REPORT OF" THE STATE BOTANIST I912 9 



One of our thorn bushes, Crataegus helderbergensis 

 Sarg., the Helderberg thorn, failed entirely to bear fruit this 

 season, probably because its blossoms were in the right condi- 

 tion to be frozen on the night of June 14th or possibly because 

 it was an " off year." Sometimes thorn trees, like apple trees, 

 appear to have " off years " ; that is, a year in which a thorn 

 tree bears an abundant crop of fruit is likely to be followed by 

 one in which it bears no fruit, as if the production of the abund- 

 ant crop had so weakened its vigor as to render it incapable of 

 bearing two abundant crops in two successive years. The fruit- 

 less year is called an " off year." 



It is interesting to note the correspondence between the favor- 

 able influences of a season on the common products of the 

 garden and field and on the mycological crop of the woods, pas- 

 tures and waste places. A productive season in one case is usu- 

 ally a productive season in the other. The very fruitful season 

 of 1912 was ushered in by an unusually abundant crop of morels 

 as the following quotations from communications of correspond- 

 ents will show. " We had a very fair morel season this year and I 

 found about 300." " Mushrooms are very early and very plenti- 

 ful here this season." " We never had so many or such large 

 morels before." My own experience here in the vicinity of Al- 

 bany corroborates the above statements. I found morels larger 

 and more plentiful than usual. They seemed to presage an 

 abundantly fruitful season. This prophetic indication has been 

 very satisfactorily fulfilled by an unusually good crop of wild 

 mushroom growths in general; and in August and September 

 the common mushroom, Agaricus campestris L., was 

 very plentiful in pastures in the vicinity of Albany. 



Much time has been required and devoted to the necessary 

 preparation for the removal of the herbarium and duplicate 

 specimens from Geological Hall to their new location in the 

 Education Building. The specimens have been securely tied in 

 bundles or, if kept in small boxes, safely packed in larger boxes 

 to facilitate their handling and secure transportation. The con- 

 tents of the table cases of the anteroom, in anticipation of 

 removal, have for several weeks been packed in boxes and been 

 ready for transportation. 



Respectfully submitted 



Charles H. Peck 



State Botanist 



Albany, December 31, 1912 



