72 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE, 1053 
Race 7 of oal stem rust comprised more than 55 percent of all of 
the collections obtained from rusted oat plants. Tin- race attacks 
most of tlir varieties of oats now being grown in the principal oat- 
growing regions. Race 6 of oa1 stem rust, which has not yet become 
prevalent, was found again this year near barberry bushes in tho 
north. Tii part of the United State-. It is believed that this race will 
spread from these barberry areas and become established independ- 
ently of the burberry throughout North America, as was the case 
with nice 7. 
Cooperating State and local agencies increased their cash and con- 
tributed services by $28,400 over the fiscal year L952. Indiana. 
Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota financed all field-control 
work within their borders and every other cooperating State furnished 
some aid. 
State cooperators discussed stem rust control at 198 meetings of 
farm and civic groups, and appeared on 101 radio and television broad- 
casts. They showed a color-sound film on barberry eradication 417 
times, used color slides 84 times, and released 18 stories and feature 
articles for publication. 
Accomplishments in White Pine Blister Rust Control 
Combined efforts of Federal. State, and local agencies in 1952 re- 
united in the destruction of more than 13,600,000 ribes, the alternate 
host of white pine blister rust, on about 1,306,000 acres of control 
area. More than 800,000 acres on which the rust was brought under 
control were added to the maintenance area. Cooperating agencies 
employed about 3,000 seasonal workers on field operations during the 
rilies eradication season. Accomplishments were somewhat greater 
than in the previous year because of better seasonal worker-, favor- 
able weather, minimum interruption- for fighting forest lires. lower 
labor turnover, and application of improved methods. Within the 
areas scheduled for protection, control of the disease has been estab- 
lished and is being maintained on 63 percent of the State and private 
white pine lands. 67 percent of the Department of the Interior lands. 
and 57 percent of the National Forest lands. 
Contractors in western white and sugar pine forests removed more 
than 2,540,000 ribes from :>7,77o acres in approximately 11.000 man- 
day- of labor. Most of this work was dene in sugar pine areas where 
more than 34,000 acres were worked al an average cost of $6.51 per 
acre. Accumulative totals from [946 to L952 -how that 140,660 acres 
have been worked by contractors in California and Oregon at an 
averaj ! per acre. "Where work can be done nnder con- 
tract, the cosl is from 20 to 30 percent less than by hired labor. Each 
m'.m- more individuals .ire becoming interested in contracting. 'lids 
method i- particularly advantageous in small areas. Specified per- 
formance standards in contracts result in efficient work. Contract 
work was tried on a small scale in the Lake States for the first time 
in L952 and showed a saving of about l () percent It will be put 
into practice wherever economy can be effected and contractors are 
available. The use of an oil-soluble red marker was adopted for basal 
stem authorized for contract ribes-suppression work. 
Over 15,000 infected white pine- were primed to remove diseased 
parts. This work was carried on in plantations where pruning would 
