest Reserve. 

 From elevations in the reserve thousands of yellowed trees may be seen, imparting 

 to tbe normally sombre green coniferous forest the distinctly autumnal tint of a 

 liardwood forest, an effect that is perhaps most pronounced in mid-August. I 

 cannot stai:e how widely spread it mav be in Ontario, but T have detected some 

 few cases in C'leland Township, near Sudbury, and some at various points as far 

 couth as Gravenhurst and APiston, also four cases in Rondeau Park on Lake Erie. 

 Trees of all ao-es are susceptible. 



