8 



THE FARMERS' MONTHLY, APRIL, 1928 



WHITE PINE BLISTER RUST 



AND ITS CONTROL 



Nearly everyone today, no doubt, has 

 heard more or less about the white pine 

 blister rust disease, which is attacking 

 our white pine trees. Unlike the chest- 

 nut blight which spreads directly from 

 tree to tree, the white pine blister rust 

 must have currant and gooseberry bushes 

 as a medium to complete its life history. 

 That is to say, blister rust cannot spread 

 from pine to pine, but spreads from the 

 pine to these bushes and from them back 

 to other pine. If you have no current or 

 gooseberry bushes within 900 feet of your 

 pine, you may be sure of a commercial 

 stand of timber as far as this disease is 

 concerned. 



To prevent another castastrophe simi- 

 lar to that caused by the chestnut blight, 

 the Federal Bureau of Plant Industry 

 thru the Office of Blister Rust Control, in 

 cooperation with the white pine producing 

 states is endeavoring to control this fatal 

 disease. To accomplish this the following 

 system was adopted. 



In 1922 an eight-year control program 

 was established. County blister rust 

 agents were appointed in the several pine 

 producing states for the purpose of dis- 

 seminating information concerning blister 

 rust, to demonstrate successful methods 

 of its control, and to enlist the concerted 

 action of pine owners in the removal of 

 wild and cultivated currants and goose- 

 berries that were a menace to pine stands. 

 States appoint inspectors to serve under 

 the agents and to supervise the actual 

 eradication work. 



Under the cooperative arrangement 

 now in effect, the service of the inspector 

 is furnished free to every pine owner, 

 to assist him in controlling the disease 

 on his own land. In return for such ser- 

 vice, the owner is expected to furnish 

 assistance by going out with the inspector 

 while the latter is working on his pro- 

 perty, and if necessary, by furnishing a 

 sufficient number of men to eradicate the 

 currant and gooseberry bushes found. 



Hampshire County Effected 



Today in New England and New York 

 one-tenth of the white pine over large 

 areas is diseased. In many small areas 

 from 50% to 100% of the pine is dead or 

 dying from the rust. Massachusetts alone 

 shows 236 towns with blister rust in- 

 fection on pine. There are only five 

 towns in Hamp.shire County where blister 

 rust on the pine has not been found, 

 namely Northampton, Easthampton, So. 

 Hadley, Enfield and Amherst. 



The growth of white pine, either by 

 planting suitable denuded areas, or thru 

 natural reproduction should be encour- 

 aged owing to the simple method of 

 blister rust control by the removal of 

 currant and gooseberry bushes. Wherever 

 they grow, from Maine to California, 

 these white pine constitute the cream of 



the forest. Foresters advise that their 

 maintenance in our forests is a matter of 

 great importance and of national concern. 

 With such an essential and valuable re- 

 source at stake, affecting both national 

 and regional economic welfare, it is im- 

 portant that the federal, state and pri- 

 vate agencies cooperate in an united ef- 

 fort to accomplish control of the white 

 pine blister rust. This is, beyond doubt, 

 being done, and it behooves every owner 

 of white pine to take advantage of the 



assistance offered by the Federal and 

 State Departments of Agriculture to get 

 in touch with their blister rust agents 

 thru the Hampshire County Extension 

 Service, Northampton. 



Intelligence Test No. 29384756 



"In this country," said the Legionnaire 

 while touring France, "they make a brew 

 from prunes and call it prun-elle." 



"Yah?" his buddie replied. "In America 

 they make it of raisins and what do they 

 call it?" 



