62 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [P. D. 4. 



smaller than was really the case, and eradication work was 

 begun in Ipswich, Topsfield and Hamilton in Essex County, 

 and in Lenox, Stockbridge and Lee in Berkshire County. The 

 scouting of the season showed, however, a more or less general 

 though scattered infection over the State, and in order to com- 

 plete the scouting eradication was finally stopped and the scout- 

 ing completed, so that as full information as possible might be 

 placed before the Legislature. 



A bill prepared by those most interested in the preservation 

 of our white pines was presented to the Legislature early in the 

 session after several meetings, at one of which the writer was 

 present to give information as to the actual conditions existing. 

 It should be stated, however, that he did not prepare the bill. 

 It was recommended that the Legislature appropriate S65,000 

 for the work of control; that diseased plants, either pines or 

 Ribes (gooseberries and currants) might be taken out and de- 

 stroyed immediately upon their discovery, and that any others 

 so situated as to be a menace might also be destroyed; and that 

 compensation be allowed for plants not actually showing the 

 disease but destroyed because of their being so located as to be 

 a menace. 



There was a prolonged delay in acting on this bill. The 

 rapid development of war conditions, and pressing demands 

 caused thereby, together with a certain amount of opposition, 

 resulted in keeping back final action for months, during which 

 much valuable work could have been carried on, and the bill 

 was not signed until May 17. In its final form no reimburse- 

 ment for plants not diseased which it seemed necessary to de- 

 stroy was allowed, and the appropriation was reduced to 

 $50,000. 



The Bureau of Plant Industry of the Federal government fol- 

 lowed the progress of the bill, and representatives of the Bureau 

 appeared at committee hearings to state the Federal interests in 

 the subject as related to State interests, and offered to meet any 

 appropriation made by the State, dollar for dollar, under certain 

 conditions, the expenditure to be supervised by the State official 

 placed in charge of the work, within stated restrictions. Final 

 action by the Legislature, therefore, provided a total of 

 $100,000 available for the work before June 30, 1918, which 



