30 ANM AL IlKPORTS OF I 'KI'AH r.Mi:NT OF A(JHI( 'ULTUUK. 11337 
A much lar^'cr and lK>ttci-t rained for<-e of scouts was placed in the field this 
year. A larfje projxtrt ion of the men chosen cotd«l already identify elms and 
climb, so that training; was concentrated on scoulini; techni(iuc and the recojjni- 
tion of symptoms of th(? disease. Scout schools did not close until the middle 
of Aujrust. An authorization received on July 23 for an increase from 10 i)ercent 
to 3 ) i)ercent in the personnel not drawn from relief rolls that could be hired 
on W. P. A. funds assisted materially in relieving the diflicullies that had been 
i-ncountered in filling recpiisilious placed with local W. V. A. oflicvs. Authority 
for 143 W. I*. A. supervisory appoinlments of exiK'rienced men to work full 
time also j;reatly assisted in completion of \ho season's scouting i)rosram. both 
in the major infected zone and at outside points. Progress in the season's 
scouting in most sections at the end of July was e<iuivalent to the accomplish- 
ments late in August in 1935. 
Scouting a( tivities during 1936 more nearly approached the scheduled three 
surveys of the entire work area than in any previous year, notwithstanding 
increases in territory as a result of current findings. In addition to one com- 
l)lete survey of the entire infected area, the Coiuiecticut infected zone was 
completely scouted on a second and a third survey. Api)roximately S'y i>ercent 
of the infected areas in New Jersey and New York were covered a second time, 
while 40 percent of the New Jersey infected area and 0.1 pcrctMit of the New York 
infected zone were scouted on the third survey. Scouting of the 10-mile pro- 
tective area was IfX) percent complete in Connecticut and New Jersey in the 
first survey; approximately 30 pt^rcont complete in Connecticut and T't percent 
complete in New Jersey in a second survey ; and neijligible in the third survey. 
Scouts in a cruising auto covered approximately 2r> percent of the i)rotective 
area in New York. 
During the foliar season only 22 diseased trees, as against .39 in 193;j, were 
discovered by scouts assigned to isolated cities in which infection had previ- 
ously been discovered. Cleveland and Cincinnati. Ohio, and Brunswick. Md.. 
showed no e^•idence of tlw disea.se this year. One diseased tree each was found 
in Baltimore. Md., and Norfolk, Va., and 19 suspected cases were confirmed in 
Indianapolis. The only isolated tirst-record iufeclion discovered in 19.3r> was 
that found by railroad foot sc(»uts in a wood lot approximately one-half mile 
beyond the eastern limits of the Baltimore & Ohio freight yards in Cumberland, 
Md. Discoloration in the elm was noted in the 1934. 193'), and 1930 annual rings. 
Organization of railroad scouting activities was completed August 2 and the 
work continued until the last week in September. Men with from 1 to 3 years' 
experience were selected for this work. One four-man crew on foot scouted rlie 
Baltimore & Ohio right-of-wa.v from Harpers Ferry to Clarksburg. W. Va. Ten 
two-man crews in cars scouted the other railroads over which imi>orted elm 
logs traveled to veneer mills, paying particular attention to junction and freight 
make-up points. Railroads worked to the Middle Wc^st were the New York 
Central. Erie. Peunsyl vauia. Baltimore & (~)hio, and Lackawanna, from New 
York City: the "Western Maryland, from Baltimore: the Norfolk & West(M-n from 
Norfolk: the Southern. Illinois Central. Louisville & Nashville, and Missouri 
Pacific, from New Orleans: and the Big Four and Nickel Plate in New York. 
Pennsylvania. Ohio, and Indiana. Kansas City was the westernmost city 
scouted. This is the first season that these routes have been completely surveyed 
by the scouting force. In addition to the finds of diseased trees at isolated 
points, an infestation of the smaller Furop(\in elm bark bt>ctle was discoverefl 
at Parkersburg. W. Va. 
Since the smaller European elm bark beetle is the most important insect 
vector of the Dutch elm dis(\ise in this country, the scouts returned to Parkers- 
burg. W. Vn.. to determine tlie extent of the infestation. The infested area, 
comprising apprf>xim.Mtely T.HOO s(iuar(^ mil(\s. is roughly boiuided by Wheeling. 
Olem ille. and Cliarlesfou. W. Va. : and Ironton. Wfllstou. Athens, and Mcl^on- 
nelsville. Ohio. An intensive search was made in this area for diseased trees, 
with neg.'jtive results. Surveys in the Ohio ami West Virginia S:rnluti(ii area 
were completed December 11. Sixty spe<'imeus of l)e<»tle galleries and trunk 
samples cf>llected and sent t() the laboratory to be tested for Cf rntnutowrlln vhni 
gave negative cultures. 
The success of aerial scouts in locating wilted elms last y(>ar led to th(^ pur- 
chase of three additional aulogiros for the scouting of an^as not easily covere<l 
in nnv other way. Fsiug aerial jihotogranhic (^r township maps, on which the 
aerial ob.servers had indicated locations of willed elms, ground crews were able 
to locate, .s.ample. and tag any such tree showing symptoms typical of the Dut<'h 
