The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-01-12
WHITE Pine
BLISTER RUST
A Serious Danger to All of
the Five-Leaved Pines
of the United States

Il
fungus disease, native to Europe, and
according to eminent authorities. it
has rendered the growing of our ma
tive white pine in England, Denmark
Holland and parts of Germany inn
pracucable. The disease was i'm
ported to this country on nursery stock
OF white pine, and plantations made
from such stock in the states OF New
York, Pennsy1vanIo, New Hampshire
vermont, Massachusetts and Connec-
ticut have been found to be infected
with tnls d1sease- Plantations in 9TH
er states are under SUSPICION
Unlike the chestnut blight, the blis-
ter rust cannot spread directly from
one pine to another pine. 1t has two
hosts; one stage of the disease lives
In the bark of five-Ieaved pines, the
other develops on the leaves of currant
and gooSeberry bushes, both the wild
and and the domestic species The
stage of the disease on currants5 and
gooseberrtes can spread to other cur
rants and gooseberrtes, and also to
pines There Is but one stage of the
disease on the pines, and this can
spread only back to currants and
gooseberries. Therefore the disease
has a vulnerable point of attack;
namely, the complete elimination of
one or the other of the hosts in the
sections where the disease is found
The pine forests, as a, whole are in
hnite1y more valuable than the cur
rants and gooseberries; therefore, the
latter are the ones to be destroyed in
the sections where the disease has
been found. Where the disease has
been located. the safe thing to do is
to destroy. all currants and Eooseber-
ries in the Immediate neighborhood.
well as all pines that are infected.
well as all pines that ar einfected.
The total distance that the disease
will spread in one season is not, and
probably cannot. be definitely deter
mined, but one point is certain, name
~, that it viii surely spread in this
country, wherever pines and currants
or gooseberries are found in the same
vicinity Wild currants and goose
berries are found practically all over
the country which makes the spread
certain, unless drastic measures are
taken to prevent it. The maximum
distance that the disease will carry
from currants and gooseberries to
pines, and vice versa. has not been def
initeIy proved, but certainly that dis
tance is several hundred yards.
The disease is known to attack the
white pine (Pinus strobus), the Pacific
Coast sugar pine (Pinus 1ambertiana). !
and the white pine of the northern
Rocky Mountain region (Pfnus mon
ico1a). There areNsix other hve-Ieav-
ed pines which, are believed to be sus-
ceptible. The value of the pines that
will certainly be attacked in the Unit
ed States is estimated by our fores-
tiers to. be over 100000.
Unless adequate steps are taken
against this disease at once, the fu-
ture value of the young second growth
white pine will be destroyed. It is
known that the disease has killed
trees UP to sixteen years of age in
this country and up to thirty years n
Europe. Trees Of any age are liable
to be attacked, which means the ulti-
mate commercial extinction of the
ve-leaveh pines, unless the rust is
suppressed
However foresters and pathologists
are generally agreed that if adequate
steps are at once taken against this
disease. the planting of white pine
need not be discontinued. It is OF
course the most valuable timber tree
in the middle. northern and north |
eastern states
Now is the time for the state and
federal governments to act Nothing |
short of the most prompt and thor
ough measures with full cooperation |
will suffice few thousand dollars
spent now will do more good than |
hundreds of thousands after the dis |
ease has secured a permanent foot
hold. Once it is thoroughly estab-
lished, no amount of money will save
the hve-1eaved pines. where currants
or gooseberries are. associated with
them. A vigorous and continuing eff
the disease; at the least, it will SO
reduce its spread, as to make it's con-
troll possible at a minimum cost. There
was a time when the gypsy and brown
tail moths could have been extermin-
ated,, had the proper measures been
applied. That opportunity was neg
Iected with the result that, despite
the subsequent expenditure of mil
lions of dollars. we shall probably
never be rid of those pests. The
chestnut blight was neglected until it
became so widely scattered that con-
troll was impossible. and all of our
chestnut trees are doomed which
means the loss of millions of dollars.
This was due to sheer neglect. Are we
20 lose our pines and pine-using in
1ustries in the same way?
The Federal Government will be
asked to make an appropriation of
5000 for this work this year. This
s the minimum amount with which
he task of suppression can be under
AIKEN The Individual states will al
20 be asked to do their share. Mas
;achusetts alone, has requested its leg
stature for an appropriation of $10,-
100 to meet this emergency. With so
many states already affected, the prob
EN- is a national one, and every one
Who is interested in saving the white
md other f1ve-1eaved pines should at
,nce request his senator and repre-
sentative In Washington to secure this
He should also see
hat the proper authorities in his owN
tate are given the money and power
o cooperate to the fullest extent with
he Federal authorities in, the work
II suppression. :
NATURALIZATION