16 P.D. 123 



nurseries, but infected pines seem to be on the decrease and the situation is not 

 considered serious. In nurseries where there is a considerable number of 

 five-leafed pines being grown a Ribes-free area is maintained for a distance 

 of 1500 feet from the pines. 



The Division inspected and certified 351 nurseries and issued 526 agent's 

 licenses. 



It was brought to the attention 'of this division that an infestation of Ear- 

 wigs existed in Bristol County. This insect has been present in Rhode Island 

 for several years, and is particularly annoying as a household pest. Trapping 

 and the use of poison bait is recommended for its control. 



No systematic scouting was carried on for the Dutch Elm Disease, but a 

 large number of inspections were made at the request of owners of elm trees 

 whifh appeared to be diseased. Samples from these trees were taken and 

 diagnoses made of them at the Massachusetts Experiment station. In all cases 

 they proved to be affected with something other than the Dutch Elm Disease. 

 Massachusetts is still outside of the infected area. The nearest point that this 

 disease has been found is at Old Lyme, Connecticut. 



The European corn borer control was conducted under the same program 

 we have practiced the last few years ; namely, by having a corps of inspectors 

 in the field early in December who report cases where corn stubble has not 

 been disposed of. Over 1,000 violations were listed and the guilty parties 

 summonsed to hearings. The insect seems to have been more serious in the 

 vicinity of the Connecticut Valley this year than in previous seasons, but 

 the infestation thi-oughout <the State has changed very little. There is some 

 agitation among the farmers as to whether or not the corn boi-er control is 

 worthwhile, especially as many of them are attempting to carry out a soil 

 conservation program. The final solution of this will be whether the corn borer 

 causes greater damage to the corn than the soil erosion causes to the farm. 



Through the availability of Federal emergency relief appropriations, funds 

 were allotted to the Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine of the United 

 States Department of Agriculture for expenditure on White Pine Blister 

 Rust Control work in Massachusetts, in co-operation with this Division. From 

 January thi'ough April, and again from October through December, workers 

 were engaged in the prepai-ation of field maps showing the location and extent 

 of land areas where white pines need protection from blister rust. Examina- 

 tion was made of 542,600 acres and control areas comprising 176,800 acres 

 were designated. In addition, during the same periods 12,600 blister rust cank- 

 ers were pruned from 84,000 white pines in plantations growing on publicly- 

 owned lands. During the period from May through September, time was 

 devoted to the eradication of currant and gooseberry bushes — the alternate 

 host plants of the blister rust disease — in white pine areas and in the environs 

 of three pine-growing nurseries. In this work, approximately 856,500 wild and 

 1.100 cultivated currant and gooseberry bushes were cleared from neai'ly 

 57,000 acres of land. The task of completely eliminating the European Black 

 Currant from cultivation throughout the Commonwealth, because of its un- 

 usual susceptibility to blister rust, was definitely completed during the sum- 

 mer field season. During this final clean up work, 888 black currant plants 

 were eradicated. 



There were a large number of towns in Massachusetts where the apiaries 

 had not been inspected for several years, and it was thought advisable to 

 make an examination of these. The inspection showed that they were in good 

 condition, and because of the few colonies, it is hoped that this inspection will 

 be all that is necessary for several seasons. The rest of the time was spent 

 inspecting apiaries where the fruit growers have made it a practice of bringing 

 in package bees from southern States. The results of this year's inspection 

 did not disclose any great amount of foulbrood, but did show that a systematic 

 inspection should be made each year, starting in May, in order that those 

 sections of the State where bees are kept in any number can be examined every 

 second year. 



