Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1916-09-08
WHITE PINES DESTROYED.
Trees on Plantations In Woodstock and
Vicinity Infested with Blister Rust
Disease

The white pine blister rust disease,
which has killed thousands of Wood
stock trees this season, first appeared
| in Vermont about seven years ago, and
n score or more plantations have shown
| signs of this serious disease at differ
ent times.
In one of the plantations on the Bill
| lings estate, on the Mackenzie place, so
| called, about $4,000 white pines have
| been destroyed under the direction Of
Richard M. Marble, who has been in
| speeding trees in this section during
the past few months. These trees were
| set out in 1902 and were six to eight
feet high, their substantial growth
making the loss still more matter of
regret.
The diseased trees were cut with a
| slash of the axe, and burned, the conse-
quent smudge bringing several alarmed
telephone calls from Prosper and West
Woodstock, for information about the
''big fire.. "
About 10000 white pines in the same
rust, and may be saved by the de-
plantation are as yet untouched by the
struction Of the affected ones.
Mr.. Marble has also found the blister
rust in c. B. Smell IS plantation at South
Woodstock, and a small number of
trees were destroyed. In A. L. Pow
ers's plantation on Hartland hill the
blister rust killed about 1000 trees
this year.
In 1909 the Vermont state nursery
imported 3j2,0 900 white pines from Eu-
rope, and the trees in part were distrib-
utcd about the state. The New York,
Massachusetts and Connecticut forest
services also made similar importations,
and while planting was going on in
New York some of the imported seed
lings were found to be infested with a
common European fungus disease, the
white pine blister rust, a malady not
before known in America. There was
some indication of the disease on a few
of the Vermont imported seedlings. A
careful examination was made of every
white pine plantation in the state, and
all currant and gooseberry bushes, wild
and cultivated, within 800 feet thereof
were destroyed. In 1910 the disease was
found in only a few of the plantations,
about one per cent of the trees show
ing its evidence.
The cause of the pine leaf blight is
not well understood. 1t is not due to
an insect and apparently not to any
fungus, but probably is caused by ex-
tremely cold weather without much
snow, or to extremely dry summers.
The blight is characterized by the
death of the end of the needles, which
turn a bright reddish brown.
This condition was widespread during
the summer of 1907, and many feared
the pine forests were doomed. Few
trees died, however, and conditions were
much better the following year, and by
1909 the blight had practically disap-
pearcd in most sections of Vermont, ac-
cording to an official report made some
time ago.
1t is the pine leaf blight which has
colored so many white pines in Wood
stock this season, and alarmed some of
the owners of these scattered trees. Mr..
Marble, however, thinks the trouble was
caused by unfavorable conditions in the
early part of the past winter and be-
lieves the trees will come out all right,
though they will wear their brown deco
rations for the remainder of the sea-
son.