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MAP SHOWING RANGE OF THE CHESTNUT TREE AND COM- 

 PARATIVE PERCENTAGE OF THE CHESTNUT BARK DISEASE. 



FIGHTING THE CHESTNUT TREE BLIGHT 



By Oliver D, Schock 



^;^!::;;'HE Pennsylvania Chestnut Tree 

 ^ J Blight Commission stafif of em- 

 ^^^ployes numbers about two hun- 

 dred persons, including the executive 

 force, special, investigators, district 

 agents, field or county agents and 

 scouts. With additional expert helpers 

 their work is being done in a syste- 

 matic and thorough manner, and it is 

 ijelieved that tlie immensely valuable 

 I'tative chestnut in Western Pennsyl- 

 vania can be saved from extermination 

 by the well-directed efforts of the Com- 

 mission, together with the willing co- 

 operation of timber owners and farm- 

 ers. 



East of the Allegheny mountain 

 range and in eastern and southeastern 

 Pennsylvania, the chestnut blight has 

 been especially virulent, causing very 

 heavy damages. Its spread during the 

 past summer was both rapid and ex- 

 tensive, many new fields being reached 

 by the blight spores. Just how these 

 disease-bearing spores are disseminated 



is the same puzzling question, and this 

 subject is now receiving most careful 

 attention. Whether the winds, birds, 

 rodents or insects are responsible, or 

 whether there is a joint responsibility 

 on the part of these various agencies or 

 elements, will soon be determined 

 through the medium of the interesting 

 investigations in progress at the Uni- 

 versity of Pennsylvania, Emilie, Mount 

 Oretna, Charter Oak, Martic Forge, 

 Connellsville and other points of ob- 

 servation. The theory that the wind 

 carries the infection quite readily has 

 been advanced by those who noted the 

 rapid increase in the number of in- 

 fected trees that occupy an elevated 

 plateau, located near Haml:)urg. Berks 

 County. Pennsylvania, one observer ex- 

 pressing doubt as to the abundance of 

 animal life in sufficient numbers to 

 cause such a marked and rajiid advance 

 as was noticeal)le in that district. 



The original Pennsylvania plan to 

 stop the progress of the blight in its 



575 



