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lar, natural phenomena the reason for which can only be a matter 

 of conjecture." 



The American Phytopathological Society calls attention to 

 " two dangerous European plant diseases : the potato wart, caused 

 by CJirysophlyotis endobiotica Schilb., and the blister rust of white 

 pine, caused by Peridennium st7'obi Klebahn. The former has 

 been discovered in Newfoundland. The latter has been widely 

 distributed in nine of the United States and in the Province of 

 Ontario, but is now believed to have been eradicated." The 

 Society regrets that through the absence of any national regula- 

 tion in either the United States or Canada both governments are 

 powerless to prevent the continued introduction of these and other 

 dangerous diseases, or their transference from one country to the 

 other ; and promises to support all legislation in both the 

 United States and Canada looking toward the inspection, quaran- 

 tine, or prohibition from entry of all plant material liable to intro- 

 duce these or other dangerous diseases or pests. The Society 

 feels the need of immediate action, as "every law of biology and all 

 experiences with plant diseases and pests indicate that, in a new 

 climate, with new varietal and specific hosts and with an entire 

 continent in which to spread, both diseases will reach a degree of 

 virulence unknown in Europe." 



The Outlook for November 19 gives the Forest Service "esti- 

 mate of the loss in the National Forests in Montana and Idaho 

 due to the fires and hurricane of August 26 last. The estimate 

 puts the total amount of destroyed timber at over six billion 

 board feet, or between one and two per cent, of the total stand 

 of National Forest timber, the area burned over exceeding one 

 and a quarter million acres. This announcement has caused 

 caustic comment by the opponents of the Federal administration 

 of forests. Some attempt has been made to connect the matter 

 with the 'New Nationalism', as showing that there is no neces- 

 sity for such an issue of centralization. Apparently, in the minds 

 of these critics, the fires would not have occurred if the forests 

 had been State and not National Forests!" Drought, the quan- 



