FIFTH REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR I908 



39 



Rensselaer and Steuben where special search has been made for 

 it. On the other hand, wherever special observation has been made 

 of chestnut trees they have appeared to be in good health 

 and vigor and unusually full of fruit. While the abundant crop 

 of fruit may prove to be somewhat, exhaustive of the vigor of the 

 trees it does not seem probable that the serious consequences of 

 the disease that have been predicted by some writers will be real- 

 ized. Very destructive outbreaks of parasitic fungi are usually 

 dependent on unusual climatic conditions and are of short duration. 

 In no case are they likely to exterminate the host plant. 



Specimens of plants sent or brought to the office of the State 

 Botanist for identification or for other information are always 

 welcome, for in this way not only is the desired information ob- 

 tained by the person seeking it but also interesting and valuable 

 plant specimens are sometimes added to the museum collections. 

 The number of identifications made in such cases the past year is 

 1640. The number of persons for whom identifications have been 

 made is 127. 



In many parts of the State the season just passed has been 

 strangely adverse to the mushroom crop. Rain was not lacking 

 in the early part of the season, but the prevailing low temperature 

 apparently prevented the development of mushrooms that other- 

 wise would doubtless have appeared. Later in the season when 

 the prevailing temperature was more favorable, the necessary rain 

 and moisture were lacking. This unfavorable condition continued 

 so late in the season that those species which usually appear in 

 August and September either failed entirely to appear or ap- 

 peared much later in the season. Reports state that very large 

 crops of the common mushroom, Agaric us cam pester L. 

 have appeared in a few localities in November. This is nearly or 

 quite two months later than its usual time. The light fall rains, 

 which were unusually late, gave the mycelium its first opportunity 

 to develop. These rains were followed by exceptionally fine mild 

 and sunny weather which was very favorable to the development 

 and spread of the mycelium or " spawn." The result was a very 

 abundant crop of mushrooms in those places where a rich soil 

 aided the favorable weather conditions. 



The new species and varieties of fungi described by the State 

 Botanist are now so numerous and the periodicals, reports and 

 bulletins containing these descriptions are so many and so scat- 

 tered and the inquiries concerning the place where one and another 



