Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1916-07-21
WHITE PINE BLISTER RUST.

the United States department of agri.
culture; and inasmuch as Vermont is
among the states in which the disease
is known to exist, the advice of the
government specialists is well worth
local attention.
The white pine blister rust is de-
| clared to be due to fungus some
what similar to the fungi held respon-
sible for wheat rust and cedar apple
rust. 1t attacks pines that bear Their
needles in bundles of five, a classified
| ton including twelve native varieties
and nine imported varieties. Irregular
| swellings in the bark are described as
the most readily detected symptoms,
but as these may appear at any time
from few months to six years after
infection, the trouble is far from easy
of timely discovery "In the spring, "
says the government bulletin, "the
fruiting bodies of the parasite thrust
themselves from within through the
swollen bark and form whitish bills
ters as large as child g finger nail.
These are blown about by the wind,
but i'll order to perpetuate themselves
must alight on the leaves of currant
or gooseberry bushes. A healthy pine
can not itself be infected directly by
spores from another tree
| Both wild and cultivated currants
and gooseberries are susceptible and
therefore carriers of the disease. 1t is
pointed out that an examination of
nearby bushes of these varieties is es-
sential in ascertaining the extent of
the disease. From June ! till the time
the leaves fall the bushes should be
searched for the mealy, yellow Masses
which, hardly larger than pinhead
may yet be so abundant as to cover a
large part of the lower surface of the
leaf. Later in the fall there are short
hairy outgrowths. These also are on
the lower surface of the leaf.
Prompt destruction of infected trees
or bushes is advised. Delay may mean
much more damage. Trees which have
been attacked do not recover. The
younger ones die; in the case of Older
growth, parts only may be killed, but
in the course of time the damage may
become so extensive that the tree
even if still living, is worthless. j,
the meantime it has transmitted tn
disease to the young nursery ant
planted stock in the vicinity.
The department says that the rus
was imported from Europe in ship
ments of nursery stock, and that it ha.
extended into Vermont, Massachusetts
Connecticut, New York and Pennsyl
vania as well as New Hampshire. Sc
far it has not appeared i'll any of the
western pine regions, and energetic eff
forts are being made to prevent il
from reaching them. AS to the posi-
BILE loss its spread ali over the country
might involve some impressive figures
are given.
The mature white pine in the East.
ern states is valued today at approx
mately $lS6,O0O,O0O. More than this
the most valuable tree available for
future forests. 1t is used in fully
nine-tenths of the reforestation work
in the northeastern states and, because
of its immunity to the gypsy moth, is
of particular service in the areas in
tested with this pest. The possible
even greater. There the mature stands
of sugar and western white pine are
valued at $24OOOO,OOO. Both Of these
species have been attacked by the rust
in Europe, and together with the linn
Der pite of the Rocky mountains would
lprovide means for disseminating the
disease over the entire country west OF
the Great Plains.
Much is hoped for as result of
rigid state guarantees, and from other
precautionary measures. Owners of
planted pines are urged to investigate
the history of their trees, even when
they show no evidence of infection.
the important point is whether they
were raised from seed in this country
or bought from someone who might
have imported them, for the rust is not
transmitted in the seed, but in nur-
sery stock only. If it can not be
proved that the trees were grown from
seed here, they should be watched
closely and continually for dead tops
and side branches. Arrangements can
be made with the department for an
inspection of the stand by experts I'm
til such an inspection has been made
the trees should be regarded as under
suspicion, Furthermore, it is declared,
in buying trees, a positive guarantee
should be insisted on that they have