104 FOREST PROTECTION AND CONSERVATION 
white pine survey in the southern part of the state, beginning in 
the town of Kittery, and continuing through Eliot and York, up to 
the Berwick line. 
The labor situation was not very different from what we had 
to contend with during the field season of 1918, and prices were 
about the same. 
Advertisements in local papers brought but three applicants, 
or even inquiries, and only one of these would consider the job at 
all at the wages offered. He happened to be an experienced woods- 
man, living at home for the summer, and he liked the kind of work 
offered well enough to forego larger wages in more confining em- 
ployment. He proved to be one of our best and most satisfactory 
men in every way. 
SCOUTING 
Both Mr. Curtis and Mr. Kimball, as well as the State Agent, 
did scouting work during the season, but no new areas of infection 
were discovered. ‘This would seem to indicate that the disease 
is not spreading, at least to any alarming degree throughout Maine. 
Whether we can go so far as to say that the work already done 
has had an effect in holding the disease in check and in confining it 
to the areas now known to be diseased, is problematical. Certainly 
there are no present indications of a rapid spread of the disease. 
It is, therefore, against the possible damage to young growth 
and reproduction of this valuable species that we must direct all 
our efforts. 
The method of preliminary scouting adopted at the request of 
the Bureau of Plant Industry for eradication work proved satisfac- 
tory and helped to reduce the cost figures on eradication areas 
where it was used.. 
The following method, as outlined by Mr. E. C. Filler, has been 
used in Maine: 
PRELIMINARY SCOUTING 
Preliminary scouting is used to advantage in sections where the 
bushes are comparatively few, and grow more or less in patches, 
or in a territory where only certain types contain Ribes. Such 
scouting consists of finding the Ribes in a section and marking 
their location in the field and on a map so that the bushes in such 
places can be pulled at some future time without having to strip 
the whole area. No eradication work is performed by the crew in 
