1921-22 



DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND FORESTS 



259 



Table II. 



Type. 



White Pine. . . 



Barrens 



Hardwood. . . . 

 Other Conifers 

 Poplar-Birch. . 



Mixed 



Swamp 



Stations. 



4 

 10 



4 

 26 

 16 

 15 



7 

 12 



Absent. 



4 

 4 

 3 



10 

 7 

 7 

 4 



12 



100% 

 40% 



75% 

 38% 

 44% 

 47% 

 57% 

 100% 



Few. 



40% 



25% 

 12% 

 19% 

 13% 

 14% 



Moderate. 



20% 



27% 

 18% 



29% 



Numerous. 



6 23% 



3 19% 



1 7% 



It will be seen that gooseberries are somewhat more uniformly distributed 

 among the various types than currants. A comparison between Charts I and II 

 shows that the percentages are practically equal in barrens, while the group con- 

 sisting of hardwoods, conifers and poplar-birch is very uniform in both cases. 

 For the rest, gooseberries are frequent where currants are infrequent and vice 

 versa. Table II shows that gooseberries are not "numerous" as often as currants. 

 This is chiefly because the unit in the case of gooseberries, is, on the whole, larger 

 than that of currants. While the unit for currants was taken to be about four 

 square feet of ground many gooseberry bushes grow to a size four times this. 



Chart III shows graphically the percentages of the various types containing 

 either currants or gooseberries. From it may be seen that apart from bog, 

 swamp, mixed and barrens, all the types gather about 50 per cent. Of the 

 irregular types swamp and mixed are as high as bog and barrens are low. 



It may be concluded that there is an even chance that some species of 

 currants or gooseberries will be found at any arbitrarily selected spot in the 

 territory. Almost every foot of ground in this region is a potential bearer of 

 one of the hosts of the blister rust. 



The actual number of plants found per unit area in the various types is, of 

 course, widely variable. The two species which chiefly determine the number 

 of currants or gooseberries found in any given area are the ones that also delimit 

 their distribution, namely the skunk currant, Ribes glandulosum and prickly 

 gooseberry, Grossularia cynoshati. 



The former species occurred in 69 per cent, of the stations established and 

 in 29 per cent, was growing in great numbers, not often less than 50 and frequently 

 over ICO plants per 10,000 square feet. In terms of acres this would mean from 

 200 to 500 plants. It is to be remembered in this connection that these represent 

 maximum figures and that in 31 per cent, of the stations the skunk currant was 

 absent entirely. 



The other currants rarely exceed the skunk currant where they occur 

 together. An exception to this might be made in the case of the swamp black 

 currant (Ribes lacustre), which in a few instances was found to outnumber 

 the skunk currant. In two such stations in Algonquin Park the currants were 

 distributed as follows: — 



Ribes lacustre 56 55 



R. triste 20 15 



R. glandulosum 11 46 



The prickly gooseberry was found in 46 per cent, of the stations. The fact 

 that it does not occur in swampy locations where there is a 100 per cent, occur- 

 rence of the skunk currant accounts in large part for this lower figure. In only 



