OCR Text |
Show DAMAGE DONE BY PI ME BEETLE H BY A. D. HOPKINS. H During tho past few years the dying HL of pine in tho Southern Atlantic and Hr Gulf States, from Maryland to Texas, m Inclusive, has attracted attention and 1 has bcon the subject of special in- Hl vcstigatlon. Hl In tho areas designated as the B shortlcaf plno and loblolly pine be) Us, H as well as In parts of tho longlcaf H pine belt, the death of tho pino has H been caused by the southern pine H beetle, whllo In Florida and certain Hj other sections it is apparently duo to I BMiMTOi!loq H. Egg galleries and larval mines of the H southern pine lcctlc a combination of other but similar bark-boring beetles. The pine beetle is a small brownish or black beetle, somowhat smaller than a grain of rice. It files in alarch to December In tho moi i southern sections, and from May to November in its northern range. It attacks the middle to upper portions of the trunks of tho healthy pine and spruce trees causing thoir death by excavating long, winding burrows or egg galleries which extend through the inner layers lay-ers of tho living bark and mark tho surface of tho wood. The presence of this beetle in dangerous dan-gerous numbers is plainly indicated by patches of dying and dead pine which show no evidence of injury by flro or other destructive ngoncics. Extended observations during the past 20 years lead tho wrltor to conditio con-ditio that If all of tho pino that has been killed during this lime by this beetle was living today its stumpage value would amount to from $10,-000,000 $10,-000,000 to 520,000,000 or more. Recent Re-cent studios of the depredations wrought by It In tho South Atlantic and Gulf States during tho past three years indicate that at least 52,000,000 worth of pine has been killed. It Is also evident that If actlvo steps arc not taken by tho principal owners In the infected areas this loss will bo Increased by another million dollars within tho next year. |