180 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE [Pub. Doc. 



Men capable of doing reliable work of this kind are not easy 

 to obtain, and the inspection service thus far has been fortu- 

 nate in finding enough of them to cover the ground in the 

 time available. 



The Chestnut Barh Disease. — This disease, vp^hich has 

 caused the destruction of millions of chestnut trees through 

 the middle States and New England, has been claimed to be 

 spread by the sale of infected nursery stock. An unusually 

 careful examination of all chestnut trees in Massachusetts 

 nurseries during the past season was therefore made, and it 

 is a pleasure to be able to report that not a tree was found 

 showing any evidence of this trouble. 



White-pine Blister Rust. — This dangerous disease of the 

 five-leaved pines was discovered two or three years ago in 

 several shipments from Europe into various parts of this 

 counti-y. Where it attacks young trees their death appears to 

 be certain, and only a matter of a few years. Older trees 

 are seriously affected, often killed, and in any case certain 

 to become almost valueless besides serving as centers from 

 which the disease will spread to all the younger pines around. 

 If this disease were to become established it would mean the 

 destruction of our young pine forests and prevent any suc- 

 cessful reforestation of the State with pines such as is now 

 progressing so favorably. Until this year it has been im- 

 possible for lack of funds to give this subject any attention, 

 but under the more liberal appropriation now available it 

 seems most important to discover any cases of disease ex- 

 istent and stamp them out while this is yet possible. As all 

 the cases known originated in stock imported from Europe, 

 all such imports for the last four years were located and 

 examined. 



The disease is a difficult one to discover, often showing 

 itself as only a local thickening of the bark, together with 

 other unnoticeable characters, for two or three years. After 

 a time, however, it breaks through the bark and forms its 

 spores which are blown about by the winds. At this time it 

 can be found and unquestionably recognized. The inspec- 

 tion, accordingly, became an examination of all the five- 

 leaved pines received from abroad since 1909. In a few 



