Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1921-12-07
MAINE FOREST PESTS.
Do More Damage Annually Than
Forest Fires.

Forest Fires.
H. B. Pierson, who recently as
sumed his duties as State forest en-
tomologist, is deeply in love with his
work. He is graduate of the
Massachusetts agricultural college
and received a master of science de-
gree FROM Harvard university. He
was for several seasons with the
federal bureau of entomology,
served one year as forest entomDlo-
gist at the Harvard forest school,
and is now consulting entomologist
with the Massachusetts state depart
ment of forestry.
ut has long been recognized that
forest insects yearly do far more
damage than fire in the United
States" says Mr.. PiersoI. "a very
conservative estimate made by the
United States department of agricul-
ture places the yearly loss from for
est insects in the country at $780,
100000.
This damage is largely concen-
trated in states such as Maine,
where great areas are covered by the
so-called pure stands of timber. In
states where the stands consist
largely of mixed species, the damage
is greatly minimized.
Nowhere in the eastern part of
the country have forest insects been
as serious as in Maine, due to the
relatively few species of trees found
in the forests throughout the great
err part of the State. The spruce
bud worm is undoubtedly the most
serious insect pest in Maine, in spite
of the fact that it comes periodi-
cally. At the present time it is esti-
mated that 80 per cent. of the
mature spruce and 70 per cent. of
the mature fir throughout the State
have been killed The last infesta-
ton of the bud worm destroyed ap-
proximately $7O,OOO,O0O worth of
mature fir and spruce.
I'm many areas, such as in Wash
ington county and the Chesuncook,
Chamberlain and Allegash country,
the damage is stupendOus, fir being
practically tree of the past and SO
per cent. by volume of the spruce
having been killed. 1t is a desolate
sight to see literally miles of dead
spruce and fir forest, creating veri-
table fire trap.
cover most of this area a remark
able reproduction of spruce and fir
is coming up, and it is hoped that
some method of economic control
applicable to forest conditions can
be evolved before this new forest is
destroyed as was it's predecessor
'Since coming here, l have spent
most of my time in the northern
part of the State, studying condi-
lions under which the greatest and
least damage have taken place, trac-
ing the general spread of the insect
and laying plans for the coming
seasons work. During the past
summer the bud worm has been
only noticeably working in two
isolated localities in this State, but
it is undoubtedly present in small
numbers throughout the spruce
region, merely waiting for the new
crop to mature before becoming a
real menace. Most of the young
spruce and fir are coming up under
the protection of hardwoods, or the
old worm-killed spruce and fir, and
are not likely to be seriously at
tackled until they become the domi-
nant trees themselves.
'The bud worm is by no means
theonly serious forest insect pest in
Maine. The larch, or as it is more
commonly known here, the juniper
or hackmatack, has been destroyed
throughout nearly the entire State
by the larch saw-fiy, a small leaf
feeding caterpillar. Bark beetles,
wOOd-boring larvae and leaf-feeders,
all take their yearly toll of the for
ests. 1t is unquestionably true that
most, if not all of these pests, can
economically be controlled in the
forests, if thorough understand
ing of the life and habits of the in
sect, coupled with knowledge of
forest conditions, can be obtained"
Mr.. Persons services have been
loaned" by the federal government,
and his salary from the State is but
one dollar a month, the balance of
his salary and expenses being paid
by Uncle Sam, who wants the same
information that will be invaluable
to Maine.