1917.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 31. 61a 



tures in September, which favored the development of the 

 fungus below ground. 



Interest in the white pine blister rust has been very general, 

 owing largely, undoubtedly, to the recent publicity given this 

 disease. Special appropriations by State and Federal govern- 

 ments have made possible a more or less complete survey of 

 the State, under the direction of the State Nursery Inspector, 

 which reveals the widespread presence of the disease. It is 

 now known to occur in every county of the State except Nan- 

 tucket. Indications are that pine infection is confined largely 

 to the extreme eastern and western parts of the State, with a 

 few scattered centers of pine infection between. On the other 

 hand, Ribes are generally infected throughout the State, often 

 in centers far removed from any pines known to be affected 

 with the disease. This condition is of interest as bearing on 

 the question of overwintering of the blister rust fungus on 

 Ribes. Coupled with the appearance of the disease on currants 

 shipped while dormant to • apparently rust-free localities from 

 nurseries known to have been infected the previous year, this 

 may be considered as an important addition to the evidence 

 accumulating in support of the supposition that the fungus 

 may occasionally survive winter in the tissue of Ribes. With 

 the disease widely distributed in the United States and Canada 

 its further spread appears inevitable, and in all probability its 

 complete eradication from State or nation can never be accom- 

 plished. That it will ever become as destructive as the chest- 

 nut canker, however, seems to the writer extremely doubtful. 



An unusual injury to white pines, apparently due to weather 

 conditions, was prevalent throughout the State, and was also 

 observed in several near-by States. The trouble was evidenced 

 by the dying of the young needles. Usually dying began at the 

 tips, but in some cases was first apparent near the middle and 

 at the base of the needles. In most instances the injured 

 needles finally dropped, leaving the new shoots bare below the 

 terminal tuft of needles which developed subsequent to the 

 period of injury. The dying of the needles seems unquestion- 

 ably to have been due to meteorological conditions which pre- 

 vailed in June when the young needles were partly grown. 

 The period was one of alternating cloudy and very bright days. 



