Christmas tree pests and weeds The pathogen often makes Douglas fir trees unsalable as Christmas trees and affects the Christmas tree farming industry. Douglas firs are also affected by "Phaeocryptopus gaumanni" which causes Swiss needlecast. Red band needle blight is a fungal disease which affects coniferous trees, particularly pine, with a worldwide distribution. The disease is caused by the fungi "Dothistroma septosporum". Since the late 1990s its appearance in the United Kingdom has increased, among the most affected species is Corsican pine and the disease has been a significant problem in Thetford Forest. Though the disease spread rapidly during September 2007 Christmas tree growers remained
Douglas Soup Dispensary Douglas Soup Dispensary The Douglas Soup Dispensary was a soup kitchen located in Myrtle Street, Douglas, Isle of Man. The original dispensary was opened in 1818 and was situated at numerous venues until it was replaced by a permanent building known as Noble's Hall. This was paid for with a bequest from the Henry Bloom Noble Trust, and built in 1908 on land which had been owned by Henry Noble. The dispensary would provide, free of charge, a nourishing meal to the poorer inhabitants of the town between 12 and 1 o'clock each day across the winter months from the