Currant bushes?

[CatInTheHenHouse]

I assume this is about the white pine blister disease. How do you conclude that is not a good reason?

My understanding is that the ban on currants didn’t actually help stop it; it’s a fungus that spreads on the wind and currants aren’t the only host. (Alt hosts include snapdragons and the Indian Paint Brush. The latter is native to the eastern half of the United States and a good chunk of Canada.)

Also they’ve got blister-resistant varieties of both white pine and currant now. (List is at the bottom.)

 

[saysfaa]

Yes. They hoped to stop it by banning currants. That didn't happen for the reasons your sources mentioned. And maybe some others - such as people did not fully stop growing currants even they did stop planting new ones. That doesn't mean the bans didn't protect a lot of white pines.

Yes, other plants do host it - less well.

Yes, there are resistant varieties. That helps. I'd rather not have to wait 30 years for the new trees to grow. I also don't like bottle-necking genetic diversity that sort of replanting does. It is better than not having white pines but it has downsides too.

Jostaberry is another option (besides resistant varieties of currants).

 

[nao57]

Yes. They hoped to stop it by banning currants. That didn't happen for the reasons your sources mentioned. And maybe some others - such as people did not fully stop growing currants even they did stop planting new ones. That doesn't mean the bans didn't protect a lot of white pines.

Yes, other plants do host it - less well.

Yes, there are resistant varieties. That helps. I'd rather not have to wait 30 years for the new trees to grow. I also don't like bottle-necking genetic diversity that sort of replanting does. It is better than not having white pines but it has downsides too.

Jostaberry is another option (besides resistant varieties of currants).

Sometimes ideas about laws aren't always correct. They can mean well but there's other things going on. Also the fact that law was later repealed came about because people showed the law wasn't based on right information. But it takes people awhile when they are set in their ways.