The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-08-07
DEATH TO PINE TREES.
A New Worm That Is working Havoc
in tho Weston Pineries.
Washington Letter in St. Paul Pioneer
h3 IPresss)

k4 PressO
After years of effort and constant vigil
lance the general land office, through It's
field officers, has taken up and success
fully stamped out, to great degree, the
depredators which worked such devasta-
tion in the great forest areas of the West.
By strict regulations the human depreda-
tor was suppressed, If not exterminated,
and by an adequate force of forest officials
the fire depredator has been held in check
and damage wrought by this element has
been reduced to the minimum.
But now comes new depredator,
which has just been called to the atten-
ton Of the land Office. It is the insect or
worm depredator that is making great in
reads into the forests of South Dakota
and laying waste great areas of valuable
timber. This worm is a new arrival and
little is known of him. The first time
the officials in Washington were informed
of his presence and his deadly operations
was but few weeks ago, and since then
they have been studyiny his anatomy and
his ways, in the hopes of at least giving
him name and classification.
AT the present time there are ut least
two townships in the Spearfish river dis
trict of the Black Hills forest reserve
which have been visited by this pest,
and fully 90 per cent of the trees over
that area have been killed and half of
those remaining have been Infected and
will die. FOrasters in that region have
become greatly alarmed at the deadly
work of the unknown depredator. They
co " hnh hi C noff nd
southwest of Deadwood and is now
moving in a southeasterly direction, with
no signs OF stopping, and IL is feared that
ii the advance cannot be checked in some
way great part of one OF the finest pine
forests in the country will be destroyed.
From what little information is obtain
able, it is supposed that this worm grows
from an egg deposited by some species OF
bark beetle. The egg is deposited under
the bark and there matches. The result
ing worm is common white worm,
sometimes an inch or an inch and a quar-.
ter in length, white throughout, excep
it's head, a bright shiny brown. He seems
to possess marvellous vitality, as shown
by sample that was sent TO Washington.
Commissioner Hermann, of the general
land office, now has on his desk phial,
tightly cOrked, containing one of the
larger worms. This worm was placed in
the bottle and corked up nearly two
months ago, and since then has had
neither air nor nO1rishment, except posi-
bly,, such air as would leak through an
ordinary cork, and today the worm is
alive and mora active than when he first
reached Washington.
Samples of pine from the SpearfiSh dis
tr1ct were submitted with the worm, to
show the effect of his bite. 1t seems that
when he attains the requisite strength,
he sets out to bore around the tree, under
the bark, apparently living on the sap.
&c is 70 hot 10 fot al fOY.x +
he eats his way, he leaves a trail behind,
which soon discOlOrs the wood, the dis
cOlOratiOn working clear to the heart of
the tree. Wood which is normally white,
turns a steel gray, and loses all its sap
and strength. 1t is at once rendered I'M
merchantable, by discoIOratiOn and loss
of strength. One worm in time will kill
a tree, but 1t is generally found that each
dead tree has its army of little white
pests.
Another remarkable feature connected
with this depredatOr is that he may in
fest tree and poison it completely aid
yet his presence will not be known for
months, He is only detected by behring's
through the bark, which occur at fire.
quent intervals, and these are seen only
on close inspection. Outwardly, the tree
remains unchanged for a long time, the
first sign OF destruction being the dis
celebration Of the foliage, which gradually
assumes a faded brown appearance, not
easily detected at first, but yet peculiarly
distinctive, 1nasmuch as it is not the
same fading that accompanies the atural
death of the tree. After the foliage has
deadened, the tree stands, weak and tot
tering, until a wind strikes it, and then,
from shere lack of strength, 1t topples
over. The poisoned pine cannot with
stand even a light wind, so much has its
strength been impaired.
Commissioner Hermann, in speaking
of this terrible depredator, said: THAT
worm whatever it may be, is one of the
most dangerous destrOyers of forests that
has ever come to the attention of this
office. Our knowledge of him is decided
ly meager, but every effort is being made
to learn more.'