BATTLING THE PINE BLISTER RUST 



453 



acreage of young native pine is about twice as great as 



that of the timber fit for the saw, and lumbermen and 



land owners estimate it as being equal in value to the 



m e r chantable 



pine, making 



the total pine 



value in this 



comparatively 



small area 



approximately 



$1,300,000. 



The possible 

 loss from this 

 disease in the 

 West is even 

 greater. Ma- 

 ture sugar pine 

 and western 

 white pine tim- 

 ber is valued at 

 $240,000,000. 

 Both of these 

 pi'nes have 

 been attacked 

 by the rust in 

 Europe and, 

 together with 

 the limber 

 pine of the 

 Rocky Moun- 

 tains, would 

 provide a 

 means for dis- 

 seminating the 

 disease over 

 the entire 

 country west 

 of the Great 

 Plains. Up to 

 the present 

 time, however, 

 the disease has 

 not advanced 

 so far, and it 

 is hoped that 

 rigid enforce- 

 ment of the 

 Federal quar- 

 antine against 

 shipment into 

 this region of 

 five needled 

 pines, and of 

 currant and 

 goo seberry 

 nursery stock, 

 will keep the disease out of the western forests 



Courtesy of W. S. Carpenter, New York Couserzalion Commission 



THE BEGINNING OF THE BLISTER RUST 



The dead branch at the left first became infected, and the disease continued on into the trunk, near the 

 base of the tree. This photograph was taken at Kittery Point, Maine, during the month of May, 1918. 

 Hundreds of young native white pines in this area are similarly attacked. 



One 



striking peculiarity distinguishes this disease of the white 

 pines from most other fungus enemies of trees. It cannot 



be communicated directly from one tree to another, but 

 must pass two stages of its life on currant or goose- 

 berry leaves before it can attack the pines. It lives 



on currants and 

 gooseberries of 

 a 1 1 kinds 

 "spice" or or- 

 namental cur- 

 rants, red, 

 white and black 

 currants, culti- 

 vated and wild 

 and goose- 

 berries of every 

 description. On 

 the pines, how- 

 e v e r, it is 

 harmful only 

 to those with 

 needles in 

 groups of five 

 the white 

 pines. To save 

 the pines all 

 that is neces- 

 sary is to de- 

 stroy the cur- 

 rant and goose- 

 berry bushes in 

 the vicinity of 

 the trees. This 

 is accomplished 

 without great 

 difficulty 

 where there 

 are only cul- 

 tivated cur- 

 rants and 

 gooseberries, 

 1) ut w h e r e 

 there are wild 

 gooseberries 

 and currants, 

 as there are 

 in most locali- 

 ties where 

 white pine is 

 native, it is 

 often a serious 

 problem. It is 

 important to 

 uproot all of 

 the currants 

 and gooseber- 

 ries before the 

 disease reaches 

 the latter if possible, or at least very soon afterwards. 

 Otherwise the pines may become diseased without show- 

 ing any outward evidence of the fact for a long time. 



