The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1902-09-09
WASHINGTON FORESTS ARE
BEING DESTROYED.
An Insect That Is Doing Deadly Work
In Some of the States
Fine Timber.

North Yakima Correspondence Seattle Times.
Prospectors, herders, tourists and
others returning from trip to the
Cedar valley district, in southwestern
Yakima county and northwestern Kick
itat, report an alarming condition of af-
fairs existing among the forest trees.
They all tell the same tale that practi-
cally nine-tenths of the forest trees have
been killed by an insect that burrows
and lives in the heart of them. The
territory thus affected covers thousands
of acres, and old settlers there say that
the way the ra wage OF these insects has
gone on for the last three years it will
not be great while until inestimable
damage results. AS it is millions of feet
of valuable timber have been destroyed
and the live timber is not worth consid
Grafton from a commercial standpoint.
The writer of this article was through
part of the affected district this sum-
mer and can vouch for the statements
made by others. The old military road
from the Dalles to the Yakima valley
passes through this district and where
the insect attack has been made on the
trees the result is very noticeabl That
part OF the forest unaffected is compar-
atively free from "wind falls" but
where the enemy of the tree has been at
work it would be impossible to travel
100 Yards without encountering the
trunks of various sized trees littering
the ground in an endless confusion.
From all indications it has not been a
great time since the trees began to fall.
There being no underbrush in those
woods, excepting along the unfre-
quented streams, it is very easy to see
at long distance from the main trav-
eled highway, and from this point of
view, to the one unacquainted with the
actual condition, the impression is left
that whirlwind had passed over the
country not a great while before.
The deadened forest begins along the
military road at point mile beyond
the old reservation sawmill and con-
tinues westward to the klickitat river.
North and south the affected district ex-
tends from Cedar valley to Signal peak.
As Signal peak is at the northern limits
of the ravaging element and at pretty
high elevation it is thought the insect
will not go beyond it. In the area thus
outlined are about three townships, all
Of which is government land and sub
ject to homestead entry. A number of
intending settlers have gone into that
part OF the country this last summer To
take up homesteads, but invariably have
returned after learning what has been
done to he timber by insects.
The cause Of this great body OF timber
dying is attributed to a beetle known in
science as Hylurgus piniperde.r Many
people who have visited the place and
seen the trees have attributed the work
Of destruction to a miller, commonly
called, or a moth. Great numbers OF
tn ese insects have been seen in those
forests about the dead evergreens and
the natural inference has been that they
were the cause. But it is pretty gener-
ally known that the larvae of the moth
families, with one or two exceptions, do
not bore in wood, the theory OF the nov
ice is incorrect.
Hylurgus piniperda this is supposed
to be the insect that is doing the deadly
work. makes its home in the pine trees
Of America and is often very destructive.