Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1913-02-20
That Cedar Rust Legislation.

Editor Register-There is movement
IN foot among West Virginia orchard
;sts. who are represented 0y Hon. Gray
Silver, at Charleston, to legislate The
cedars out OF our State, believing, as they
aIlege. that they are responsible for what
is unfortunately called cedar rust,
name given to fungus that has attacked
certain varieties OF apple trees in the las'
two years.
The orchardists are not entirely to
blame in this matter, for the West VI.
ginia Experiment Station has published
far and wide that the rust is propagated
from spores given out by the cedar ap-
ple," or gall, without considering for a
moment that said cedar apple" occurs
upon one variety, the Virginia, or Red
cedar Guniperus virglniana), only.
We have eight distinctly marked vari-
cites of the species IN the Middle Atlantic
States, seven OF which have never borne
cedar apple" and which are as inno-
cent of disseminating The cedar rust
spores as the oaks or naples.
Call halt, gentlemen. until my state
ment can be verified and the falSity OF
The half baked opinion OF the Experiment
Station proven. The idea of slashing
down seven innocent trees IN all thell
beauty TO reach the@o guilty one IS mol
only absurd, but would be a crime against
our State as well as most foolish move,
for if the "cedar apple" disseminates
rust spores, as claimed by the great ~
Experiment Station scientists, 1t would
moi do any good to merely destroy the
cedars of our own State. but 1t would be
necessary TO jenude the whole United
States and Canada, to say nothing OF
Mexico, of this beautiful and valuable
evergreen species, for the reason, that
nature has so constituted all fungus spores
that they are of tine same weight as air,
and will remain suspended Tor weeks,
and with favoring and prolonged wind
are capable of being carried thousands Of
miles, some OF them alighting upon every
Leaf and twig OF every tree and shrub IN
the path OF the wind carrying them, but
terminating only where conditions were
Suitable. The rust that has thrown such
a scare into apple growers may have
come from Timbuctoo for all we know.
| am planting apple trees each spring
and fall, but have taken care since the
advent OF the rust TO plant only those
varieties that know to be immune, and
| am as much interested in this question
as other planters, but know WHEREOF
speak, and repeat that it would be hor-
role mistake and crime to rid our fair
State OF its cedars. What of the birds,
and the thin hillsides that would be out
OF commits ion as soon as you remove
the wind break consisting OF cedarS,
which have taken hundred years TO
reach their present efficiency?
Another thing that throws strong douol
upon even the smooth Red cedar (Juni
perus Virginiana) being guilty OF the
change Of producing rust spores 1.-THE
only member OF the family that bears the
cedar apple') is, that fungus spores
are made by nature to reproduce its kind,
the spores and the. seeds OF the fungus,
and when See these spores producing
cedar apples" on York Imperial ap-
pie tree, or any other than Red cedar,
will be ready to believe the contention
of the Experiment Station that said zee
der apple" is the parent OF the cedar
rust".
will not 60 into another branch OF
this subject that have made study. OF,
further than to state that | think ! will be
able by July next to give the real source
OF the rust and possible remedy Tor the
same. | will say, however, that as TAR
as have gone, my discoveries all tend
to diSprove the Experiment Station the
ory OF the origin OF the rust.
| enclose branches from six varieties OF
cedars that you may see how widely dif-
ferent they are in leaf and tWig.
Sincerely,
E. u. BOWLY.