The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-01-09
APPLE GROWERS LOST
MUCH FROM CEDAR RUST
Heroic Efforts Are Being Put Forth
by Oficials to Eradicate Fest
Entirely.
COOPERATION is NECESSARY
Railroads Give Orders That Injurious
T. Oedars BE Removed From Their
Rights of Way-White Pest Grow
era Lost Approximately $4,000.


Society, has just received from Pro-
lessor q. C. Starcher. OF the Virginia
Crop Pest Commission, a letter. which
contains several startling statements
regarding the ravages of cedar rust in
Ane 1915 apple crop. The fruit growers
IA the vicinity of White Post Clarke
County, lost approximately $4,000
through damages by the rust, while
ether communities we're similarly af-
foctsd.
Through, the efforts OF Professor
Gtarcher and other horticulturists. tho
Norfolk and Western. Cumberland
valley and Chesapeake Western Rail-
ways have ordered all trees cut from
their rights OF way. ana orders of the
same nature are expected from the
Baltimore and Ohio and Southern
within a short time While the rail-
roads do not have many trees on their
property. the effect of their action as
examples to private citizens is expect
cd to be important
The letter from Professor Starcher
TO Mr.. Thompson follows:
would very much like TO call the
attention of your local fruit growers
10 the campaign which is being waged
over the State for the destruction OF
diseased red cedar trees IN commercial
orchard districts. In this connection j
want FIRST TO give a specific instance of
the loss suffered during the past sea-
son by one community In Virginia.
Lost Heavily.
The fruit growers adjacent 20 White
Post. Clarke County. had expected TO
shtp this season eco barrels Of York
Imperial apples but not being aware
OF the Increased spread of the cedar
rust fungus on the cedar trees In their
community and therefore having
made no attempt 10 destroy these
trees the disease was so severe on this
variety that not one barrel Of fruit was
shipped This variety grows 10 per-
fection In that community. and ] hap
Pen to know there were buyers in Vir-
gf,gia at one time this season who
would gladly have paid s2.75 per bar
rel for good York Imperial apples.
Allowing : cents per barrel for pack
age and packing. Won cen see that the
Ioss in this community was 81 per bar
rel. or about 100000 for the one sea
son. In many orchards'in the Valley
the loss was from a few per cent 10
the total crop this past season,
We are endeavorinr by every means
in our power to inform the fruit
srowers in the Valley OF the menace
OF this disease FOR the coming season,
ana are trying 10 get Individual, conn
Ysuuity and county action In order to
have the cedar trees destroyed.
TO Clear Out Ccdar..
In xYts connection l wish to state
that three railroads within the state,
N Of them having lines in the Valley.
have already siEnified tfetr Intentions
az having all thscsdar -trees- alonE
their rights Of way destroyed. This
In not a strange action 10 take when
xou realize that the Norfolk and West
sru Railways loss In freight alone NJ
White Post. Va. was near ss.oea TINS
past season on account OF the crop be-
ing destroyed at that place. The total
Ions to all the railroads in the Stats
must have been very great and theis
lose was but little more than ones
fsnth OF the loss suffered by the grow
era. When these corporations are sc
quick to take action when their inter
+ ok are affected. is II not time that
our FRUIT growers should adopt the
nems common-sense business prtnci'
plssf
Thays seems TO be doubt In the
sdnds Of many of our fruit growers
- 10 whsthsNS or not the cedar rust
diesasA which Is found on the cedar
tv>es aS this time of the year in the
form of a rough brown gall and In
fhA growing season on the apple foif-
age q small yellow spots. Is really one
and the same thing in different forms
One grower recently asked me II any
body e1ae agreed with the Virginia INK
s,nrfment Station on this subject. MY
pspay was that all borticulturists and
plant Psychologists Of all our expert
snen4 skaTions are united ON the one
thing. 1t Is true that all experiment
station men may make nistakss sonc-
dnaes. but It would hardly be true
that all experiment station men woulo
he mistaken on the same thing. In
~1hsr words, the evidence IL absolute
Iy the same.
some Exceptions
The life history Is complicated. and
the fact that all cedar trees are MOI
diseased, and that certain varieties OF
apples are not susceptible to the DIS
ease has led many of our fruit grow
ere to believe that all we have said
about the trouble is untrue. But
there are communities In this state
or near F'ishersville. Augusta Coun-
4 ", Va, and another near Winchester
where this disease formerly complete
" destroyed many Of the crops OF
York Imperial, and where the cedar
trees have since been destroyed, which
produced beautiful crops of high-class
fruit this past season.
II there are any OF your growers
who are interested In the methods 10
: he taken in the enforcement of the
cedar rust law which has been re-
Gently passed by our State legislature
they should write to the Virginia Crop
PEST Commission, Blackshurg, Va, OF
the virginia Experiment station
Hlacksburg. Va, for information
Fruit growers in any magisterial dig
frict OF the State can now 70. ce the
cutting OF trees which are menace
hut before attempting to take ad1w,n-
tage Of the law 1t would be well for
each fruit grower TO first cut all the
cedar trees on his own farm and then
ask his neiEhbors to cooperate with
him In Kidding the community OF the
trees. After all neighboriy methods
4 have been exhausted. and not until
4 then, should the law be resorted to.
Again lot me repeat that our State
Legislature has recognized that all
cedar trees when diseased with cedar
rust, are n menace to the fruit indus
I try OF the State, that our railroads
have r~cognized that this disease y