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Ficure 60.—This opening in the overstory resulted from 
killing of mature trees by the southern pine beetle. Note 
reproduction seeded in from surrounding trees. 
Ficure 61.—The littleleaf disease of pine, chiefly affecting 
shortleaf pine, is prevalent in the southern Piedmont. 
mately greater than those resulting from the spectac- 
ular epidemics. 
Losses from the white pine blister rust, which oc- 
curs generally over the western part of the State, have 
been small, due in part to the natural lack of con- 
currence of ribes and white pine over most of the 
area, and to the timely eradication of currant and 
gooseberry bushes where they occurred on important 
white pine areas. Another white pine disease, called 
needle blight, the cause of which is unknown, has 
been causing extensive browning of foliage and some 
mortality in Virginia. Research has just been started 
to determine the nature and potentialities of this 
disease. Strumella and Polyporus hispidus cankers, 
by weakening the-stem, result in breakage of thousands 
of oaks annually in the mountain region. The fusi- 
form rust (Cronartium fusiforme) also causes break- 
age of loblolly pine in the coastal area. 
The littleleaf disease, primarily affecting short- 
leaf pine, and to a lesser extent loblolly, occurs in 13 
Virginia Piedmont counties and is causing serious 
mortality and substantial reductions in growth in 
many areas (fig. 61). Stands affected by littleleaf 
disease under annual observation in Cumberland and 
Buckingham Counties have steadily deteriorated over 
the past several years. Where this disease occurs, it 
must be reckoned with in management plans, and dis- 
eased trees must be removed periodically to salvage. 
them before they die. The cause of littleleaf is still 
unknown, and no measures other than through sal- 
vage have yet been found to reduce its losses. 
Winds of hurricane force which blow down timber 
stands over wide areas are seldom experienced in Vir- 
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FicurE 62.—Glaze damage to pine in the Coastal Plain is 
severe at intervals of several years. 
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Ae Miscellaneous Publication 681, U. S. Department of Agriculture 
