Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1921-03-08
Pine Blister Rust Work.

| Inc W0lt6 Pine Oilbtor rust uHs IL
! ready donG heavy damage In Maine and
caused much apprehension - TO the
outcome before Il 10 entirely eradicated.
The work Of the Maine Department Of
Forestry, which supervIses the work Of
the United States government In Ito
control, has been energetic and effective.
A large amount OF scouting has been
done In the past season--from Novem.
ber, 1920, to February 10, 2l,-and
the department IL now preparing to 60
out In the spring aud 60 over the ground
with the owners where infestati0ns have
been found and show them what 10
necessary and how to do II, In disposing
of the pest. A summary OF the. fall
work In scouting and strip line running
carries lot Of valuable and interesting
information. 1t says:
"In order to ascertain the prevalence
of blister rustin Maine, q Federal crew
Of three men worked about six weeks
scouting through young pine areas. In
this way, "a townships were worked,
including IN area bounded by the fol.
lowing towns: Berwick, Gilead, Skow-
hegan, Searsport and Thomaston.
sAt 6rst the men did rather Intensive
work in some towns, but ss soon ~ they
began to find rust, 30 prevalent in oil
towns, oftentimes locating the disease
In six to ten or more spots, more extern
sive scouting was carried on. Once In
fection was found In town, the men
went into the adjoining towns and 90 on
"Attention was also given to ribes,
both wild and cultivated. In ell places
where pine infection was found, ribes
was also located.
"The territory worked does not In.
olude any area on which the rust had
been previously located, such as the
Brunswick and Kittery Point areas.
"The outstanding features Of this
work are as follows:
IN That the rust was easily found
in 2l5 district localities In "a townships,
during this short time. No doubt the
number of townships would have been
larger, II the working time had been
extended.
"(2) That 10 per cent OF the total
number of infections have taken place
during 1917 to 1919.
"(3) That the above data clearly
shows the rapidity of the spread of
blister rust, especially in young growth.
"Soon after the completion OF the
above scouting, 1t was deemed advisable
to run . strip line through some OF
these infected towns, in order to ascer-
tain the percentage of infection. There
fore, line one rod wide was run
through the towns of Brupswick, Tops
ham, Bowdoinham, Richmond, West
Gardiner, Gardiner and Farmingdale,
distance Of 81 miles. All pines on this
rod. wide strip we're examined. Eleven
outside plots averaging one-quarter acre
in size were laid out of line, in order to
learn II the men were running through
aversge~conditions.
"Aiong this 81 miles Of line, including
the plots, 6O2S trees were examined,
$50 or Z 1-2 per cent being found In.
fected The age of infection running
from 1905 to 1919, mostly from 1917 to
1919.
"Eight miles of similar strip line was
later run eastward from the Brunswick
infection area, through the towns of
Bath and Woolwich. Nineteen hundred
and eighty-eight trees we're examined,
1875 being found infected, or more than
8 per cent.
ION both strips q total of 8016 trees
we're examined, 575 found infected, or
7.2 per cent.
"As considerable scouting was done
of line every day, and infection found,
it is very evident that blister rust has
blamed a strong foothold in the stands
vt young pine In Maine"