FOREST, FISH AND GAME COMMISSIONER. 97 



river near by, but the laying of pipes and construction of a water tower 

 would cost so much that it seems better to operate this nursery without 

 using any water, the same as done hitherto. 



The stock in this enclosure consists at present of 145,000 four year-old 

 transplants, all Norway spruce. These plants will be taken up next spring 

 and sent to the plantations at Ray Brook, in Essex county. This will leave 

 the entire area bare. If this nursery is to be maintained new seed beds 

 will have to be made and sown; and a supply of two year-old seedlings to 

 fill the transplant beds must be purchased. 



The cost of raising four year-old transplants, coniferous species, is 

 about $2.50 per thousand, as near as I can estimate. In the European 

 nurseries this expense is much lower, owing to the lower price of labor, and 

 the employment of women and girls in weeding, transplanting, and bundling 

 stock for shipment. We buy plants in Europe, as our nurseries will not at 

 present furnish an adequate supply for our plantations, but owing to the 

 expense of transportation this imported stock costs us about the same.* 



Last summer Forester Woodruff, who had charge of the Wawbeek and 

 Axton nurseries, noticed that in the former one several plants were in a 

 sickly condition without any apparent cause. On examining the roots he 

 discovered the presence of a white grub, or worm, that was eating them. 

 On digging into some of the other beds he found that the ground was infested 

 with them. He identified the pest promptly as the larva of the June bug 

 and took immediate measures to rid the ground of them so far as possible. 

 A few of these worms were found in the Saranac Inn nursery also, but they 

 were discovered before any plants were destroyed. I submit here a special 

 report on this pest made by Forester Woodruff: 



To William F. Fox, Superintendent State Forests: 



Sir. — In August and September, 1907, the State tree nurseries at 

 Wawbeek and Saranac Inn station, Franklin county, N. Y., were infested 

 by an insect pest that previously had never been observed in forest tree 

 nurseries. 



* Since the above was written we have found that the imported trees are often 

 diseased and we are not buying any more foreign stock. Details of our experiences are 

 found in the reports for the years 1909 and 19 10. — [Ed.] 



