thecia. Eleven days later (June 26), lammas shoots were beginning to 

 develop and buds were still opening as late as July 23 on some trees. 

 An important faet here is that a second Hush of needles developed 

 while the apothecia were still producing ascospores. Ascospores were 

 Eound within apothecia at Camden as late as August 2. 



In 1957, buds on spring shoots were mature on July 8. Some were 

 opening at this date, but they were few and scattered. Adventitious 

 buds were developing at this time also, both along the branches 

 previously defoliated by the needle cast disease, and around the 

 frosted terminal buds. By July 14, very few buds were breaking, but 

 on microscopic examination of apothecia it was found that asci and 

 ascospores were still forming on 1956 lammas shoots. 



The environmental conditions which are conducive to the forma- 

 tion of late shoots are apparently similar to those which are necessary 

 for the development of the disease on the previously infected spring 

 needles. This was true during the 1956 season. The prolonged sum- 

 mer and fall precipitation advanced the fungal development to 

 such an extent that by late November, needles which were normally 

 only faintly spotted, were red-brown and often exhibited the 

 erumpent cushion form of the young apothecia. These symptoms 

 are not normally seen until late March or early April of the fol- 

 lowing spring. 



The overlapping life cycles of the spring and late shoot infections 

 and the effects of heavy precipitation in accelerating the develop- 

 ment of the disease suggest reasons for the varying reports on the 

 symptomatology of the disease. The periods of initial yellow spotting 

 and later merging of these spots were difficult to limit in point of 

 time. Certain trees, with lammas shoots, were found with both 

 yellow flecks and red-brown blotches on needles throughout the 

 summer, whereas other trees, with or without lammas growth, 

 showed no visible evidences of infection until late December. 



44 



