SIXTH REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR I909 47 



examined by the State Botanist who identifies them as the white 

 spruce (Picea canadensis) and states that the nearest 

 point known to him where this tree now grows is Olmsteadville, 

 Essex co. This is very interesting evidence of the change in life 

 and climate which has passed since the moose wandered through 

 forests of white spruce in the vicinity of Waterford. 



Ill 



REPORT OF THE STATE BOTANIST 



The work of the State Botanist during the season of 1909 

 has been chiefly devoted to the collection and preparation of 

 specimens of plants for the State herbarium, the preparation 

 of descriptions and in some cases of colored illustrations of 

 those considered new or edible species, the trial of the edible 

 qualities of those which gave promise of edibility and the iden- 

 tification of specimens sent or brought to the office for that 

 purpose. 



Specimens of plants have been collected in 10 counties of 

 the State and specimens have been received that were collected 

 in 18 other counties and sent or brought to the office by corre- 

 spondents or others. These specimens represent 56 species not 

 previously represented in the herbarium and jj species new 

 to the State flora. Some of these were already present in the 

 herbarium as varieties of species from which they are now 

 separated as distinct. The total additions to the herbarium 

 represent 255 species. The number of contributors is 66. The 

 number of those for whom identifications of plants have been 

 made is 152, the number of identifications made is 1717. 



Notwithstanding the unfavorable character of the past sea- 

 son to the development of fleshy mushrooms, five species have 

 been found, tried and approved as edible. This makes the num- 

 ber of New York species, now known to be edible, 200. 



The climatic similarity between the growing season of 1908 

 and 1909 was very noticeable. Both were unusually dry and 

 yet both were marked by an unusually abundant crop of the 

 common edible mushroom, Agaricus campester L. 

 In the latter season, however, the autumnal rains were much 

 less severe and indicated a more favorable condition even for 

 mushroom growth than the former. Besides the common edi- 

 ble mushroom an abundant and quite persistent crop appeared 



