THE PINE INVESTIGATION. 289 



by the roots of younger and more vigorous competitors. In all 

 such trees, as in those dying from disease, the bark at the base 

 of the tree was dead at the same time, or before the leaves and 

 branches commenced to die, thus indicating that the primary 

 cause originated at the base of the tree, or in the roots. 



A PECULIAR CHARACTER OF THE COMMON TROUBLE. 



In striking contrast to the characteristic conditions of trees 

 which had died from disease and natural causes to those which 

 were dying in groups over large areas was that the latter were 

 found to be living at the roots and base, while the tops were 

 dead or dying. In fact, trees were commonly met with, the 

 tops of which had died during the spring and summer of 1891, 

 yet the bark on the roots and base of the trunk was at that 

 time (May, 1892,) in a normal condition, and in rare cases, 

 young sprouts, especially on pitch pine, were growing on the 

 main trunk near and for some distance above the ground; thus 

 indicating beyond all doubt that we must look for the cause of 

 this common trouble in or near the top of the tree. 1 



THE CAUSE OF THE COMMON TROUBLE DISCOVERED. 



In every one of the large number of trees that I examined, 

 which had commenced to die from the top, and the roots and 

 base of the tree were living, I found the bark on the upper por 

 tion of the trunk infested by the same species of bark beetle as 

 the dead ones found in the trees examined in Hampshire 

 county in July, 1891, determined by Mr. Eichhoffas Dendroc- 

 tonus frontalis. Examples of the insect occurred in all stages 

 from the egg to the adult, and in the bark of some trees were 

 exceedingly abundant. Neither the pitch, scrub, yellow, table 

 mountain, or white pine were exempt from its]attack, and the 

 largest as well as the most vigorous and medium sized young 

 trees were alike invaded by it. Pine trees of all species and 

 sizes above a few inches in diameter were observed in consid- 

 erable numbers, the leaves of which were green and in normal 



1 This protracted vitality of the roots and base of the trunk was subsequently found 

 to be one of the most common and characteristic conditions with all kinds of indigen- 

 ous and cultivated pines and spruces in every section of the State, and all kinds of 

 soil where the trees died from the common epidemic of 1890 to the spring of 1893. 



