Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1900-07-27
A NEW FOREST PEST,
DESTROYS MORE TIMBER THAN
THE MILLS USE.

DESTROYS MORE TIMBER THAN
THE MILLS USE.
1t Has Made Its Appearance in the Forests Of
Dakota-A Specimen Of the Pest on Exhi.
bition has Maintained Lite Two Months
HermeticalIy Sealed in a Phial-lt Bores
Under the Bark and Apparently Poisons the
SaP-One of the Most Dreaded Pests Yet
Reported to the Department.
Alter years of effort and constant
vigilance the General Land Office,
through its field OF officers. has taken
up and successfully stamped out to .
great degree, the forest depredators
who worked such devastations in the
great forest areas of the West. By
strict regulations the human depreda-
tor was suppressed, if not exterminat.
ed, and by an adequate force OF forest
officials the fire depredator has been
held in check, and the damage wrought
by this element has been reduced to
the minimum.
But now comes new depredator,
which has been called to the attention
OF the Land Office. 1t is the insect or
worm depredator that is making great
inroads into the forests OF South Dako-
ia, and laying waste great areas of val
liable timber. This worm is new ar
rival and little is known of him. The
first time the officials in Washington
were informed OF his presence and his
deadly operations, was few weeks ago,
and since then they have been study
ing his anatomy and his ways in the
hopes at least of giving him a name
| and classification.
At the present time there are at least
two townships in the Spearfsh River
district of the Black Hills Forest Re-
serve which has been visited by this
pest, and fully 50 per cent. Of the trees
over that area have been killed, and a
half of those remaining have been in
fected and will die. Foresters in that
region have become greatly alarmed at
the deadly work of the unknown dep
redator. They say he began his opera
tions west and southwest of Deadwood
and is now moving in o southeasterly
direction, with no signs of stopping,
and it is feared that if the advance can
not be checked i'll some way great
part OF one of the finest pine forests in
the country will be destroyed.
From what little information is OBJ
tainable, 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 it
matches. The resulting worm is a COM
mon, long, white worm, sometimes an
inch or an inch and quarter in length,
white throughout, except its head, a
bright, shiny brown. He seems to pos
sess marvellous vitality, as was shown
by specimen which was sent to Wash.
ington. Commissioner Hermann, oi
the General Land Office, now has, on
his desk in a phial, tightly corked up
nearly two months ago, one OF these
worms, which since has had neither
air nor nourishment, except possibly
such air as could find its way through
an ordinary cork, and at the time o.
this writing the worm is alive and
more active than when he reached
Washington.
Samples OF pine from the Spearfish
district were submitted with the worm
to show the effect OF his bite. It seems
that when he attains the requisite
strength, he sets out to bore around
the tree, under the bark, apparently
living on the sap. 1t is his bite, OF
the substance which exades from hi:
mouth, which proves fatal, for wherever
he bores his way he leaves a trail be-
hind which soon discolors the wood
the taint penetrating to the heart OF thu
the tree. Wood which is normally
white, turns a steel grey and loses al
its sap and strength. 1t is at once rem
dered understandable, by discolora
tion and loss of strength. One worm
will in time kill a tree, but it is gener
ally found that each dead tree has ar
army of little white pests.
Another remarkable feature connect
ed with this depredator is that he may
infest a tree and poison it completely
and yet his presence not be made man
ifest for months. He is only discov
cred by borings through the bark, tha
appear at intervals, and these are seer
only on close inspection. Outwardly
the tree remains unchanged for lonl
time, the first signs OF destruction be
Ing tIlc ulSCUlUTatiOu VI tuC lOIiaSc
which gradually assumes a faded
brown appearance, not easily detected
at first, but yet peculiarly distinctive
inasmuch as it is not the same fading
that accompanies the natural death o
the tree. After the foliage has dead
ened, the tree stands, weak and totter
ing, until wind strikes it and ther
from sheer lack of strength it falls
The poisoned pine cannot withstand
even a light wind, so much has it
strength been impaired.
i Commissioner Hermann, in speak
ing of this terrible depredator. says:
"This worm, whatever it may be, ii
one OF the most dangerous destroyer
of forests that has ever come to the
attention OF this Office. Our knowledge
OF him is decidedly meager, but ever!