SAFEGUARDING THE WHITE PINE CROP. 



9 



Photograph by A. B. Brooks. 



DIGGING A WILD GOOSEBERRY BUSH "TWELVE. FEET HIGH" 



This bush grew twelve feet above the ground, in the crotch of the 

 branches of a large maple tree. The seed from; which it developed 

 probably was carried by a bird or chipmunk. Bushes that grow like this 

 one are curiosities. Practically all of them are found on the ground. 

 One crew discovered a gooseberry bush growing in a chimney on top 

 of a h 



exception of the European cultivated black currant, it 

 has been found that the destructive effect of such bushes 

 not usually extend beyond 300 yards, and frequently 

 not exceed 100 feet, depending on conditions. It 

 was therefore the opinion of the conference that a zone 

 200 to 300 yards in width, cleared of currant and goose- 

 berry bushes, will insure the commercial growing of 

 white pines, under average conditions. 



The cultivated black currant is so highly susceptible 

 to the blister rust, and produces such tremendous num- 

 bers of infecting spores, that the conference declared it 

 to be a serious public nuisance, and exceedingly detri- 

 mental to the growing of white pine. The conference 

 therefore advised that State legislation be provided for 

 the general destruction of this species in pine-growing 

 The conference urgently recommended the re- 

 moval of all currant and gooseberry bushes within at 



least 200 yards from white pine stands, by every owner 

 of white pine, State, Federal, and all other agencies in- 

 terested in perpetuating white pine as a crop. This was 

 recommended not only for sections where the disease is 

 now present, but in all other white pine areas east of, and 

 including Minnesota. 



Reports of extensive surveys made in the Northeastern 

 States in 1920 developed the rather startling fact that 

 in large areas, an average of 10 per cent of the pines 

 are already attacked by the blister rust. The first infec- 

 tion on these areas dates back to 1906 in some cases, 

 and up to 191 1 in others. The data on which the per- 

 centage of infection is based, was obtained by examining 

 the white pines growing on a strip 99 miles long and 

 one rod wide. This strip consisted of four separate lines 

 extending from Littleton to Woodsville, and Piermont, 

 New Hampshire; Wells River to Barnett, Vermont; 

 Lewis to near Ausable Forks, Essex County, New York, 

 and in the vicinity of Ipswich, Massachusetts. In addi- 

 tion to the strip lines, 296 quarter-acre plots, adjacent to 

 the line, were examined. A total of 45,840 pines were 

 inspected for the blister rust, about half of this num- 

 ber being on the plots. On the strip lines, infection 

 averaged 7.4 per cent, and on the plots, 28.1 per cent. 

 It is apparent that at least 10 per cent of the pines 

 are infected in the regions covered by the surveys. 



Photograph by A B. Brooks. 



DIVING FOR SKUNK CURRANTS IN A BRUSH PILE 



A member of a crew that is removing skunk currants from an area 

 recently logged, finds a bush beneath the slash. The crews develop a 

 competitive interest in their work that adds to efficiency. A, crew 

 member who is highly proficient in finding currant and gooseberry 

 (Ribes) bushes under difficult conditions, is given the honorable title 

 of "Ribes hound" by hi fellow workers. 



