Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-07-13

white pine are valued at $24O, 1000, OOO |
Both of these species have been at- |
tackled by the rust in Europe and, to-
gether with the timber pine of the
Rocky Mountains, would provide a
means for disseminating the disease
over the entire country west of the
Great Plains Up to the present. how
ever. the infection has not advanced
thus far. and the only way in which it
can cross the arid plains is in ship
ments Of eastern nusery stock This
is the explanation of the urgent need
for state guarantees. In the Farmers
Bulletin. a new publication of the de-
partment on this subject, 1t is declar-
ed that each state west of the Mis-
souri, River should prohibit Immediate
ly all shipments from the East of B.
needle pines or of currants and goose
berries. which play an important part
in the transmission of the disease.
The white-pine blister rust is caused
by fungus somewhat similar to the
fungi that are responsible for wheat
rust and clear apple rust. 1t attacks
pines that bear their needles in
bundles of five each. a classification
| which includes IL native varieties and
! . imported ones. In addition, both
wild and cultivated currants and
| gooseberries are susceptible. These
bushes are, in fact. essential to the
spread of the disease. The rust was
imported from Europe in shipments of
nursery stock and is now known to
exist in New Hampshire. Vermont,
| Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York.
and Pennsylvania. but owners of white
pine should be on the lookout for 1t
| in every State.
The characteristic symptoms of the
| disease are described. with illustra-
tions. in the bulletin already men
| toned. The easiest to detect are per-
haps the irregular swellings in the
bark which may appear at any time
from a few months to six years after
infection. This long period of incuba =
ton makes the disease especially diff
ficult to detect and is a serious OBJ
stacle to it's control In the spring the
fruiting bodies Of the parasite thrust
themselves from within through the
swollen bark and form whitish blistcrs
as large as a child's finger nail After
a few days the blistcrs break and dis
These are blown about by the wind
but in order to perpctuatc themselves
must alight on the leaves of currants
or gooseberries. a healthy pine can
not itself be infected directly by
spores from another tree
An examination of nearby currant
and goooscberry bushes is therefore
essential in ascertaining the extent OF
the disease. From June till the tim,
the leaves fall, the bushes should b,
searched for the mcaly yellow masse!
which. hardly larger than a pinhead
may yet be so abundant as to cover
large part of the lower surface of TIL,
leaf. Later in the fall there are shor
hairy outgrowths.T hese also are OF
the lower surface of the leaf.
If these or any of the other symp
toms described in the bulletin ar,
found. some competent official shout,
, be notified at once; and If he recon
a., mends the destruction of trees o
bushes. his advice should be takel
without hesitation. Delay may meal
much more damage. The owner vii
be the first. but not the only one. t.
suffer. and the destruction of infecte,
stock is of vital Importance to tn
whole community-in fact, to the en-
, tire country. Trees which have beef
attacked do not recover. The youge
ones die; in the case of older Growtl
parts only may be killed, but in tn
. | course of time the damage may be
. come so extensive that the tree. even
, / still living, is worthless. In the mean
- time it has transmitted the disease {
o the young nursery and planted stock i
n the vicinity.
, Because Of the long period Of incu
baton and the difficulty Of identify
9 ing the disease with certainty. owner
. of planted pines are urged to investi
. gate the history of their trees eve
II when they show no evidence of infeC
c ton. The important point is whethe
. they were raised from seed in thi
. country or bought from some one VIII
, might have imported them, for tn
- rust Is not transmitted IN the seed bU
- in nursery stock only. If it can not b
, proved that the trees were grown fror
seed here they should be watche
=, closely for dead tops and sid
:, branches. BY writing to the depart
- ment at Washington, arrangement
; can he made for an inspection of til
- stand by experts. Until such an ir
- spection has been made the trees Shout
be regarded as under suspicion.