35 



followed by excessively hot weather and a period of drought. It has 

 been noticed for several years, but much more so at the present 

 time." 



Mr. Charles Bosworth of Winchendon says: "I have noticed the 

 blight for six or eight years, and do not think it serious. This year I 

 noticed it first on one or two trees in the grove in front of my house. 

 These trees are now recovered, while others are affected. In three or 

 four weeks' time I think it will be entirely gone." 



Mr. White of Winchendon says: "I have noticed the blight for a long 

 time. One old pine has been in nearly this same condition every year 

 for the past ten years. I do not think it is serious." . 



Mr. W. H. Brown of Winchendon says: "About two years ago we 

 purchased a tract of growing pine of about six or seven acres. The 

 trees, about a foot high, were at the time pretty generally attacked 

 with the blight, and we hesitated in buying it, on that account. We 

 bought it, however, and to-day it is a thrifty growth, only a few pines 

 being attacked. " 



Mr. J. G. Folsom, tree warden, says: "I first noticed the blight about 

 six years ago. Just above the village there were several trees affected on 

 both sides of the road. I watched it for two years, and did not notice 

 any increase. The timber on one side was then cut off, but now I cannot 

 find any trace on the trees on the opposite side." 



One suggestion as to the cause of it is that some insect has attacked 

 the trees; but in the investigation thus far made nothing has been dis- 

 covered to substantiate that proposition. There is no sign of animal life 

 on the dead needles, nor have the needles been stung before wither- 

 ing. 



Early in the season Professor Rane communicated with Dr. G. E. 

 Stone, at the Hatch Experiment Station, and in a reply to one of the 

 State Forester's letters Dr. Stone writes on the subject as follows: 

 "This trouble has been common since the cold winter of three years ago. 

 I had opportunities to investigate it at that time, and the next year it 

 commenced to show very badly on trees in the form of sun scald, and in 

 the winter in the form of fungi. There were half a dozen fungi found 

 on the pine, but in my estimation all of these were merely the result of 

 the weakened condition of the trees, owing to the severe winter. Dr. 

 Hermann von Schenck and others agree with me. 



"My diagnosis of the trouble is as follows: During that cold winter 

 an enormous number of trees were injured, both above and below the 

 ground. I have seen acres of trees, like birches, alders, apple, cherry and 

 a whole host of others, injured at the same time. The pine was injured 

 below as well as above the ground, and I have dug up their roots year 

 after year and found the small ones dead. . . . There was quite a large 

 percentage of the small roots which died, and the dry summer was too 

 hard for them ; consequently, the trees suffered from sun scald, and as a 

 result of this and the dying of the tips of the leaves fungi came in after- 



