Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-09-05
TO SAVE WHITE PINES
by the Federal Forest
Service of the New Disense--The
situation Not Alarming.


situation Not Alarming.
with the price Of white pine advancing
by leaps and bounds each year the lumber
industry of New England has good cause
for alarm over the reports that valuable
trees of this species of pine in Maine and
New Hampshire have become affected by
some mysterious disease which is steadily
spreading and throwing n blight over
great areas OF fine forests.
All the way from Bath to Portland,
Me-, a distance of forty miles, the white
pines have been severely affected. and the
same trouble has also been noticed along
the railroad Between Boston and Port
land and in the vicinity of the towns OF
Nashua and West Concord in New Hamp-
shire.
The vast areas of brown tops of trees
have become very CONSPICUOUS, and New
Englanders have already made requests
to the Forest Service for Investigations
of this peculiar tree disease. Raphael
Zon, chief Of the Office of silvcs OF the
Forest Service, the division to whom most
OF the requests for the investigation have
been made is much interested In the
maady affecting the New England white
pine This disease Is now being studied
In the division of forest pathology in
the department of agriculture which
has charge Of all such cases. In speak
ing of the trouble today, Mr.. Zon said:
THE SYMPTOMS seem to he the same IN
every case. The needles first turn brown,
giving the tree a blighted appearance, and
then fall to the ground. Ordinarily the
tree is two years in dying, although some
times It may die in one season. Thrifty,
vigorous young trees, apparently in the
best of health are attacked. and old and
niddleagc trees are as susceptible as
young growth.
"Epdemics among trees are quite as
likely to occur as among people. and
often cover considerable area and do a
great amount OF damage. Comparatively
little is as yet known about tree diseases
and when an epidemic once gathers head
way II spreads with marvellous rapidity
and It is almost impossible to stop 1t. A
very strti-ng example of this was shown
in the eighties when the tamarack
throughout New England and New York
were dcfcllatcd and killed by the larvae
of a small lawf1y. Today scarcely single
tamarack tree of large size can be found
in the region through which this epidemic
swept
About two years ago considerable
number of white pines near Exeter and
Concord. y. H., were found to be affected
with a disease which had never been no.
ticed before in this country. The needles
first turned rusty brown color, making
the forest look as II swept by fire. then
fell to the ground. and the result was the
death of the tree. An investigation Of
of hat frpa NJ,
the division of plant diseases in Washing
ton, and It was determined that the trees
were attacked by a fungus known as
septor.a parasitica. This fungus has been
known for many years in Europe, whore
It has never before made its appearance
in this country.
THE present disease Of the white pine
has not as yet been completely identified
and may or may not be the same as that
discovered two years ago. Certain speci-
| mems have shown no trace of fungus
growth, and 1t Is possible that the trou-
BILE may be caused by climatic and local
| conditions The precise cause OF diseases
| among trees it Is often difncult to deter
mine The probabilities seem to be that
| the present disease Is due to the same
cause as that previously noticed, and
that septorla paraSltlCa Is again the root
of the trouble.
Undoubtedly the full extent of the dis
ease is not as yet known. There are
probably affected localities which have
not yet been discovered or reported Any
one who discovers white pines affected
with this trouble should therefore report
the fact at once to the forest service, IN
closing diseased specimens, and stating
as definitely as possible the exact extent
Of the affected area.
Although the virgin white pine has
practically disappeared from New Eng
land. and huge pumpkin pines" four
and five feet in diameter, are now a mat
ter Of tradition. second growth white pine
IS one of New Englands most important
and valuable resources. So far the disease
| has not attained serious proportions, but
! IL left unattended to 1t may readily do so
| and may result In immense losses. The
| time to attack an epidemic of the pres
ent sore IS at the very outset, before it
| has had time to gather Roadway and get
! beyond control. The present situation Is
not alarming, and prompt and vigorous
measures should be taken to see that it
| does ont become so