54 EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



tlie pine roots showed the results of the former winter-killing, 

 but a decided improvement of the new feeding roots was noticed. 

 The severe burning of the pitch pine, noticeable in some locali- 

 ties, is associated largely, if not wholly, with insect work. 



Shade and forest trees have had much to contend with in 

 recent years owing to severe drought and other factors, and 

 some of our finest specimens of maples, elms, ash and other 

 specimens have been slowly dying for some years. A peculiar 

 trouble of the elm and sycamore has been brought to our atten- 

 tion many times the past few years ; that is, the loss of the 

 outer bark. This trouble has been noted in other States, and in 

 one city which was visited by us a large number of trees in this 

 condition was found. In some instances the injury had ex- 

 tended to the wood, large areas of the bark having died back to 

 the wood, but in most cases the trouble is confined to the outer 

 bark. In such instances no permanent damage will result. 

 This injury dates back to the cold winter of four or five years 

 ago. Some large sycamore trees shed their outer bark to the 

 ground, causing much concern to those who prize them highly as 

 shade trees. 



Much premature defoliation and sun scald have occurred 

 during the past two summers, but this sun scald has not been 

 confined to city and village trees. It is often seen on trees 

 growing in their native habitat. 



Seed Woek. 



There has been an increase in the seed work of the past year, 

 samples for germination tests having been received from many 

 more growers than ever before. Eight hundred ninety-eight 

 pounds more seed were separated than in the year 1907. By 

 the aid of the new methods and improved apparatus which have 

 been adopted the work was done with greater facility than has 

 before been possible. 



During the past year attention has been given to the further 

 development of apparatus for the separation of seed. One of 

 the worst contaminated seeds which the farmer has to contend 

 with is grass seed, and at the present time we have no suitable 

 methods for separating certain weed seeds from the grass seed. 



