THE PINE BLISTER DISEASE 



39 



throughout the white pine sec- 

 tion of the State. 



In New Hampshire infected 

 pine was found in four plant- 

 ings and infected currants and 

 gooseberries in sixty-nine out 

 of the one hundred and nine- 

 teen towns scouted (57 per 

 cent); three nurseries con- 

 tained infected currants and 

 gooseberries. 



In Vermont infected cur- 

 Tants and gooseberries, par- 

 ticularly black currant, were 

 found in nearly every section 

 of the State visited during 1916: 

 infected pines were found in 

 ten plantations. 



Massachusetts is by far the 

 most seriously infected State. 

 This is well explained by the 

 fact that importation of pine 

 nursery stock from Europe was 

 continued on a large scale and 

 with official encouragement 

 until 1912, or for three years 

 after the state authorities were 

 warned of the danger by the 

 United States Department of 

 Agriculture and by the action 

 of neighboring states. Forty- 

 nine infected plantings have 

 been found. In eight localities 

 the disease has spread to native 

 pines. Currants and gooseber- 

 ries are generally infected in 

 the eastern and western thirds 

 of the states, scattering infec- 



tions occur in the central third. 



In Rhode Island there is one infected pine plantation 

 near Newport, and scattered infections of currants exist 

 throughout the state. 



In Connecticut, out of thirty plantations and six- 

 teen nurseries inspected, the disease was found in ten 

 plantations and one nursery. In northwestern Con- 

 necticut the disease has spread from an infected 

 plantation to native pines and covers an area of about 

 40 square miles on currants and gooseberries. Scattered 



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| WHAT SHOULD BE DONE BY THEU. S.| 

 DEPABTMENT OF AGBICULTUBE 1 

 TO FIGHT THE PINE BLISTEB 

 DISEASE 



1. Immediate Federal quarantines of the | 

 | infected states or parts of states to prevent, if 1 

 j possible, the further spread of the serious con- | 

 j ditions existing east of the Hudson River to | 

 j the Lake states and other parts of the eastern 1 

 | white pine region now but slightly infected, 1 

 j and to exclude the disease from the Inland j 

 | Empire and California. Authority for the neces- | 

 | sary action rests with the Federal Horticultural j 

 | Board, which has had the matter under con- | 

 | sideration for more than a year. 



2. It is fundamentally important that the j 

 | country west of the Mississippi, in which the j 

 j disease is not now known to exist, be protected. | 

 | If the above quarantine cannot be declared, | 

 | then Congressional action should be secured, | 

 j prohibiting the shipment of five-leaf pines or 

 | currants and gooseberries from East to West j 

 | across the Mississippi Valley. 



3. Greater efforts should be made to educate | 

 | the public regarding the seriousness of the situa- j 

 j tion and to arouse public opinion and force action | 

 j and adequate legislation to independent states. | 

 | Inadequate power on the part of many states to | 

 | eradicate the disease when located is by far [ 

 j the most serious handicap to fight. 



4. The strengthening of the police power of j 

 j the Department to the limit of Congressional | 

 j authority, if this has not already been done, with j 

 | the appropriations to make it effective, or if | 

 | Department authority cannot be made effective, j 

 j authority to cooperate fully with the states. | 

 | These powers should be used in experiments to | 

 j determine the practicability of wholesale eradi- j 

 j cation of currants and gooseberries, locating j 

 | infected areas, eradicating isolated infections, | 

 | and as a minimum holding serious infections 1 

 j within their present boundaries. 

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cases of infected currants and 

 gooseberries were found in 

 sixty-five of the one hundred 

 and ten towns scouted. 



East of the Hudson River 

 in New York there are two 

 large infections of native pine . 

 with general infection of adja- 

 cent currants and gooseberries 

 in Essex County, two infected 

 plantings, and three nurseries 

 containing diseased pine. Cur- 

 rant and gooseberry infec- 

 tion is general in Columbia 

 County, having spread from 

 Massachusetts. 



It is then obvious that 

 east of the Hudson River 

 infection is so general that 

 white pine growing will only be 

 possible in areas which can be 

 freed from all currant and goose- 

 berry plants and kept free 

 permanently. 



Infections west of the Hud- 

 son River are not known to be 

 so serious. West of the Hud- 

 son River in New York eight 

 infected plantings were found, 

 three nurseries with infected 

 pine, and six nurseries with 

 infected currants and goose- 

 berries. Infected currants and 

 gooseberries were found in 

 forty-two other localities, 

 mostly near Geneva and in 

 Niagara County. In no place 

 can the disease be consid- 

 ered to be beyond control 

 by the eradication methods now in use. 



In New Jersey infected white pine has been found 

 in four nurseries and in two plantings and diseased cur- 

 rants and gooseberries in one nursery and one estate. 

 In Pennsylvania infected pine was found in two nur- 

 series and in ihree plantings. 



No infections have been found in Delaware, Mary- 

 land, Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, 

 West Virginia, Michigan, Illinois, or Indiana. 



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WHAT THE PINE BLISTEB DISEASE INVOLVES FBOM THE STANDPOINT OF 



FOBESTBY AND LUMBEBING 



1. Present merchantable timber values aggregating around $275,000,000, a part of which are threatened. 



2. Present values of immature timber practically impossible to appraise and a part of which has been I 

 j planted artificially, which in the East are seriously threatened. 



3. Nursery stock and investments, Federal, State, and private. 



4. Possibility of future production of the most valuable trees in several regions of from two and a half to | 

 | nine billion feet annually seriously threatened. This means the highest use of from 30 to 40 million acres of 

 | comparatively poor lands which otherwise would be used less advantageously or not at all, the support of a local 1 

 1 population, local lumber and wood manufacturing industries, and of many allied industries, local and otherwise. 1 

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