PINE DISEASES 271 



Beown Felt-Blight 



Caused by Neopeekia Coulteri (Peck) Saoc. 



The brown felt-blight of pine is a common disease at altitudes 

 from six to eleven thousand feet above sea level in northwestern 

 United States. The leaves and twigs are covered and matted 

 together by an abundant growth of brown mycelium. It is 

 indistinguishable from the brown felt-blight of "other species of 

 conifers. The behavior of this disease is in every way parallel 

 to the similar disease of spruce which is discussed on page 317. 



Leaf-Cast and Witches'-Broom of Western Yellow Pine 



Caused by Hypoderma deformans Weir 



This disease is destructive to western yellow pine in the 

 Northwest and on the Pacific Coast. A similar disease on 

 Jeffrey pine in California may be caused by the same fungus. 

 The needles of western yellow pine of all ages are killed. Seed- 

 lings and young trees may be destroyed outright. On older 

 trees the needles of the season become infected, gradually turn 

 yellow and brown and fall from the twigs. They may remain 

 on the tree for one or more years, however, and this gives the 

 appearance that the needles of all ages are affected. The 

 mycelium enters the young twigs. The affected twigs remain 

 stunted and large brooms are formed. The brooms hang 

 from the limb. The black fruiting-bodies of the fungus 

 break through the epidermis of the leaves in the autumn. 

 They are mature the following spring and may shed their spores 

 throughout the summer. Further details concerning the leaf- 

 cast diseases will be found on page 38. 



Reference 



Weir, J. R. Hypoderma deformans, an undeseribed needle fungus of 

 the western yellow pine. Jour. Agr. Res. 6 : 277-288, pi. 32, 

 figs. 1-4. 1916. 



