Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-02-06

u solicited. Address an communica ations in
s9noeo Tor this department to HENRY ID
9p. ncsse ps. Agricultural Editor Oxford Dem
The White Pine Blister Rust.
A DISEASE THREATENINe OUR MOST
| vAUABLE GROWTH.
| wv. r. Brown In New England Homestead.)
Are our pine forests In danger of being
destroyed by an insidious foreign
foe? Most men are too optimistic
to believe 1t possible-no such catastro-
pho ever happened in the vegetable
world within the memory of man. Most
men were too optimistic to believe that
the present European war could ever
come to pass; there Was never such q
tragedy since history began. but nature,
infinitely less than man, will not be turn
ed from its way because itscourse tran
scends human experience.
State and national authorities on the
disease known as the white pine blister
rust are now thoroughly alarmed over
the devastation it may cause. Indeed,
they agree that the determination of the
pine Is not only possible but probable,
and some say, practically certain, unless
prompt, energetic, thorough and persist
ent methods are adopted to combat the
disease. Prof. Henry T. Fernald Of the
Massachusetts, college says that the dis
ease has been brought to this country a
number of times on pine seedlings from
Europe, where II has been known for
many years, but has done comparatively
little damage to what 1t is likely to do
here, for it evidently thrives much better
on the American than on the European
pine.
The white pine blister rust, Prof. Fer
nald writes, is plant living as para
site in pines for part Of the time and
on currants and gooseberries for the re-
mainder. A seed (spore), which is car
ried by the wind, perhaps, from q dis
eased currant bush in the fall to the
bark of pine, sprouts there and sends
its roots through the inner bark of the
tree. This growth of the roots Of the
disease may continue for several years.
The bark in this place often becomes
much thicker than elsewhere as result,
or it may die, killing the tree before the
disease shows on the surface of the bark.
Sooner or later, however, II the tree
does not die first, the rust grows out
through the bark, and In the spring
forms masses of yellow seeds, covered at
first by whitish covering which soon
breaks, and the seeds are blown about.
If any of them are blown on to currant
or gooseberry leaves, these seeds sprout
and the roots grow all through the
leaves for a short time.
After about two weeks these roots
grow out to the surface, and there pro-
duce seeds which can be blown by the
wind and which can produce the disease
in other currsnt or gooseberry leaves in
the same way. This process usually oc-
ours about three times during the sum-
mer, but as fall comes on the last set of
seeds produced is different, for these
cannot spread the disease farther on
currants, but only on pines. The seed
produced by the disease in the pines
cannot produce IL in other pines, but
only in currants and gooseberries, while
the first set of seeds formed in these
cannot start the disease in pines. Only
the fall-formed seeds are able to growiD
pines.
The disease is now known to be pres
ent in Canada, Maine, New Hampshire,
Vermont, Massachusetts,, Rhode Island,
Connecticut, New York and Pennsyt
yania, and single cases have been found
in number of other states. The condi-
tions, however, so far as now known, are
considered serious only in New Hamp-
shire, Massachusetts,, Connecticut, On
tario, and perhaps in New York and
Pennsylvania.
There are in Massachusetts, three very
irregular areas of rather general distri-
button. One of these extends through
the Housatonic valley from Connecticut
to North Adams, reaching in some
places to the New York state line. The
second area covers nearly all OF Essex
county. The third extends north and
east from Fall River and New Bedford.
There are also scattered single planta-
tions through the state.
The government last spring entered
into q cooperative agreement with
Massachusetts, and the two are WORKING
together in q systematic effort to eradi-
cate the disease from this state. Prof
Fernald now has about 80 men, the sal
aries of some of whom are paid by the
government, working under him, IN
three crews, inspecting pines, currants
and goossberriss and destroying the az
fected trees and plants. 1t is hoped that
considerable progress will be made
this season, and Prof. .Fernald states
that be expects to know by fall the linn
its of the diseased areas. II tits to De
eliminated, he adds, it must be done
within few years. In some sections OF
the state, this will be q comparatively
sasy matter, but in the Berkshires and
other places where wild .currants and
gooseberries are abundant, 1t will mean
a long, hard job, but 1t probably can Dc
accom M plished, IL sufficient funds are pro-
vided.
The government advises that author
ity be given BY the various states to its
officials to compel unanimous action
throughout affected sections, or the dis
ease will become q permanent menace to
the entire white pine stand Of the north
eastern part of America. Indeed ftoI.
Fernald states that all fye-leaved pines
in the country, which have been valueo
at $425, ,00O, 900, are threatened. more
over, the disease once generally present
will kill all young pine growing up u
take the place of the old and render re-
foresting with pine by natural or arsin-
cial means impossible, and thus the per-
manent damage may be far In excess OF
this amount.
One could not expect, afew years ago.
that such warnings from even the high
est authority, would be taken seriously
| by the public, but now IL is quite gen.
erally realized that natural enemies can
not be relied upon to hold In check
many of the pests and parasites that
afiict various forms of vegetation. For
instance, It is now generally known that
sprsying alone has saved the fruit-grow'
inc industry In many sections OF the
country from being wiped out OF exist
| snce by the San Jose scale. The great
forests of dead and dying chestnut in
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New YORK,
| IConnecticut and Massachusetts,, stand
| TO-DAY mute but convincing witnesses to
the fact that such diseases must Dc
checked. II at all, in their early stages.
The pine growth Of this country is Tar
| more valuable than the chestnut ever
vss and the damage the blister rust
nav do is accordingly greater than the
in;nrv that has been or can be wrought
by the chestnut blight. But experience
II kA