atP b 1957 XB Tu- 3 s-e, Survey of Airborne Pollen and Fungus Spores of New York State A PRELIMINARY REPORT By Eugene C. Ogden State Botanist New York State Museum and Science Service NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM AND SCIENCE SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER 356 Published by The University of the State of New York Albany, N. Y. July 1957 M428r-Ja57-2000 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2017 with funding from IMLS LG-70-15-0138-15 https://archive.org/details/bulletinnewyorks3561newy Survey of Airborne Pollen and Fungus Spores of New York State A PRELIMINARY REPORT By Eugene C. Ogden State Botanist New Y ork State Museum and Science Service NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM AND SCIENCE SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER 356 Published by The University of the State of New York Albany, N. Y. July 1957 M428r-Ja5 7-2000 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK Regents of the University With years when terms expire 1959 Roger W. Straus, Litt. B., LL. D., L. H. D., D. H. L., Chancellor - -- -- -- -- - New York 1969 John F. Brosnan, A. M., LL. B., J. D., LL. D., D. C. L., Vice Chancellor ------- New York 1963 Mrs. Caroline Werner Gannett, L. H. D., LL. D. - - Rochester 1961 Dominick F. Maurillo, A. B., M. D., LL. D. Brooklyn 1962 Jacob L. Holtzmann, LL. B., LL. D., D. C. L. - - - - New York 1968 Edgar W. Couper, A. B., LL. D. - Binghamton 1964 Alexander J. Allan, Jr., LL. D., Litt. D. Troy 1967 Thad L. Collum, C. E. Syracuse 1966 George L. Hubbell, Jr., A. B., LL. B. - - Garden City 1958 T. Norman Hurd, B. S., Ph. D. - -- -- -- -- Ithaca 1960 Charles W. Millard, Jr., A. B. - - - - Buffalo 1965 Chester H. Lang, A. B., LL. D. --------- - Schenectady 1970 Everett J. Penny, B. C. S. ---------- - White Plains President of the University and Commissioner of Education James E. Allen, Jr., Ed. M., Ed. D., LL. D. Deputy Commissioner of Education Ewald B. Nyquist, B. S., LL. D., Pd. D. Associate Commissioner for Higher Education Assistant Commissioner for State Museum and Science Service William N. Fenton, A. B., Ph. D. State Botanist, State Science Service Eugene C. Ogden, M. S., A. M., Ph. D. INTRODUCTION During 1953 and 1954, samplers were operated in 35 localities in New York State to determine the abundance of various microscopic organic particles in the air. The Durham sampler, a device approved by the Pollen Survey Committee of the Research Council of the American Academy of Allergy, was used at each station. The samplers were in operation for 200 days each growing season : April 1 through October 17 during 1953 and March 15 through September 30 during 1954. During these periods over 14,000 samples were obtained requir- ing approximately 2,500,000 determinations. The data for 1953 are now ready and are presented here. The 1954 samples are still being studied. The localities where sampling stations were installed were chosen to place the samplers about 50 miles apart and, where possible, near centers of population. Fortunately, dependable cooperators were found to service the stations seven days a week throughout the sampling periods. And this with no remuneration other than the satisfaction of contributing to a worthy cause ! The general location of these stations is shown on the map (page 20) . The specific locations, names of cooperators, types of installation and other pertinent data are found in the descriptions of the individual localities. Most of the samplers were installed on the roofs of buildings, includ- ing water filtration plants (8), sewage disposal plants (7), hospitals (6), schools (3) and other public buildings (5). The particles that were caught, identified and recorded were pri- marily pollen grains and fungus spores but included spores of ferns and mosses, alga cells, plant hairs and insect scales. PROCEDURE The samplers were installed to give the best possible samples for the area and allow reasonably easy access for daily servicing. They were mostly well above ground to prevent undue influence of local conditions and a sufficient distance from objects that would obstruct or divert air movement. The sampler uses greased microscope slides on which the tiny airborne particles are impinged. The slides were uniformly greased in the laboratory in Albany. During 1953 this was with petrolatum jelly. Experiments conducted by us indicated that 3 silicone grease worked equally well, gave the same readings and lessened the danger of melting in summer heat, so it was used in 1954. Boxes of 25 slides each were mailed periodically to the cooperators who exposed each slide for a 24-hour period on consecutive days. The slides were changed each morning at the same time which varied some- what from station to station but. usually at 9 a.m. The cooperator wrote the date of exposure on the frosted end of each slide and periodically mailed the exposed slides to our laboratory. As soon as convenient, our technicians stained the slides with Calberla’s solution, which employs basic fuchsin as a dye, and added a No. 1, 22 mm. square cover glass. Identification and counting was done using a binocular microscope with an apochromatic lens system and a built-in light. Most of the determinations were made at 100 diameters but greater magnifications were used when necessary. An extensive collection of check slides, from authentically identified mate- rial, and several useful publications were constantly at hand. Two square centimeters of each sample were examined and the data recorded on tally sheets. If counts were low, three or four square centimeters were examined. The data were reported as the average per square centimeter. The tally sheets were processed by the Bureau of Statistical Services of the State Education Department where the data were recorded on IBM cards allowing the sorting and tabulation of the information for study and presentation as graphs. In Albany, two sampling stations were installed approximately one mile apart to determine the uniformity of particles in the air over a given locality. These stations were operated continuously from April 1, 1953, through September 30, 1954. During the summer of 1955, two samplers were operated 15 feet apart on the roof of the Education Building in Albany. The data from these supplementary stations are mentioned under Station 25. The primary purpose of this survey is to furnish information of value in studies on pollinosis (hayfever). Although it is designed for use by patients and physicians who need to know what, where and when organic particles are in the air in sufficient quantities to cause medical concern, the presentation and discussion is from a botanical standpoint only. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Our first and most grateful thanks go to the many cooperators who accepted the responsibility for collecting the daily samples and mailing them to the Albany laboratory. Many of them assisted in the installa- 4 tion of the sampling stations and several constructed elaborate devices to insure that proper samples were obtained. They are individually named in the descriptions of sampling stations. Numerous persons helped in various ways but special thanks are due the following : Fay Hyland, professor of botany, University of Maine, whose similar survey in Maine has been used as a model, has been continuously generous with much appreciated advice. F. Wellington Gilcreas, formerly assistant director, Division of Laboratories and Research, New York State Department of Health, for advice, loan of equipment and making several of the research laboratory facilities available. Doris McGlynn, now on the staff of the State Department of Health, was responsible for most of the routine identification and counting. She handled all of the samples for 1953 as well as the 1954 samples through most of the tree pollens. Assistance in completing the samples for 1954 and preparation of the graphs has come from Margaret Curtin, Charles Downing and Donald Lewis. Mrs. Emily Dixon helped with the analysis of data and planning of graphs. Stanley J. Smith, curator of botany in the New York State Museum, has assisted in numerous ways, especially in the identification of troublesome plant parts and even taking time from his own research to help in the installation of the sampling stations. John Wilcox, curator of entomology, has frequently helped with the identification of insect parts. Dr. Louis H. Conger of the Bureau of Statistical Services of the State Education Department has been our source of advice on mathe- matical matters. Without the aid of the bureau’s machine room, the analysis of the data would have taken a much longer time. O. C. Durham of Abbott Laboratories, North Chicago, Illinois, advised relative to procedures acceptable to the Pollen Survey Com- mittee of the American Academy of Allergy. PLANTS PRODUCING AIRBORNE POLLEN Pollen is produced by flowering plants and conifers. The individual grains of pollen are too small to be seen with the unaided eye but in quantity they appear to be a yellowish powdery mass. The conifers and some flowering plants are wind-pollinated. Such plants usually produce large quantities of dry buoyant pollen grains. Most flowering plants are insect -pollinated ; their pollen is not transported any appre- ciable distance by air currents. For convenience, those plants that 5 produce buoyant pollen in large quantities may be divided into trees, grasses and weeds. Most airborne tree pollens are shed during spring and early summer, the grasses during midsummer while the weed pollen is in the air during the late summer and fall. Overlaps occur as will be seen from an examination of the graphs. Trees While the order of appearance of the various tree pollens varies slightly among localities, the average order of appearance in quantity is somewhat as follows: juniper (Juniperus) , hazel ( Corylus ), alder ( Almis ), willow ( Salix ), elm ( Ulmns ), maple (Acer), poplar (Populus) , larch ( Larix ), birch ( Betula ), sweet fern ( Comptonia ), blue beech (Carpinus) , hop hornbeam ( Ostrya ), oak (Quercus) , fir (Abies), hemlock (Tsuga), sycamore (Platanus), pine (Pinus), spruce (Picea), beech (FagM.?), ash (Fraxinus) and hickory (Carya). Small amounts of walnut (Juglans), basswood (Tilia), cedar (Thuja), tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus) and black gum (Nyssa) were recorded from some stations. It is very difficult to separate the pollen of birch, sweet fern, blue beech, hop hornbeam, alder and hazel. The last two are mostly shed earlier than the others and cause less confusion. Birch pollen exhibits variation due to the different species. During May 1953, especially between the 5th and 15th of the month, nearly all of the stations col- lected pollen that did not match well with birch and did not correlate with the occurrence of blue beech and hop hornbeam. It was therefore recorded as unidentified pollen and for most of the stations the amount was too low to warrant mention. However, for several stations amounts were recorded too large to ignore. This type of pollen was not seen in the 1954 samples and it now appears likely that, at least some of the 1953 unidentified pollen should be included with birch. It is probable that the counts of birch, especially for May 9, 10 and 11, should be increased for Gloversville, Liberty, Turin and Oneonta. There is some question about the counts on sweet fern. Its occurrence on the graphs does not correlate well with its occurrence in the State. It is possible that some birch pollen has been recorded under sweet fern. Further remarks will be postponed until the 1954 data are studied ; until then it may be well to regard the sweet fern data wfith suspicion. Grasses There are over 400 species of grasses in New York but it is likely that most of the grass pollen is from 20 to 25 of the common species. Among those producing pollen in large quantities are : sweet vernal grass (Antlioxanthum odoratum) , timothy (Phleum pratense), redtop 6 (. Agrostis alba), Kentucky blue grass ( Poa pratensis), and orchard grass ( Dactylis glomerata). We found it impossible to distinguish the different grasses by their pollen grains. Weeds In their production of pollen, all of the weeds are of minor import- ance, except ragweed (Ambrosia). The total count of the latter ex- ceeded that from all other entities, with the exception that the total grass pollen was slightly more. Most of this pollen is from short rag- weed (A. artemisiifolia) but in some areas giant ragweed (A. trifida) supplies large amounts. The time of year when ragweed will be pol- linating can be predicted rather closely for, unlike most plants, the flowering period is dependent upon latitude. When the daylight period reaches a certain length the ragweed plants come into bloom regardless of their size. Experiments conducted by O. C. Durham indicate that the factor 3.6 may be used to convert the number of ragweed pollen grains per square centimeter of greased slide surface, when exposed in the Durham sampler for 24 hours, to the average number per cubic yard of air. Thus a count of 7 as shown on the ragweed graph would indicate an average of 25 grains per cubic yard. The first three columns of the following figures are converted to the cubic yard basis. From such data the “ragweed pollen index” is obtained by assigning one point for each day when the count reaches or exceeds 25, one point for each 100 grains of pollen on the day of the highest count and one point for each 200 grains of pollen in the seasonal total. MAXI- NUMBER OF DAYS MUM TOTAL ragweed WITH COUNTS DAILY SEASONAL POLLEN STATION OF 25 OR GREATER COUNT COUNT INDEX 1. Montauk Point .. 3 50 302 5 2. Riverhead 21 490 2,941 41 3. Farmingdale 27 270 2,898 44 4. Yonkers 25 191 2,300 38 5. Newburgh 19 155 1,897 30 6. Zena 13 76 814 18 7. Belle Ayre Mt 18 173 1,382 27 8. Liberty 17 284 1,678 28 9. Oneonta 19 284 2,250 33 10. Binghamton 20 158 1,757 31 11. Cortland 21 259 2,599 37 12. Elmira 27 306 2,660 43 13. Hornell 21 216 2,272 34 14. Olean 28 216 2,304 42 15. Celoron 24 447 2,538 41 16. Springville 25 371 3,910 49 17. Lockport 33 565 6,494 71 18. Perry 31 2,376 11,722 114 19. Rochester 31 994 7,340 79 7 MAXI- NUMBER OF DAYS MUM TOTAL RAGWEED WITH COUNTS DAILY SEASONAL POLLEN STATION OF 25 OR GREATER COUNT COUNT INDEX 20. Geneva 29 518 4,611 57 21. Oswego 18 256 2,844 35 22. Syracuse 24 472 3,478 46 23. Utica 23 670 3,906 50 24. Gloversville 18 245 1,829 29 25. Albany 15 176 1,602 25 25A. Albany 19 295 2,801 35 26. Hudson Falls 20 407 2,524 37 27. Ticonderoga 18 252 1,570 29 28. Indian Lake 10 222 1,091 17 29. Turin 10 72 738 12 30. Watertown 21 572 3,215 43 31. Wanakena 10 83 760 15 32. Saranac Lake 18 461 2,494 34 33. Dannemora 12 140 1,138 19 34. St. Regis Falls... 17 443 2,373 33 35. Ogdensburg 21 666 3,564 46 Other weeds that produced sufficient buoyant pollen to be recorded on at least some of the graphs are, in order of their appearance : dock ( Rumex ), plantain (Plantago) , pigweed ( Chenopodium and Amaran- thus ), wormwood ( Artemisia ), marsh elder ( Iva ) and goldenrod ( Solidago ) . FUNGI The total number of fungus spores for the season from the stations usually closely approached (and often surpassed) the total number of pollen grains. Cladosporium (including Hormodendrum ) gave the highest readings, often being more than half the total count. Alternaria averaged second in abundance. It is probable that some Stemphylium spores were included in the counts for Alternaria as the spores of these genera are difficult to distinguish. In the counts of Fusarium it is likely that we have included spores of Cylindrocarpon and possibly Curvu- laria. Spores of rusts and smuts were recorded as such whenever possible but undoubtedly some were tallied under miscellaneous fungi. Most fungi are impossible to recognize from spores alone. It is extremely likely that most of the spores recorded as miscellaneous fungi were from Aspergillus and Penicillium but included many from Pullularia, Mortierella, Epicoccum, Botrytis, Phoma and various mushrooms. A multicellular spore was always counted as a single spore but a clump of spores was counted (or estimated) as the number of individual spores in the clump. Some of the high daily counts are due to one or more large clumps ; these are often specifically mentioned under the discussion for each station. Bits of fungus tissue (hyphae) were re- corded as spores. 8 MISCELLANEOUS Ferns The spores of most ferns are apparently too heavy to be plentiful in the air far from the source. Our counts include the club mosses ( Lycopodium ) with the true ferns ( Polypodiaceae and Osmundaceae) . The total for fern spores was roughly 3 percent of total pollen. Spores of the horsetails ( Equisetum ) were encountered occasionally. Mosses It is possible, though not probable, that the low counts for mosses are due to our inability to recognize them as such. If so, some of them are included with the ferns. Algae Small amounts of alga cells and filaments were encountered, but never in important amounts. Plant Hairs Our records from approximately 15,000 samples show plant hairs on every one. The counts were usually very high ; too high to be con- veniently included on the graphs with pollen and spores. At the Albany stations 25 and 25A, which were operated continuously from spring 1953 to fall 1954, plant hairs were found daily during the winter. Plant hairs vary greatly in size and no attempt was made to separate on that basis or on any other characteristic. With such high counts, the aver- ages would be uniform and quite comparable between stations. Further discussion is best left until the 1954 samples are analyzed. Animal Parts Scales of insects were usually common and often abundant in the samples. They have been recorded but are not included in the present graphs. This category is comprised of tiny roundish scales, long narrow scales (hairs), portions of wings, legs and even whole insects (usually mites) . Hairs of animals such as dogs, cats, horses and bats and down from birds were occasionally noticed but were never common. LIST OF STATIONS 1. Montauk Point Cooperators: for 1953, Archie W. Jones, B.M.l, Montauk Point Light Station; for 1954, C. E. Schumacher who succeeded Mr. Jones as B.M.l. 9 The sampler was on the lawn about 70 feet from the lighthouse. It was 6 feet above the ground which is 60 feet above sea level. There were few plants that produce airborne pollen in the immediate vicinity of the sampler. A few flowers of crab grass ( Digitaria ) escapes the lawnmower. Bayberry ( Myrica ) is abundant on the east side several hundred feet away. As would be expected from a station nearly surrounded by water, the total count from Montauk Point was the lowest of all the stations. This may be due, in part, to the early season causing juniper, elm, maple and poplar to shed pollen during March. The highest total count was from grass, with birch following a close second. The ragweed count was much lower than at any other station, with less than half the number of particles recorded for the next lowest (Turin) and approximately one-tenth that of Riverhead and Farmingdale. 2. Riverhead Cooperator : Dr. Stuart Dallyn, director, Long Island Vegetable Research Farm. This station is 3 miles northeast of Riverhead and 1 mile south of the Sound, at an elevation of 100 feet. The sampler was 25 feet above the ground and 3 feet above the roof of a flat-topped building, well in the open and surrounded by flat farmland. It was lowered by rope and pulley for changing the slides. It is likely that the low counts for juniper, elm, poplar, maple and alder are due to lack of March samples. Maple, alder, hemlock and cedar were too low to warrant inclusion. Smut spores were too sporadic to graph: 11 on June 7, 6 on October 3 and 3 on October 15. There were traces of blue beech, hop hornbeam, black gum and tree-of-heaven in May. 3. Farmingdale Cooperator : Dr. Louis Pyenson, Long Island Agricultural and Tech- nical Institute. The sampler was mounted on the roof of one of the Institute build- ings, attached to an unused chimney. This locality is 90 feet above sea level ; the sampler was 25 feet above the ground and in the open, being surrounded by greenhouses, low shrubs and mowed lawn. The nearest trees were more than 100 feet distant : pine, maple, elm and cedar. There are many small spruce trees in the vicinity but probably too young to shed pollen. The low counts for juniper, elm, poplar, maple and alder may be due to lack of March samples. Alder, hemlock and cedar were too low 10 to include. Fusarium spores were occasionally seen but too sporadic to graph. There was a small amount of hazel in April and of blue beech, hop hornbeam, tree-of-heaven and black gum in May. 4. Yonkers Cooperators : for 1953, Arthur Wallach, director, Division of Envi- ronmental Sanitation, Department of Public Health, Yonkers; for 1954, George J. Kupchik, who succeeded Mr. Wallach as Director. This station is at the health center building which is 200 feet above sea level. The sampler was mounted on the roof parapet over 100 feet above the ground entirely free from anything that would divert normal air currents. It was well above plants producing airborne pollen such as the usual street trees, mostly elm and maple. The low counts for juniper, elm, poplar, maple and alder are likely due to lack of March samples. There were small amounts of blue beech, tree-of-heaven, hop hornbeam and black gum in May. 5. Newburgh Cooperator: John F. Kingsley, superintendent of water. This station was located at the southwest edge of the city at 240 feet above sea level. The sampler was on the roof of the filtration plant, well in the open. The usual street trees are apparently the only near source of airborne pollen in quantity. Low counts for juniper, alder and perhaps poplar and elm may be due to lack of March samples. The relatively high count for sycamore may be due to local street trees. There was a small amount of blue beech and traces only of hop hornbeam, black gum and tree-of-heaven. 6. Zena Cooperator : William Colsten, chief filter plant operator, Kingston Water Department. This station was 400 feet above sea level. The sampler was some 30 feet above the ground, mounted on the peak of the gable roof of a filtration plant building, well in the open. Trees in the vicinity were sugar maple, red oak, sycamore, hickory, white pine and ash. The lawn on the south and west close to the building had plantain, dock and daisy fleabane ( Erigeron ). Probably much of the juniper and elm pollen was shed before April and perhaps poplar also. During May there were small amounts of blue beech and traces of hop hornbeam, tree-of-heaven and black gum. 7. Belle Ayre Mountain Cooperator : Arthur G. Draper, superintendent, Belle Ayre Moun- tain Ski Center. 11 This station was our highest above sea level : 3,325 feet. The sampler was perched 30 feet above the ground on top of the tower at the upper end of the ski lift. It was in the open ; the nearest trees, beech and maple, being 30 feet away. The count for ragweed indicates the situation on Belle Ayre Moun- tain and does not reflect the condition at Pine Hill in the valley, where the ragweed count is known to be low. There was some blue beech and traces of hop hornbeam, tree-of-heaven and black gum. 8. Liberty Cooperator: Henry Eichenauer, superintendent of Sewage Disposal Plant. This station was at the Sewage Disposal Plant, at an elevation of 1,400 feet above sea level. The sampler was 20 feet above the ground and in the open. During May, especially on the 8th, 9th and 10th, there were large amounts of pollen that could not be identified. It was probably birch or blue beech. Also during May there were traces of hop hornbeam, tree-of-heaven and black gum. Smut spores were not graphed; the total was high but due to one clump of 170 grains on September 7; otherwise low and sporadic. 9. Oneonta Cooperator: C. M. Taylor, superintendent of water; assisted by Frank Adamowicz. This station was at the Sewage Disposal Plant, 1,070 feet above sea level. The sampler was on a flat roof 20 feet above the ground. There were hayfields nearby and a few trees : elm, sycamore, beech and willow. A forested area on the south is of mixed woods, mostly maple and pine with some hemlock. £ Unidentified pollen collected on May 9 and 10 may be birch or blue beech. 10. Binghamton Cooperator: H. G. Koach, administrator of Binghamton City Hospital. The sampler was on the rootf of the hospital, about 50 feet above the ground, which is 870 feet above sea level. Plants in the vicinity producing airborne pollen are the usual street trees : elm, maple and sycamore. This station began operation on April 3. It is probable that juniper, alder, willow, elm and poplar had shed some pollen during March. 12 11. Cortland Cooperator: H. B. Holcomb, superintendent of Sewage Treatment Plant. This station is at the Sewage Treatment Plant, 1,100 feet above sea level. The sampler was on the flat roof, about 20 feet above the ground. The station is surrounded by hayfields. Along the river close by there are willows and some elms. The outlying woods are mostly maple with some beech and occasional poplar and walnut. Juniper and alder had mostly shed during March; probably some elm, poplar and maple also. The high count for grass may be due to the nearby hayfields. 12. Elmira Cooperator: J. W. Colby, assistant superintendent of Arnot-Ogden Memorial Hospital. The sampler was mounted about 50 feet above the ground on the roof parapet of the hospital, which is 880 feet above sea level. The station is surrounded by the usual street trees : maple and elm. There are a few spruce and pine trees on the hospital grounds. Probably juniper, alder and elm had shed pollen during March and perhaps also poplar and maple. During May, there were traces of blue beech and tree-of-heaven. 13. Hornell Cooperator : J. G. Cary, superintendent of water. This station is at the Water Filtration Plant, 1,400 feet above sea level. The sampler was perched on the peak of the gable roof, 25 feet above the ground, of a building near the top of a hill. This hilltop is covered with young growth, mostly poplar (trembling aspen). On the north is a deep gorge with elm, maple, oak, blue beech, hop hornbeam, willow and scattered hickory. On the west are farms with hayfields. Plantain is abundant on the lawn near the station. Probably much juniper, alder and elm had shed during March. It is very likely that the record for sweet fern is too high ; this station had the highest count for this plant ; the known distribution does not war- rant it ; its pollen is easily confused with birch. 14. Olean Cooperator: Alfred H. Mann. This station is at the Sewage Disposal Plant, 1,420 feet above sea level. The sampler was 15 feet above the ground and in the open, except for cedar trees nearby that are a few feet taller. Along the river 13 near the station are elm, maple and willow. Goldenrod is abundant in the area. 15. Celoron Cooperator: Homer Feidler, Sewage Treatment Plant operator. The station is at the Sewage Treatment Plant, 1,320 feet above sea level. The sampler was on the roof, 15 feet above the ground and in the open. The nearest trees were willow and poplar. Elm and maple were scattered on all sides. There were two small, but flowering, cedars planted beside the building. A small swamp of cattail (Typha) was just east of the station. Goldenrod was plentiful. There were a few plants of plantain, pigweed ( Chenopodium ) and short ragweed nearby. 16. Springville Cooperator : Elmer Ganschow, superintendent of water. The sampler was 15 feet above the ground on the roof of a pumping station, 1,350 feet above sea level. The sampler was in the open, being surrounded by lawn and a large schoolyard. Farther away were houses, street trees (mostly sugar maple) and weed patches. Other trees in the area are pine, elm, willow and spruce. It is possible that one or more high points on the graph for maple may be due to the sugar maples nearby and the low position of the sampler. 17. Lockport Cooperator : Roger Foltz, superintendent of Water Filtration Plant. This station is at the filtration plant, 620 feet above sea level. The sampler was on a corner of a flat roof 25 feet above the ground and more than 50 feet from a higher part of the building. There were large hayfields near and the usual street trees : maple and elm, also poplar and willow. The large amount of grass pollen recorded may be due, in part, to the hayfields in the vicinity. This was the second highest count for grass; being surpassed only by Turin. 18. Perry Cooperator : Ralph Laney. This station is at the Perry Waterworks, 1,380 feet above sea level, on the shore of Silver Lake. The sampler was only 12 feet above the ground but in the open on a rise above the lake. The nearest trees were 100 feet distant, mostly elm. Willow, maple and elm fringe the lake. The ragweed count at Perry was the highest for all stations with the high point (September 4) reaching 660 grains per square centimeter 14 or approximately an average of 2,400 per cubic yard of air. The slides for July 19 and 20 were knocked out by young sparrows so the data were not used. 19. Rochester Cooperator : Dr. John M. MacMillan, director of Iola Sanatorium. This station is at the Sanatorium, at the south edge of the city, at an elevation of 550 feet. The sampler was on a flat roof, in the open, approximately 50 feet above the ground. Trees producing airborne pollen in the immediate vicinity are : sycamore, maple, spruce and ash. There is quite a bit of cultivated farmland in the area. The high counts for Cladosporium on July 23 and miscellaneous fungi for September 13 are due primarily to large clumps of spores. 20. Geneva Cooperator: Robert E. Johnson, administrator of Geneva General Hospital ; assisted by Andrew Christensen, maintenance engineer. This station is at the Hospital, 520 feet above sea level. The sampler was on the roof parapet, in the open, approximately 50 feet above the ground. Plants producing airborne pollen in the vicinity are the usual shade trees, mostly elm. 21. Oswego Cooperator: Dr. George E. Pitluga, professor of science, Teachers College, State University of New York. The station is at the College, 320 feet above sea level. The city is on the east ; Lake Ontario on the north and west. The sampler was on the flat roof of the Union Building, in the open, approximately 30 feet above the ground. It was surrounded by lawn and campus trees, mostly maple, spruce, poplar and birch. 22. Syracuse Cooperator : for 1953, William P. Gyatt, superintendent of the Bu- reau of Sewage Treatment; for 1954, Joseph D. Kieffer, who succeeded Mr. Gyatt as Superintendent. The station is at the Sewage Disposal Plant, near the south end of Onondaga Lake, 380 feet above sea level. The sampler was mounted, 30 feet above the ground, above the roof of the building. It was well in the open on a platform that was lowered, by means of rope and pulley sliding the platform down guiding rods, for changing slides. Plants producing airborne pollen in the vicinity are street trees, mostly elm and poplar. A swamp between the station and the lake has cattail ( Typha ) and reed grass (Phragmites) . 15 The station was operated from April 17 to October 12 during 1953. The lack of pollen from juniper, alder, poplar and low counts from willow, elm and maple may be due to their shedding before samples were taken. 23. Utica Cooperator : H. F. Hoffman, senior public health engineer. The station was at the YMCA Building, 500 feet above sea level, during 1953. The sampler was on the roof, well in the open, approxi- mately 100 feet above the ground. During 1954 the sampler was on the roof of the Health Office Building, about 40 feet from the ground. Plants producing airborne pollen are essentially the same in the vicinity of both stations, being the usual street trees, mostly elm and maple. Probably some alder, juniper, poplar and elm was shed during March. The uniformity of counts from July 21 through July 27 is because one slide was left on the sampler for those seven days ; each day’s record was obtained by dividing the total count by seven. 24. Gloversville Cooperator : Stuart Heald, filtration plant operator. This station is the Gloversville Water Works, approximately 2 miles north of the city, at 1,040 feet above sea level. The sampler was on the roof parapet, in the open, about 25 feet above the ground. There is a pine plantation nearby on the north. The high count for pine on May 18 is likely due to the proximity of the sampler to the plantation. On May 8, 9, 10 and 11 there was quite a bit of pollen that could not be identified ; it is likely that some of it was birch. 25. Albany Cooperator: John Bartnick, custodian, New York State Museum. This station is the Education Building on Washington Avenue in downtown Albany, 160 feet above sea level. The sampler was on the roof, in the open, 140 feet above the ground. Plants in the vicinity producing airborne pollen are the usual city trees, mostly elm, maple and tree-of-heaven. A comparison of graphs for the two Albany stations, 25 and 25A will indicate the amount of variation that may be expected between samplings in the same general area but separated by a mile or so. Experiments are now being conducted to determine the effect of height above ground and local weather conditions on the pollen count. The two samplers operated 15 feet apart during 1955 gave rather uniform readings. 16 25A. Albany Cooperator : Miss Eleanor Weeber, sanitary chemist, Division of Laboratories for Sanitary and Analytical Chemistry, New York State Department of Health. This station is at the Health Department’s Division of Laboratories and Research on New Scotland Avenue, 220 feet above sea level. The sampler was on the roof parapet, 70 feet above the ground. 26. Hudson Falls Cooperator: J. A. Fitzgerald; assisted by Peter Keegan. This station is the Sewage Treatment Plant, 240 feet above sea level. The sampler was mounted on top of an 8-foot upright column on the roof of the Plant, which placed it approximately 25 feet above the ground and in the open. Plants producing airborne pollen in the vicinity are box elder maple, elm, oak, poplar, pine and willow. There were small amounts of ragweed nearby. Forests in the area are of spruce, fir, blue beech, maple, birch and some larch. The high count for miscellaneous fungi on July 24 is due to a large clump of spores. 27. Ticonderoga Cooperator: Herbert Barber; assisted by Fred Warren. This station is the Moses-Ludington Hospital, 200 feet above sea level. The sampler was on the roof, above the parapet, with no obstruc- tion to modify air currents nearer than 60 feet. It was approximately 50 feet above the ground. Plants producing airborne pollen in the vicinity are elm, maple, poplar, birch and cedar. On the west side are hayfields with occasional elms. Forests in the general area are mixed hardwoods. On May 11 and 12 there were rather large amounts of pollen that could not be identified. It is likely that some of it was birch. 28. Indian Lake Cooperator : Guy Pelon, superintendent of water. This station is the home of Mr. Pelon in the village, 1,740 feet above sea level. The sampler was mounted 25 feet above the ground on top of a pole in the open. The sampler was lowered by rope and pulley for changing slides. Principal plants producing airborne pollen in the immediate vicinity of the sampler were grasses as the pole was in a hayfield. Trees in the area are the typical Adirondack forest of maple and spruce. 17 29. Turin Cooperators: for 1953, S. S. Sweet; for 1954, Donald Hughes. This station is at the home of Mr. Sweet, 1,260 feet above sea level. The sampler was mounted 8 feet above the ground in an open hayfield. There were few plants (other than grasses) producing airborne pollen in the immediate vicinity of the sampler. The large amount of grass pollen recorded is likely due to the sur- rounding hayfield and low position of the sampler. This may be the reason for the high count for plantain. 30. Watertown Cooperator : Dale Lawson, who has charge of water purification for Watertown. This station is at the pumping plant of Watertown Water Works, 500 feet above sea level. The sampler was perched above the roof of one of the buildings using a device that allowed it to be lowered for changing slides. It was 20 feet above the ground and in the open. There were only a few scattered trees nearby that produce airborne pollen : maple, elm, poplar, cedar, willow and oak. It is possible that some of the pollen recorded as sweet fern is actu- ally birch. 31. Wanakena Cooperator : James Dubuar, superintendent of State Rangers School. This station is at the sunshine-transmitter tower near the School, 1,600 feet above sea level. The sampler was mounted on top of the tower, 30 feet above the ground. It was in the open except for three large pine trees on the north side, approximately 10 feet distant. It was in the midst of a pine-spruce forest. The large amount of pine pollen recorded is probably due, in part at least, to the tall white pine trees close to the sampler. The high count for miscellaneous fungi on April 1 1 is due to a clump of spores. 32. Saranac Lake Cooperator : for 1953, Lyall DeLamater, sanitary inspector of Sara- nac Lake ; for 1954, several cooperators assisted in succession, all prov- ing to be unsatisfactory with the exception of Frank Buck, Jr. who took over late in the season. This station during 1953 was at the Hotel Saranac, 1,580 feet above sea level. The sampler was on the roof of the hotel, some 50 feet above the ground. Unfortunately it was not realized until the end of the season that the sampler was not installed in the place approved. It cleared the parapet by only a few inches rather than the recommended 18 30 inches and was only 10 feet from construction that would divert normal air currents. The sampler was moved to the roof of the Paul Smith Building for 1954. This was an excellent location but poor co- operation resulted in a discontinuous record. The forested hills at this station are mostly maple and birch with pine and some spruce. Some of the counts for birch pollen were too large to show on the graph; May 9: 3,171 grains, May 10: 55, May 11 : 888 and May 12: 463. This station had the highest total count for birch, being more than twice the next highest (Indian Lake). It also led with fir, spruce, hemlock and maple. It was surpassed only by Belle Ayre Mountain for beech and only by Newburgh for ash. The sum total for all pollen grains was higher than at any other station. The ragweed count was higher than would be expected at Saranac Lake and may not well reflect the situation at the lower levels. Large amounts of algae were found on the slides, probably due to the position of the sampler. 33. Dannemora Cooperator : Warden J. V. Jackson, Clinton Prison. The slides were changed by Woodbury Wallace, assisted by Charles Stewart. This station is at the prison, 1,400 feet above sea level. The sampler was 35 feet above the ground on the roof parapet of the Administration Building. Plants producing airborne pollen in the immediate vicinity are the street trees : maple, elm and birch. The surrounding woods are of maple, ash, beech, birch and poplar, with spruce and some pine at the higher levels. 34. St. Regis Falls Cooperator : Arthur Fadden. This station is 1,300 feet above sea level with the sampler about 40 feet above the ground on the flat roof of the school building, in the open. Plants producing airborne pollen in the general vicinity are : maple, elm, pine, willow, poplar and larch. There is some ragweed and plantain in the schoolyard. Woods one-fourth mile west of the station are mostly maple. 35. Ogdensburg Cooperator: Dr. George F. Etling, director, St. Lawrence State Hospital. The slides were changed by Mrs. Anna Martin. This station is at the Hospital, 250 feet above sea level. The sampler was mounted on the roof parapet, approximately 25 feet above the ground. It was in the open with nothing to divert air currents except a higher portion of the building 40 feet south of the sampler position. 19 Plants producing airborne pollen in the vicinity are planted trees: poplar, maple, elm, oak, spruce and pine. Woods to the south are mostly maple. There are hayfields on the south and west. 20 EXPLANATION OF GRAPHS The following graphs present some of the data from the samples taken during 1953 at 36 stations in 35 localities. Pollen grains and fern spores are shown in solid black ; fungus spores are indicated by a pat- tern. Each tiny square (vertically) represents five (5) granules per square centimeter of slide surface exposed for a 24-hour period. A solid line indicates that the average daily count was one or zero. A broken line indicates more than one week of consecutive counts of zero. Ex- tremely high points may be due to clumped particles ; where this is so, specific mention is made in the discussion of the graph. Multiple peaks may be due to different flowering dates of species in the genus or to fluctuations in the weather. The circle on the map has a 25-mile radius. Only those pollen grains and fungus spores for which the total count for the 200-day period was 15 or more are shown, unless there was an individual day’s count of 5 or higher. It should be emphasized that the graphs indicate for any entity the average number of particles caught on a square centimeter of greased surface and do not directly indicate the average number per unit volume of air. Factors for converting greased slide data to a volumetric basis vary greatly with different plants and also vary with different condi- tions of weather and with different concentrations of particles. Thus, birch and pine may not be compared to the same degree that birch may be compared between stations. The graphs show what kinds of particles were in the air and their relative abundance at different times during the growing season of 1953. It must be kept in mind that other years would furnish somewhat different data and it is with some hesitancy that the 1953 information is presented before the 1954 data are available for comparison. To indicate what variation may be ex- pected, data obtained at the Albany stations for 1954 and 1955 are included. It should be realized that these data for 1953 may only be used to describe the situation for following years in much the same way that weather data for one year may be used to indicate weather in the future. As an indication of the yearly variation, compare the Albany graphs (Nos. 25 and 25A) for 1953, 1954 and 1955. 21 22 APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 23 JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 24 APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 25 APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 26 APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 27 APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 28 APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 29 JUNE JULY AUSUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 30 JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 31 APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 32 APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 33 APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUSUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 34 APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 35 APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 36 APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 37 APRil MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER 38 APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AU&UST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 39 JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 40 APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 41 APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 42 APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 43 APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 44 APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 45 APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 46 APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 47 48 MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER 49 MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER 50 MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY 51 MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER 52 OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH 53 APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 54 APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 55 JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 56 APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 57 APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 58 APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 59 APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 60 APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 9 »- I 61 JULY 62 APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER New York Botanical Garden Library 5185 00337 3907