Insect Notes for 1920 S 



gooseberry bushes within 200 to 300 yards will protect white pines 

 under usual conditions. 



The future development of blister rust control in Minnesota be- 

 came, therefore, primarily a forestry problem. This situation was im- 

 mediately brought to the attention of the State Forester and his hearty 

 cooperation was secured. The following program was then outlined 

 for 1920: (1) Control work to be undertaken by the State Forester; 

 (2) scouting in and around nurseries to prevent distribution of blister 

 rust by infected nursery stock and a limited amount of scouting in the 

 native pine area to determine progress of infection, to be carried on 

 by the State Entomologist ; ( 3 ) educational work to be carried on by 

 the State Forester and State Entomologist co-operating; (4) experi- 

 mental work, the study of currants and gooseberries in relation to 

 eradication methods, to be undertaken by the chief of the Division of 

 Forestry, Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station. 



Two eradication crews, each composed of five or six men 

 and one foreman, worked all summer protecting pines in state parks 

 and on state lands. The total area covered was 743 acres, work being 

 carried on in the Interstate Park, at Taylor's Falls ; in Jay Cook Park, 

 near Carlton ; and in Itasca Park. The cost of first-time eradication 

 ranged from $1.70 to $13.74 per acre, averaging $4.69 for the entire 

 area. 



Blister rust was found this year over a much wider area than be- 

 fore, isolated infections being found as far north as Tower, in north- 

 ern St. Louis County; as far east as Knife River, in the southwest 

 corner of Lake County; and as far west as (iull Lake, northwest of 

 Brainerd, in the southeast corner of Cass County. Infection was found 

 for the first time in the counties of Cass, Crow Wing, Itasca, and 

 Lake. Comparatively little time was spent in scouting for disease in 

 the native pine area. 



It must now be assumed that blister rust is present in practically 

 any part of the state w^here white pines are found and the develop- 

 ment of future plans governed accordingly. For the next few years a 

 large part of this work should be educational with a view to showing 

 owners of white pine areas the danger from this disease. The pro- 

 tection of nurseries and the state lands by the eradication of the Ribcs 

 must, of course, be continued. 



Barberrv eradication. — The barberry campaign was carried on sys- 

 tematically in 1920 by the Office of Cereal Investigations. Bureau of 

 Plant Industry. United States Department of Agriculture. Two men 

 and an automobile were assigned to a county with instructions to ex- 



