258 



REPORT OF THE 



No. 3 



in places where the skunk currant was absent. Consequently from the point 

 of view of the distribution of wild currants in the territory, the skunk currant 

 is the limiting factor. 



Of the gooseberries, the prickly gooseberry (Grossularia cynosbati) is the 

 commonest and most widely distributed. This species also is cosmopolitan, 

 having been found in all the habitats possible except sphagnum bog and swamp. 

 In this case too, it is found practically wherever other gooseberries occur, very 

 few exceptions to this rule having been noted. The smooth gooseberry G. 

 oxyacanthoides) ranks next in distribution followed by G. hirtella (very 

 similar to the smooth gooseberry) and G. rotundifolia. Nevertheless, here, 

 as with the currants, one common and widely distributed species determines 

 the distribution of the whole group. 



4. Frequency. — The appended Table (I) shows an analysis of the number 

 of times currants were encountered in various habitats and forest types. 



Table I. 



Type. 



No. 

 Stations. 



Absent. 



Few. 



Moderate. 



Numerous. 



White Pine . . . 



Barrens 



Hardwood .... 

 Other Conifers 

 Poplar-Birch. . 



Mixed 



Swamp 



4 

 10 



4 

 26 

 16 

 15 



7 

 12 



3 

 11 



7 



100% 



80% 



75% 

 42% 

 44% 

 40% 

 14% 



1 



10% 



2 8% 



3 19% 

 2 13% 



15% 

 6% 



43% 

 16 % 



1 

 1 

 9 



5 



7 



3 



10 



10% 



25% 

 35% 

 31% 

 47% 

 43% 

 84% 



Legend: — Few: 1-5 plants per plot, 50 x 50. 

 Moderate: 5-25 plants per plot. 

 Numerous: Over 25 plants per plot. 

 Bog: Sphagnum bog only. 



White pine: White pine stands, not necessarily pure. 

 Other conifers: Includes all conifers except white pines. 

 Barrens: Fairly recent burns. 

 Swamp: All swampy types included, except sphagnum bog. 



Chart No. I is based upon the figures of the table. For the purposes of the 

 chart, however, no account is taken of the numbers in which the currants occur, 

 but it shows the percentage of the various types that contain currants, whether 

 few, moderate or numerous. 



From this chart it will be seen that the types fall into three groups on the 

 basis of the percentage of cases in which currants occur: 



1. Bog, white pine, barrens — small percentage or none. 



2. Hardwoods, other conifers, poplar-birch — between 50 and 60% 



3. Mixed and swamp— 80 to 100%. 



The figures of the table show, moreover, that where currants do occur, 

 they frequently are present in large numbers, running up to several hundreds 

 per acre. 



Table H shows the number of times gooseberries were encountered in these 

 same topographical and forest types, and Chart H is derived from this table in 

 a manner similar to the way in which Chart I was derived. 



