The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1923-05-24
A Dangerous Enemy to White Pine

(W. o. Frost, State Forestry Dept)
Too few Maine people realize or
appreciate the great asset white pine
has been and still is, to the State of
Maine. The first sawmill in Maine
was operated at Berwick in 1881. The
next mill to operate was at Penob-
scot in 1913. By 1881 the mills at
Penobscot had an annual output of
30,000,000 feet, principally white pine.
For a number of years Maine has
held third place in the cut of white
pine by states, cutting one-sixth of
all white pine lumber manufactured
in the United States. In 1919 the
cut was nearly 225,000,000 feet. When
you consider that white pine lumber
ing has been going on in Maine near
ly 300 years and that the state still
furnishes one-sixth OF the pine lum
Der OF the United States, you must
realize that Maine is we'll named the
pine Tree State"
In 1919 the white pine cut in Maine
sawmills was valued at approximate
ly $7,100,000, of which pine owners
received $1.S65,000 in stumpage. To-
day Maine has approximately 3,000,-
900 acres of pine lands, 100000
We find reproduction coming in thru
out the southern half Of the state.
1t is this young growth that the farm
err, laborer, mill owner. and manufac-
turer must look to In the near flu
ture. Whether 1t ever reaches tim
Der size depends upon what action the
owners take in protecting their growth
from white pine blister rust.
White pine blister rust is Euro
pean disease with bad reputation
in its native country. 1t has made
the growing of white pine impossible
in Denmark, Holland and England,
and is now threatening to make the
growing of white pine impossible in
the United States.
Blister rust is not caused by bug
or worm, but is low form of plant
life which lives in the inner bark Of
white pine trees and in the leaves of
all varieties of currant and goose
berry bushes. 1t is a fungus, a
parasitic fungus, parasitic on white
pine and currant and gooseberry
spread there must be currant and
gooseberry bushes within 900 feet of
pine trees. One tree cannot spread
the disease to another but can cause
infection on currant or gooseberry
bushes, and they in turn spread the
disease to pine trees. Because of
the fact that wild currant and goose
berry bushes are common we find
blister rust on pines in every town
in the southern half of the state.
Surveys show that the disease is
spreading very rapidly. Seven to
eleven percent of all pine trees in
certain sections of the state have
blister rust. Sample quarter-acre
plots show even greater percentage
of infection, running from 25 to 500
percent. Once a pine tree becomes
infected it surely dies. Therefore
II is but a question of time before
the pine area of Maine will become
80 badly infected that pine repro
duction will never reach timber
size.
The United States Department of
Agriculture and the state are coop
Grating with town and pine owners
in combating this disease.
During the summer of 1922 eradica-
ton was carried on in II towns, most
ly In York county. Nearly 100000
currant and gooseberry bushes were
pulled from 190,209 acres, represent
ing 464 owners, and at cost of less
than five cents Dpr acre.