The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-10-28
PATHOLOG|ST CARRIES !
ON SUMMER HUNT
It's All Because Parasite
Changes Its Summer Home
to the White Pine.
PLANT 80 YEARS OLD
Blister Rust Makes Much
Trouble and Expense to
Federal Department.
PLANT 80 YEARS OLD

Three months diligently searching
for a irocscberry plant 30 years old, III
the. course az which It was necessary
to Inspect nearly every gooseherI%
and currant plan, III the state Of Mon
ma. has been the experience OF Path
olugist Hughes If the governments
bureau Of plant industry, VIII" recently
left Ms8oula after carrying on his
search iii every section IN this part OF
the state
rrobably NO other patholcgist las
ever carried on such risid and thor
ouEh Investigation as has hesn done
by Mr.. Hughes who Travelled through
every community OF the state visiting
nurseries and Old farms and whose
quest carried him thousands OF miles
during the summer.
No doubt to the ordinary person
whose thoughts are taken up with the
War or with business this sounds like
"A foolish adventure. which could re
suit in nothing but Il failure but te
Mr.. Hughes il is serious business
proposition aNu Tue hElnultblu' ut
partment at Washington III as much
interested in his search as the war de
partment is in the war.
And all this because many years ago
a microscopic parasite got the idea
that winter resort Was the best thing
for it's health and left It's abode on
wild Eoosebcrry bush and travelled IT,
a nearby pine tree. There it lodged for
the winter
Tree Is Winter Home.
Finding that the zine tree was al
excellent place to fesde during tile
winter months aud To complete one
phase of it's life cycle, the parasite de-
cidcd to take permanent lease on the
pine tree for the winter and To return
too It's former home on the Sooseberrs
bush IN summer to spend n few months
and 10 nakc the other half of It's lif.
cycle complete,
Today the American government IL
spending; thousands of dollars each
Year te break up the happy existence
of this parasite, which Is said to be
one Of the greatest dangers to the pine
forests of the country ana which
threatens to destroy valuable pine
throughout the country.
Since that day When the parasite
made its first trip III search Of its
winter resort. many changes have been
wrought aud now it has been chris
tened the white pine blister rust and
patholoEista ali over the country are
Nagius a war to exterminate it.
The pest Is believed To be of Rus
sian origin. There it is found on the
stone pine uf that country. It WAS
probably introduced into western En
rope and from there carried to the
United States.
Already the white pine forests OF tire
east ar" in jeopardy II The blister
rust l. allowed to gain Il permanent
foothol1 IN those forests, the future
OF the f.hito pine aud with II the in
dustriea dependent upon II are doomed,
ut loss of hundreds OF millions Of
dollars. Experts say that the time
when this effect viii be seriously felt
Is not far off, unless Some drastic steps
are taken to get rid of the disease.
The rust makes its appearance on
the leaves Of puoSebcrrs and currani
bushes aud Is found under the leaves
of these plants during the summer
months. Then towards autumn the
microscopic puslulea are carried by
the wind to The pine tree, where they
settle and grow into ugly big bulbs
! Here IL whcr" the damage is done, be
! cause the disease soon affects tie
trees and kills them.
This Is why MIR, Hughes Is loul1inl:
| for the googcb"rry bush that SNUG
! sl"d thu disease into this country with
| the view Of tracing tho course of the
discus" and ~ begin the eradication
of the pest from the place where il
I started.
! br. J. K. Welr, who has charge OF
/ the government laboratory Of forest
! pathulb., IN tn" FIRST National bank
! building. Is making n special inyesti
Cation vi the disease Ia western Mon
II. tana and every effort IS being made t.
prevent II from spreading through the
| pine forests of the state.