The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-01-25
TO CONTROL BLISTER RUST.
Public Hearing to Be Held on Proposed
Quarantine for Eastern Nursery Stock.

In order TO protect the white pine for.
ests OF the country from the disease
known as the white pine blister rust, it
| il proposed TO pIace federal quaran-
tine on shipments of five-leaved pines
and cultivated black cirrants from sew
eral eastern states. A public hearing
| on this question will be held by the fed
eral horticultural board at the depart.
ment of agriculture, Washington, on
Feb. 4, at 10 a. m. The states which it
| is proposed to quarantine on this ac-
count are Ned Hampshire, Vermont,
Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York
and Pennsylvania.
The white pine blister rust. like cit
rus blight and blister blight, is an inn
ported disease which was introduced into
this country on nursery stock before
the passage Of the federal plant quar-
antine law. Ninety per cent Of the in
fections now in America came from
single German nursery. The disease,
it is said can be controlled in the east
ern states, where it now exists, but if
it finds its way into the western forests
there is no likelihood that its spread
can be successfully checked. AT the
present time those forests are free from
blister rust and it can only be intro
dueed into them through nursery stock
of five-leaved pines or currants. A quar-
antine against the relatively limited
traffic in this stock is, therefore, be-
lieved to be necessary precaution.
As an additional safeguard, it also is
proposed to prohibit the entry OF FIVE
leaved pine nursery stock from Canada |
and of nursery stock of crrants and |
gooseberries from Canada, Europe and |
Asia. These questions viii be consid- |
cred at the same hearing as the pro-
posed domestic quarantine.
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 Pennsyl-
yania alone there are still l5,000,000, 900
feet of mature white pine valued at not
less than S75,000,000, and in the Lake
states, l2,000,000,0o0 feet valued at S96,- 4
100000. In the enormous forests of the
West the white pine and sugar pine are
among the most valuable trees. At
estimate, there are about
30,0000,000,000 feet OF western white
pine which are worth at least S90.000,- Il
400. OF these, 20.0O0,000,0 900 feet are in
private holdings and 10000 100000 feet /
n national forests. The value of the /
nature sugar pine is placed in the neigh ,
,orhood of sl50.000,00O. the greater part I
i which is in private hands ID
In addition to its effect upon this e
tsnding timber, the spread of the dis a
ase would seriously interfere with the
'lanting of trees. At the present time II
he white pines are among the princi- 5
al varieties planted, not only BY pri- v
ate owners, but also by cities, states, o
nd the national government. II blis- c
er rust is allowed TO become preva-
mt. much land more suitable for fores-
~ than for agriculture and which could
therwise bear splendid forests Of white :
inc viii have 10 remain waste or be
evoted to some inferior tree. ID Is es-
mated that in New England. New York
nd Pennsylvania. there are not less Z
ian l0oOO000O0O acres 20 which this K
applicable and that in the lake states Il
lere are another l0.0o0OO0Oo0. Ia
The proposed quarantine will not only +
P an additional protection 20 the great q
estern forests, which ere naturally is A
ated from the East by treeless plains, VI
NJ Il viii protect as well those por-
ons Of the eastern states which now IN
3 outside 81 the infected area Maine. el
.e lake states and the suutharn states in
I've never become infected and need
sver BE- if the disease is controlled in b,
e territory in vhich Il nov erists. 3!