Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1912-07-27
THE CEDAR RUST
By c. w. Boyer

There is no Industry in this section
which compares with that of fruit cul-
ture in Importance to the general pub
lie and in the amount of capital in
vested. The great financial institu-
tions Of the surrounding towns are
largely, and many of them vitality in
terested Ia the success of the industry
and therefore the prosperity of the
community generally is largely de-
pendant on the welfare OF the indus
Try. We pen this item not only in the
interest of our personal welfare but
of the welfare OF the community at
large.
There has been very considerable
amount of money made in this county
by raising apples and there is still
great possibilities in the future for the
people who labor and wait with pa
tience for the harvest, but we wish to
call the attention of the public to
serious menace to the industry in the
matter of the Cedar Rust" The crop
Is badly injured this year in sections
where there are cedars in any consid-
cradle quantities and the plague if left
to itself will work great injury to the
industry and probably destruction to
the growing of York Imperial apples
That the fungus comes from the
Cedar trees is beyond question. 1t
has been demonstrated by the emf
nent scientists at the head of the Ag
ricultural Department of the govern
ment at Washington, beyond any
doubt that the cedar trees are the
sole cause of the trouble and that the
only sure remedy for the disease is
the destruction of the cedar trees in
the vicinity of the orchards. In this
section there is practically no value
in the cedar trees and the people gen.
orally would be a great deal better off
If there were none. There ought to be
a general movement on the part of the
fruit men of the county to have the
cedar trees destroyed within radius
of a mile or more of all commercial
orchards and it seems the only saliva.
ton of the industry.
We believe there is not a man in the
county who would not cut down the
cedar trees on his farm if approach
ed properly and the Importance of the
matter laid before him, at least ii
would be very unneighborly and un,
kind in a, man. maintaining a nuisance
on his farm which would work great
injury and loss to his neighbor.
The Horticultural Society at its
coming meeting ought to take some
wise action in this matter for it is of
vital Importance to the industry.
The law in West Virginia is amply
sufficient to abate the cedar nuisance
but the the fruit growers are not will /
ing to resort to law against their
friends and neighbors unless COMPEL
ed to do SO for the preservation of
their orchards. 1t is clearly against
the law to permit cedars or any thing
else to grow on premises which may
injure surrounding neighbors and it
is to be hoped that there will be a
general uprising against the nuisance
and cordial cooperation on the part
of all the landowners of the county
in cleaning out the cedars, at least in
the vicinity of the commercial or
chards.
Section 2S06 of the Code. of West !
Virginia plainly lays down the law
that the director of the Experimental
Station must examine any and all
premises which may be suspected of
containing anything of an infectious
nature, that may be carried to other /
and adjoining farms or orchards, and
where there is anything of the kind
found to declareNit public nuisance
and give the owner notice and direc-
ton how to abate such nuisance and
then suitable penalty is attached
for the refusal of such owner to carry
out the instructions for the abatement
IF such nuisance.