, 8 ANNUAL REPO ! "I DEPARTMENT CM AGRICULTURE, It 
CONTROL OF PLANT DISEASES 
\\ hite Pine Forests Protected igainsl Blister Rusl 
Blisterrusi now controlled in over licdf of infested areas 
I operative work to protect existing white pine forest i 
from destruction by the white-pine blister rust continued on approxi- 
mately 26 million acres of Federal, State, and privately owned f< 
land. The disease has been controlled on 58 percent of this acn _ 
Work necessary to maintain this condition was given preference over 
the initial eradication of ribes in other areas. Partial control of the 
disease has been accomplished in an additional 36 percent of the con- 
trol acreage. 
The areas of these control operations include P.-, million acres of 
National Forest lands; nearly 600,000 acres of National Park, I 
Revested, and [ndian Lands under s p< rvision of the Departmei 
the Interior: and 2V j mil lion acre- of State and private forest la 
Under technical direction, by the Bureau, cooperating State, local, 
and ot her Federal agencies desl royed M \ •_. million ribes on 1 ' , mi 
acres of cont rol area during L951. More than 300,000 of these acrt 
ed their initial coverage; the remaining area- were reworked to 
maintain control of the rust. Of the total acreage, the United States 
Forest Service removed ribes from L65,000 acres, the 1 department of the 
Interior from 57,000, and the Bureau working with cooperating State 
and local agencies from slightly more than 1 million acres. Cooper- 
ating States, counties, townships, and private agencies provided ap- 
proximately $718,000 for this work for t he fiscal year L952. This was 
an increase of $3 1,000 over t he previous year. 
Technical services, along with over-all leadership, planning, and 
coordination were rendered through Bureau workers to cooperators 
carrying on field operations on white pine lands in 27 State-. More 
than 3,000 seasonal workers were employed in these operations. Most 
of these workers were quartered in 60 forest camps in remote forest 
area-. In the sugar pine area, the Bureau recruited and screened 
laborers tor National Park Service and Forest Service camps. A.bou1 
250 men were selected and assigned to the various field operation-. 
Bureau personnel assisted the Forest Service in the latter'- prep- 
aration of a project work inventory for blister rust control in the 
Columbia Basin Comprehensive Agriculture Plan. 
This year's activities have contributed effectively to the long-time 
program for protecting white pine forests from blister rust attack 
and assuring a future supply of this valuable timber. 
Power sprayers adapted for use in remote areas 
Among technical services rendered, progress was made in adapt- 
ing power spraying equipment for use in remote forest area-. \\\ 
mounting >uch equipment on 6 \ 6 trucks it was possible to use it at 
great 3avings in situations previously inaccessible. 
Another improvement in spray equipment is a lightweight sprayer 
for basal stem treatment of ribes with oil-2,4 l> or oil-2,4,5-T 
concent i ates. 
Still another improvement in spraj equipment is a lightweight 
sprayer now being used to spra} concentrated herbicides on the stems 
