1901 



AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 



10 3 



Although the various large fungi common to 

 the United States are by no means unknown to 

 systematic cryptogamists, at the same time 

 practically nothing has been done thus far to de- 

 termine their effects upon our timber trees. 



Dr. Robert Hartig has devoted much study to 

 fungi injurious to European forest trees, es- 

 pecially those of German forests. The results 

 of Dr. Hartig's studies have been widely pub- 

 lished, and in some cases valuable suggestions 

 have been made to prevent the spread of these 

 injuries. Respecting American coniferous tim- 

 ber trees which have been grown in Germany, 

 and there subjected to the attack of injurious 

 fungi, we have learned considerable that is sug- 

 gestive in the study of American species of 

 lun^i injurious to these timber trees as grown in 

 America. 



An interesting and vital point in Dr. Schrenk's 

 studies is, how far the fungi described are 

 directly accountable for the death of timber 

 trees. There is also the very important ques- 

 tion of how far the combined attacks of certain 

 boring beetles and fungi are responsible for 

 the destruction of living trees. So far, Dr. 

 Schrenk's investigations point out mainly that 

 injurious fungi attack weakened or very old 

 trees through some wound. This discovery is, 

 however, not at all encouraging, since a very 

 large percentage of some of our forest trees are 

 in a dead or dying condition as the result of tire 

 and other causes than the attacks of fungi or 

 insects. Dr. Schreuk points out that this use- 

 ful dead timber may be rapidl> destroyed by 

 fungi. He shows also that in nearly all cases 

 the destruction is complete. 



For* the restricted area over which Dr. 

 Schrenk's preliminary investigations extended 

 he finds there are five principal species of injur- 

 ious fungi, with several others making a possible 

 eight altogether. While some of these species 

 are more or less common on the broad-leaved 

 trees, his attention was directed mainly to the 

 efft-ct of these fungi on the principal coniferous 

 timber trees of New England forests. These 

 trees are the Red Spruce, White Spruce (prob- 

 ably also the Black Spruce, which Dr. Schrenk 

 seems to have erroneously considered the same 

 as the Red Spruce) Balsam Fir, Hemlock, 

 Arborvitse, White Pine, and Tamarack are the 

 remaining trees subject to the attacks of these 

 fungi. The author very carefully describes the 

 character of each fungus in its relation to the 

 above trees, giving excellent illustrations also of 

 the pathological effects upon the wood struc- 

 ture. 



Owing to the short time possible to give to 

 this report, the author is compelled to admit 

 that the amount of damage wrought by these 

 fungi must as yet remain unknown. He be- 

 lieves, however, that the destruction of dead 

 and decayed timber is annually so great that the 

 loss warrants the hastening on the part of 

 lumbermen of careful utilization of all dead 

 standing timber. Dr. Schrenk is unable also to 

 point out any remedial measures of importance. 

 The one which he cites under Polyporus 



schweinitzii as a common resort in Europe for 

 checking the spread of the fungus is hardly 

 practical or applicable, as he himself admits, 

 to forests in this country. 



With extended investigation it is to be hoped 

 that the author may be able to suggest methods 

 of preventing the spread of injurious fungi in 

 American forests. In the meantime, the serious 

 damage wrought by these fungi suggests very 

 plainly that overripe coniferous timber should 

 be utilized before it is rendered useless through 

 the attacks of fungi. 



There are, as a matter of fact, not a few small 

 areas of old pine timber in the Northeast and 

 Allegheny Mountain forests which are rapidly 

 deteriorating through these causes. The owners 

 are entirely unaware of the insidious destruction 

 going on while they patiently wait for expected 

 rise in stumpage value. 



As a remedial precaution it seems possible that 

 during lumbering operations much can be done 

 that will lessen the damage from destructive 

 fungi. Lumbermen are, in a practical way, very 

 familiar with diseased trees. They know them, 

 as Dr. Schrenk remarks, as punky, conchy, etc., 

 and leave tbem standing because they are unfit 

 for lumber. It would seem wise that such trees 

 should be destroyed along with waste tops and 

 brush which improved methods of lumbering 

 insist on. G. B. S. 



Report on the Measurement of the Volume of 

 Streams and the Flow of Water in the State 

 of New York. By Edward A. Bond, State 

 Engineer and Surveyor. Pp. 127. Map 1. 

 Figs, and Illustrations 65. 



The State Engineer and Surveyor of New 

 York has issued a notable pamphlet dealing 

 with the flow of the streams of New York, 

 mainly for the year 1900. This publication is 

 of interest to foresters and engineers since it 

 shows the behavior of the streams issuing from 

 the mountain and forest-clad lands of the State. 

 It gives the daily discharge at various points in 

 cubic feet per second, these facts being graph- 

 ically shown by small diagrams. The condition 

 of the rivers is also illustrated by numerous 

 photographs. 



It is to be hoped that the State will continue 

 the collection of facts of this kind, as upon these 

 must rest the largest and best utilization of the 

 water resources of the State, and also consider- 

 ations as to the preservation of the forest and 

 the extension of the protection of the head- 

 waters of the streams. After such data have 

 been acquired, extending through a series of 

 years, it will be possible to discuss more intel- 

 ligently the effect of forest upon river flow. 



The report is noteworthy as an illustration of 

 prompt and businesslike methods on the part 

 of the State engineering office. The work was 

 authorized bv law, dated April 13, 1900, and 

 through cooperation with the U. S. Geological 

 Survey the measurements were continued 

 through that year and the results published 

 before the end' of December, the data being 

 brought up to the 30th of November. Such 



