No. 4.] STATE NURSERY INSPECTOR. 181 



cases unmistakable evidence of its presence was found and 

 every such tree was at once destroyed. In other cases sus- 

 picious trees were either destroyed when their owners would 

 permit or were recorded and permitted to remain, pending 

 a further examination next spring at the time when the dis- 

 ease if actually present may be expected to show itself con- 

 clusively. The slowness of the trouble in manifesting itself 

 in many cases makes this a difficult disease to handle. The 

 present condition is that all trees certainly diseased have 

 been destroyed ; doubtful cases will be examined next spring 

 with particular care ; and all the others of this group of trees 

 imported since 1909 will be inspected both next spring and 

 in 191-4 to insure the discovery of delayed cases, it being 

 believed that all such will become evident by that time. 



In this connection the probability that more cases of the 

 disease were being imported during the spring was recog- 

 nized, and a close watch of the pine imports was given. That 

 this was justified is shown by the discovery of nearly 25,000 

 plants in two separate shipments, many of which were 

 already markedly affected. These were at once destroyed, 

 but the possibility of pines infected but not showing the 

 blister rust being sent in was so evident that the only safe 

 method for the protection of the State seemed to be to issue 

 an order that none should be imported. This was accordingly 

 done, the order being effective June 1, 1912, to hold good 

 until revoked. Later, Bulletin 1 of the inspection service 

 was issued, describing the disease and its danger, and was 

 given a wide circulation throughout the State, that persons 

 having plantations of young pines might be on the watch for 

 this trouble and possibly avoid its development in some 

 consignment which had not come to the knowledge of the 

 inspector. 



It is a pleasure in this connection to acknowledge the kind 

 assistance of Mr. Perley Spaulding of the Bureau of Plant 

 Pathology, United States Department of Agriculture, who 

 has made a special study of this disease, in the identification 

 of doubtful cases, and advising the best methods of procedure. 



Abolition of the Tag System. — The inspector has always 

 had very little faith in the value of the tag system which 



