﻿REPORT 
  OP 
  THE 
  STATE 
  BOTANIST 
  1903 
  5 
  

  

  of 
  rain 
  and 
  in 
  its 
  prevailing 
  low 
  temperature. 
  It 
  has 
  also 
  been 
  

   similar, 
  at 
  least 
  in 
  the 
  eastern 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  State, 
  in 
  its 
  adverse 
  

   influence 
  on 
  mushroom 
  growth. 
  In 
  some 
  respects 
  its 
  adverse 
  

   character 
  seems 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  intensified. 
  Possibly 
  the 
  excessive 
  

   drouth 
  in 
  the 
  early 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  season 
  may 
  to 
  some 
  extent 
  be 
  

   responsible 
  for 
  this 
  by 
  preventing 
  the 
  development 
  of 
  the 
  my- 
  

   celium 
  of 
  some 
  species. 
  In 
  1895 
  and 
  1896 
  the 
  abundance 
  of 
  the 
  

   crop 
  of 
  the 
  common 
  mushroom 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  smooth 
  mushroom 
  was 
  

   remarkable. 
  They 
  had 
  then 
  apparently 
  reached 
  4heir 
  greatest 
  

   abundance. 
  In 
  the 
  few 
  following 
  years 
  they 
  appeared 
  in 
  moderate 
  

   but 
  diminishing 
  quantity. 
  In 
  1901 
  but 
  few 
  were 
  seen 
  in 
  the 
  

   vicinity 
  of 
  Albany. 
  In 
  1902 
  they 
  were 
  still 
  less 
  in 
  number 
  and 
  

   in 
  1903 
  I 
  did 
  not 
  see 
  a 
  single 
  specimen 
  of 
  the 
  common 
  mushroom 
  

   in 
  the 
  whole 
  region 
  about 
  Albany. 
  This 
  species 
  at 
  least 
  seems 
  

   to 
  have 
  reached 
  its 
  lowest 
  point 
  of 
  productiveness. 
  The 
  proba- 
  

   bility 
  is 
  that 
  there 
  will 
  now 
  be 
  a 
  gradual 
  return 
  to 
  greater 
  crops 
  

   of 
  this 
  mushroom. 
  It 
  is 
  very 
  evident 
  that 
  much 
  moisture, 
  

   specially 
  if 
  attended 
  by 
  prevailing 
  low 
  temperature, 
  is 
  not 
  favor- 
  

   able 
  to 
  large 
  crops 
  of 
  mushrooms. 
  Probably 
  the 
  most 
  favorable 
  

   seasons 
  will 
  be 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  those 
  of 
  moderate 
  rainfall 
  and 
  

   medium 
  or 
  rather 
  high 
  temperature, 
  the 
  rains 
  being 
  gentle 
  and 
  

   frequent. 
  

  

  Specimens 
  of 
  about 
  75 
  species 
  and 
  varieties 
  of 
  edible 
  mush- 
  

   rooms 
  have 
  been 
  placed 
  in 
  trays 
  and 
  arranged 
  in 
  table 
  cases 
  for 
  

   permanent 
  exhibition. 
  Specimens 
  of 
  species 
  of 
  fungi 
  injurious 
  

   to 
  wood 
  have 
  also 
  been 
  placed 
  in 
  table 
  cases, 
  and 
  also 
  species 
  of 
  

   parasitic 
  fungi 
  destructive 
  to 
  cultivated 
  and 
  useful 
  plants. 
  

   These 
  and 
  samples 
  of 
  wood 
  and 
  bark 
  affected 
  by 
  mycelium 
  of 
  

   various 
  wood-destroying 
  fungi 
  constitute 
  an 
  economic 
  collection 
  

   of 
  fungi 
  which 
  should 
  be 
  instructive 
  and 
  of 
  popular 
  interest. 
  

  

  The 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  Crataegus 
  flora 
  of 
  the 
  eastern 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  

   State 
  has 
  been 
  continued 
  and 
  considerable 
  time 
  devoted 
  to 
  it. 
  

   Specimens 
  have 
  been 
  collected 
  in 
  the 
  counties 
  of 
  Albany, 
  Saratoga, 
  

   Warren, 
  Essex, 
  Washington, 
  Kensselaer 
  and 
  Columbia. 
  A 
  few 
  

   have 
  also 
  been 
  collected 
  in 
  the 
  counties 
  of 
  Hamilton 
  and 
  Scho- 
  

   harie, 
  but 
  only 
  a 
  single 
  visit 
  was 
  made 
  to 
  each 
  of 
  these 
  localities, 
  

  

  