POSTENTRY QUARANTINE 



Certain plants from foreign countries must be grown here for two growing 

 seasons before they can be released from quarantine. Inspections are made 

 during the growing season here, and releases are made after the final 

 inspection. Plants from foreign countries were growing here at 37 sites 

 this year. Some of these plants included, Rosa, Aesculus, Acer, Sorbus, 

 Dianthus, Hibiscus, Hydrangea, Ulmus, and Cedrus. 



WHITE PINE BLISTER RUST QUARANTINE 



In order to prevent the spread of the fungus that causes the White Pine 

 Blister Rust disease, it is necessary to restrict the planting of currants 

 and gooseberries in certain localities of the Commonwealth. 



These plants act as an alternate host of the disease. The fungus must 

 live and grow at least a year on the currant or gooseberry before it can 

 spread and infect the White Pine. There are 144 towns and cities where the 

 planting of currants and gooseberries is prohibited. Control-area permits 

 are issued to nurseries shipping these plants into non-prohibited planting 

 sites. This year 91 control-area permits were issued. 



GYPSY MOTH 



The Gypsy Moth was on the increase again this year. This pest did 

 not pose too much of a problem to the nurseries due to a spray schedule 

 maintained by the nurserymen. However, there was an estimated defoliation 

 rate of over 230,000 acres of woodland defoliated from 30 to 100 per cent 

 this year. No control was attempted by state authorities. Some cities and 

 towns did apply sprays, but they were not too successful in obtaining 

 meaningful control. 



Property owners were advised to undertake control measures on their 

 own lands. Federal authorities treated two camp sites by applying a 

 pesticide with ground equipment this year. These camp sites were areas 

 where recreational vehicles frequented, and some were destined to states 

 that did not yet have the Gypsy Moth. The chemical pesticide, Sevin, was 

 used for the spray material. Forecasts for 1980 show at least a fifty 

 per cent increase in this pest. 



SURVEYS 



Surveys were conducted this year for the presence of the Cereal Leaf 

 Beetle, European Chafer, Red Steele disease of strawberry and noxious weeds. 



The majority of Cereal Leaf Beetle larvae and adults were found to be 

 parasitized by one of our introduced parasitic wasps, and it was concluded 

 that further control of this pest by man was not necessary now. 



The survey for European Chafer showed that this pest has not spread 

 out of the known infested area of Eastern Massachusetts. Red Steele 

 disease was not found in any of our strawberry plant nurseries this year. 

 The noxious weed survey was initially done here this year as a federal 

 cooperative project. No exotic noxious weeds were discovered, however 

 important data useful for future surveys has been recorded, and guidelines are 

 now available to assist in making more efficient surveys of this nature. 



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