14 P.D. 123 



White Pine Blister Rust 



During 1928, the White Pine Blister Rust was found on white pine in 

 42 additional townships in the Commonwealth. This disease has now been 

 located on white pine in a total of 278 of the 355 cities and towns in 

 Massachusetts. Spore development on diseased pines was very pro- 

 nounced during the spring, and resulting infection on the alternate host 

 plants (currant and gooseberry bushes) was very general throughout the 

 summer. These conditions doubtless resulted from the unusually moist 

 conditions during the entire season. 



The cooperative effort to prevent the further spread of the disease was 

 continued during the year with results closely approximating those of the 

 previous year. Under the guidance of inspectors of this Division em- 

 ployed under the direction of representatives of the United States De- 

 partment of Agriculture, property owners removed 521,360 wild and 

 31,815 cultivated currant and gooseberry bushes from their lands. This 

 work involved examinations on 239,033 acres of land throughout the 

 State. The 2,036 cooperating owners expended, either in their own time 

 or in the hire of laborers, the equivalent of $9,888.19. 



In connection with the educational campaign to inform owners regard- 

 ing the seriousness of the disease and the need for control work, a new 

 type of roadside exhibit was employed this year. This exhibit consists 

 of an open frame in which are mounted actual specimens of white pine 

 showing the damaging effects of the disease. These exhibits with appro- 

 priate signs were erected at strategic points on the most important high- 

 ways in the State and were the means of informing a large number of 

 people who might not be reached by the other types of educational Vv^ork. 



The Elimination of Currant and Gooseberry Bushes 



The usual effort v/as made to secure the voluntary removal of culti- 

 vated currant and gooseberry bushes wherever they have been considered 

 a menace to nearby white pines. It is evident that this attempt was at 

 least partially successful, for the records indicate that altho cultivated 

 bushes were removed from 2,265 properties in the State, only 103 owners 

 (less than 5%) submitted claims for reimbursement. These claims re- 

 quested compensation for 2,871 bushes and based upon the scale of values 

 as established by this Department, the plants had a replacement value of 

 $1,201.30. It should also be noted that approximately one-half of these 

 claims; namely, forty-one, originated as a result of control work per- 

 formed in areas adjacent to some of the commercial nurseries in the State, 

 rather than in connection with the regular control work performed in the 

 so-called white pine townships. 



As a part of the regulatory activities of the Division, an order issued 

 under date of October 23, designated 200 townships as blister rust con- 

 trol areas. Under the provision of the Federal blister rust quarantine 

 (No. 63) no currant or gooseberry bushes can be shipped to the towns on 

 this restricted list. Permission is granted, however, for the shipment of 

 such stock to any other township in the State under a special permit. 

 Under this provision of the quarantine, 220 permits were granted for 

 shipments into Massachusetts. These permits allowed the entry of 2,782 

 currant bushes and 1,563 gooseberry bushes. Under the same quaran- 

 tine, permission was also granted for the entry of 17 shipments of white 

 pine, comprising a total of 43,255 seedling or transplant white pine stock. 



The same personnel as employed last year; namely, Messrs. E. M. 

 Brockway, William Clave, G. S. Doore, W. J. Endersbee, E. J. McNerney, 

 Wm. T. Roop, and R. E. Wheeler administered the State blister rust con- 

 trol policy, under the direction of C. C. Perry as State Leader. 



The Director of the Division of Plant Pest Control wishes to express 

 his appreciation to Mr. C. C. Perry as Federal Agent in Charge of the 

 White Pine Blister Rust Work. His faithful work deserves the highest 

 commendation. 



