The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1916-01-25
To Control White
Pine Blister Rust

Washington, D. c., Jan. 25.-In
order to protect the white pine for
ests of the country from the disease
known as the white pine blister rust,
| it is proposed to place Federal
quarantine on shipments of 5-leaved
pines and cultivated black currants
| from several Eastern States. A pub
| lie hearing on this question will be
held by the Federal Horticultural
Board at the Department of Agricul-
ture, Washington, on February 4, at
| 10 a. m. The States which it is pro-
posed to quarantine on this account
are New Hampshire, Vermont, Mas
lsachusetts, Connecticut, New York
and Pennsylvania.
The white pine blister rust, like
citrus blight and blister blight, is an
imported disease which WAS intro
duced into this country on nursery
stock before the passage of the Fed
eral Plant Quarantine Law. Ninety
per cent. of the infections now in
America came from single German
nursery. The disease, it is said, can
be controlled in the Eastern States,
where it now exists, but if it finds
| it's way into the Western forests
there is no likelihood that it's spread
can be successfully checked. At the
present time these forests are free
from blister rust and it can only be
introduced into them through nur-
sery stock of 5-leaved pines or cur
rants. A quarantine against the rel
atively limited traffic in this stock is,
therefore, believed to be necessary
precaution.
AS an additional safeguard, it also
is proposed to prohibit the entry of
5-leaved pine nursery stock from
Canada and of nursery stock of cur
rants and gooseberries from Canada,
Europe and Asia. These questions
will be considered at the same hear
ing as the proposed domestic quar-
antine.
The Importance of protecting the
white pine forests from the blister
rust may be inferred from the fact
that in New England, New York and
Pennsylvania alone there are still 5
billion feet of mature white pine
valued at not less than 100000,
and in the Lake States, II billion
feet valued at 100000. In the
enormous forests of the West the
white pine and sugar pine are among
the most valuable trees. At a con-
servative estimate, there are about
80 billion feet of Western white
pine which are worth at least $780,
100000. OF these, 20 billion feet
are in private holdings and 10 bill
lion feet in National forests. The
value of the mature sugar pine is
placed in the neighborhood of $780,
100000, the greater part of which
is in private hands.
In addition to it's effect upon this
standing timber, the spread of the
disease would seriously interfere
with the planting of trees. At the
present time the white pines are
among the principal varieties planted
not only by private owners, but also
by cities, States, and the National
government. If blister rust is al
lowed to become prevalent, much
land more suitable for forestry than
for agriculture, and which could 9TH
erwise bear splendid forests OF white
pine will have to remain waste or be
devoted to some inferior tree. 1t is
estimated that in New England, New
York and Pennsylvania, there are not
: less than 10 million acres to which
, this is applicable, and that in the
Lake States there are another 10
million.
The proposed quarantine will not
only be an additional protection to
| the great Western forests, which are
naturally isolated from the East by
treeless plains, but it will protect as
we'll those portions Of the Eastern
States which now lie outside of the
! 60 k~I Not Oh
States, and the Southern States have
never become infected and need
never be if the disease is controlled
in the territory in which 1t now ex-
, lists.