P.D. 123. 25 



recovered in small numbers. It is hoped that these will survive our climate and 

 be a deciding factor in controlling the European Corn Borer. 



White Pine Blister Rust. 



The White Pine Blister Rust, a serious plant disease which is menacing the 

 white pine forests of this country, has been reported to date — November 30, 

 1924, as attacking white pines in 165 Massachusetts towns. This is indicative of 

 the scattering distribution of the disease throughout the State. As has been 

 stated in previous reports, the responsibility for the prevention of the further 

 spread of this disease in Massachusetts, was originally assigned to this division 

 under the Nursery Inspection Law. In an endeavor to discharge this duty, the 

 activities of the department during the fiscal year 1924 have followed the same 

 general procedure as last year and in accordance with the plan and policy 

 adopted in the spring of 1922. This plan is divided into three major projects — 

 Education, Service, and Control. 



The object of educational work is to furnish to the public, and more especially 

 to the owners of white pine, the essential facts concerning blister rust, and to 

 make clear that the further spread of the disease in local areas can be prevented 

 in but one way, and that is, by the elimination of both wild and cultivated cur- 

 rant and gooseberry bushes, technically termed Ribes, in i^ine producing sections 

 of the State. These plants and no others are the active agents in the spread of 

 the disease. This educational work is accomplished by means of talks at local 

 community meetings, illustrated by the use of lantern slides and motion pic- 

 tures; the proper exhibition of specimens showing the damage which blister rust 

 can do ; the distribution of circulars of information ; the insertion of news items 

 in the local press; and the display of illustrated posters and notices about the 

 disease and its control. 



The second project, which has been termed Sei'vice, has for its object the 

 rendering of a service to the persons direct!}' concerned; that is to say, to indi- 

 vidual pine owners. This is accomplished by private interviews and i^ersonal in- 

 struction in the means of recognizing the symptoms of the disease; demonstra- 

 tions of the damage that the disease is doing; and instructions in the use of the 

 methods whereby it can be effectively controlled in local areas. 



The third project; namely. Cooperative Control, usually referred to as Ribes 

 eradication work, involves the rendering of assistance to pine owners in securing 

 the efhcient and effective removal of currant and gooseberry bushes, as a pro- 

 tection to their white pine. This assistance takes the form of instruction and 

 supervision only, the jDine owners furnishing the necessary labor with which to 

 carry on control Avork and the State De]>artment providing supervision through 

 the employment of temporary inspectors or foremen. 



The results of the work carried on during the field season of 1924 indicate 

 that tlie educational and service work have been conducted even more success- 

 fully than in the past. As a result of this work, 2,544 owners have taken some 

 active jiart in cooperative control work, and have assisted in the uprooting of 

 1,411,166 wild and 38,777 cultivated currant and gooseberry bushes in an effort 

 to protect the white pine now growing in the communities in which they reside 

 or possess forest land. This represents an increase of 141% over the number of 

 individuals cooperating in the work in 1923. In carrying on this protective 

 work, the cooperating owners have been willing to expend the equivalent of 

 $11,527.04, this amount constituting an increase of 67% over last year's record. 



As a further indication of the effectiveness of the educational work, it is in- 

 teresting to note that 1,564 owners have been willing to or at least did actually 

 sacrifice their fruit-producing bushes without requesting reimbursement from 

 the State. This fact, representing a gain of 167% in this t^-pe of cooperation, 

 speaks well for the effort which is being made to carry on this phase of the 

 work, not by and with the authority of the law, but by means of persuasion and 

 an a]")peal to the community spirit. The average individual responds to the right 

 sort of a reasonable aiipeal for cooperation, but rebels at compulsion. Fifty-five 

 claims have been received from owners who feel that they should receive some 

 reimbursement for the loss sustained in the removal of 5,960 cultivated bushes. 



