FIGHTING THE PINE BLISTER DISEASE 



563 



in order to find the cheapest and most efficient method 

 of work. Each eradication crew must endeavor to im- 

 prove its methods of work in every way possible. At 

 present the general plan of work of the crews is as fol- 

 lows : The men are lined up 6 to 10 feet apart, and 

 proceed back and forth over the strip of territory to be 

 covered. The end man acts as guide and keeps the line 

 straight. Tags, whitewash, paint, compass and break- 

 ing the underbrush are a few of the methods which have 

 been tried by diflferent crews to keep a line through the 

 woods. Thus far the compass has been found to be by 

 far the best and cheapest method where practical. 



The tendency is for the members of the crew to work 

 too far apart. For example, in one small swamp a crew 

 working unsystematically reported finding about 100 wild 

 currants and gooseberries. On going over the area in 

 close formation the crew reported finding approximately 

 500 bushels additional. Most efficient results are ob- 

 tained when the crew foreman acts as inspector and 

 checks up the work of the crew all of the time. This 

 statement carries no reflection on the efficiency of the 

 individual members of the crew. Apparently most poor 

 work is simply the result of an unsystematic attempt to 

 cover the ground rapidly and thus reduce the cost per 

 per acre. 



Messrs. Stoddard and Moss of Connecticut have 

 found by experiment that the best and easiest way to 

 pull firmly rooted currants and gooseberries is as fol- 

 lows : One man pull straight upward ; another man takes 

 hold near the base of the plant and pulls at right angles 

 to man number one. They claim this method makes the 

 work quite easy and efficient. 



In some states county agricultural agents have be- 

 come interested in the blister disease and their aid has 

 been of great value in assisting scouts in their work. 

 They have also been of material assistance in arousing 

 public interest. The aid of such organizations should be 

 obtained whenever possible. 



Massachusetts is taking a census of currants and 

 gooseberries in each town. Work is also being started 

 on a map to show the distribution of pine and currants 

 and gooseberries in all of the Eastern States. The fol- 

 lowing classifications are being used : 



1. White pine comprising half of stand or more 



2. Scattered white pine of commeraial value. 



3. White pine present but of negligible value. 



4. Commercial Currant growing areas. 



4. Commercial growing areas. 



5. Wild currants and gooseberries numerous. 



6. Wild currants and gooseberries few. 



7. Areas where skunk currants are found. 



In co-operation with Ontario all currants and goose- 

 berries on strips one and one-half miles wide along each 

 side of the Niagara river have been eradicated by New 

 York State to prevent the spread of the disease into 

 New York State from Ontario. West of Connecticut 



and Massachusetts another strip about two miles wide 

 was eradicated in 1916 to prevent the spread from the 

 above mentioned states. This strip was gone over again 

 this year to remove any remaining currants and goose- 

 berries. Early in August several new currant and goose- 

 berry infections were reported north and south of the 

 terminating points of this line, but no infections have 

 yet been found directly west of the line. 



A general infection of considerable extent was dis- 

 covered last year in the northeastern section of New 

 York. Results of recent scouting outside of this area 

 have shown that the disease is distributed from Lake 

 Champlain well into the eastern portion of the Adiron- 

 dack region. The line of western extension of the dis- 

 ease, as located by scouting to date, runs through Con- 

 stable, North Bangor, Malone, Bloomingdale and Sar- 

 anac Lake. Franklin county ; and Lake Pleasant, Ham- 

 ilton county. Infected currants and gooseberries have 

 also been found at Chestertown, Weaverton and War- 

 rensburg, Warren county; in the best white pine section 

 of the state. 



A previously unreported plantation of imported pine, 

 from the Heins nursery, Germany, may explain the wide 

 distribution of the disease in northern New York. This 

 planting was made in 1903 or 1904 at Hurricane, Essex 

 county, New York, not far from the locality where nu- 

 merous diseased native pines were found last year and 

 this year. This area of scattered native pine infection 

 covers a number of square miles between Lewis and 

 Cross, Essex county, and has been selected to demon- 

 strate the practicability of controlling the disease. Erad- 

 ication crews have removed cultivated currants and 

 gooseberries and are now pulling up the great grand- 

 fathers of all wild gooseberry bushes. About fifty men 

 are engaged in blister rust work in New York State. ' 



Scouting is in progress in other parts of the State 

 and a few isolated infections of planted pines have been 

 found. Currants and gooseberries are eradicated in and 

 around diseased plantations for a distance of approxi- 

 mately one-half mile. Near Geneva, New York, dis- 

 eased pines were found in a plantation made in 1905 

 from stock purchased from a large nursery in Illinois. 

 Currants and gooseberries were eradicated around this 

 plantation last summer and very early this spring the 

 plantation was scouted with extreme care and all dis- 

 eased or suspicious trees were removed. The results 

 have been very gratifying, as frequent inspections have 

 been made and no currants and gooseberries outside of 

 the control area so far have been found to be infected. 



Diseased pines have been found in four places in 

 Pennsylvania, but in each instance they were removed 

 before the fungus had fruited. No diseased currants 

 and gooseberries have been reported to date. 



Scouting is in progress in New Jersey, but only one 

 infection has been found. This was in a private nursery 

 where the disease appeared last year. Hitherto New 

 Jersey has been considered as being practically free from 

 wild currants and gooseberries, but recently they havf 



