Part I.] STATE NURSERY INSPECTOR. 79 



were found mth the twigs and branches badly diseased. They were 

 growing under different environmental conditions; some in wild wood- 

 land, others on the lawns of large estates serving an ornamental purpose, 

 receiving excellent care and valued very higlily. These trees were en- 

 tirely free from other pests, and evidently in a very vigorous and healthy 

 condition before tliis disease reached them. It was not uncommon to 

 cut from 100 to 200 diseased parts from such a tree, the infected parts 

 ranging from tiny twigs to limbs 6 inches in diameter. In one case at 

 Ipswich, a tree 1 foot in diameter at the base was found with the disease 

 "fruiting" on the trunk about 10 feet above the ground. At South 

 Weymouth large native trees were found with diseased branches. At 

 Rehoboth trees varying from 10 to 35 or 40 feet in height were badly 

 infected, the smaller ones usually being diseased at the base, while the 

 larger ones had infected branches of various dimensions, and in some 

 cases the main trunk was girdled by the disease about 10 feet from the 

 top. It was estimated that the infection had been present at this par- 

 ticular spot about seven years. The above facts indicate very plainly 

 what effect this disease will have on our pine trees both large and small 

 if time enough for its full development be given. 



On small trees the injury is extremely serious. No tree under 

 twenty years of age (or, in fact, of any age) has so far been 

 found which lias recovered from the disease. Where the attack 

 is on the trunk, girdling ultimately results in the death of the 

 tree. On a limb the disease girdles it and then generally works 

 back to the tnmk and attacks that. The condition of thou- 

 sands of young pines examined during the last five years amply 

 attests this statement. If old pines in this country are crippled 

 and young trees are killed, and no trees are known which have 

 recovered, it would seem conclusive that the blister rust is a 

 "serious plant disease . . . liable to cause financial loss" within 

 the terms of the law, and that to declare it a public nuisance 

 is entirely justified. 



It is only fair to state that two or three foresters and plant 

 pathologists in this country doubt if the disease will ever 

 become so serious as to require radical measures for its con- 

 trol. On the other hand, those who have had the most experi- 

 ence working with the disease in the field are all convinced 

 that it is a serious menace to the white pines of this country. 

 At a recent meeting in Albany, New York, of foresters, nursery 

 inspectors and others who have had charge of the work of 

 ascertaining conditions in the different States and in Canada, 



