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  "chestnut 
  bark 
  disease," 
  and 
  the 
  "hickory 
  bark 
  borer" 
  is 
  unanimously 
  to 
  the 
  

   effect 
  that 
  they 
  have 
  done 
  such 
  an 
  amount 
  of 
  damage, 
  and 
  threaten 
  such 
  con- 
  

   tinued 
  destruction, 
  as 
  to 
  demand 
  that 
  every 
  effort 
  be 
  made 
  to 
  check 
  their 
  

   ravages, 
  and 
  that 
  even 
  large 
  expense 
  will 
  be 
  inconsiderable 
  in 
  comparison 
  with 
  

   the 
  enormous 
  loss 
  that 
  will 
  be 
  inflicted 
  if 
  these 
  most 
  destructive 
  pests 
  are 
  not 
  

   •checked. 
  

  

  Attention 
  has 
  been 
  called 
  in 
  the 
  resolutions 
  to 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  the 
  state 
  

   •of 
  Pennsylvania 
  in 
  appropriating 
  the 
  sum 
  of 
  $275,000 
  for 
  taking 
  action 
  in 
  the 
  

   case 
  of 
  the 
  chestnut 
  bark 
  disease. 
  Since 
  the 
  passage 
  of 
  these 
  resolutions 
  it 
  is 
  

   reported 
  that 
  the 
  Governor 
  of 
  the 
  state 
  of 
  Pennsylvania 
  has 
  called 
  a 
  confer- 
  

   ence 
  to 
  be 
  held 
  at 
  Harrisburg, 
  February 
  21st 
  and 
  22nd, 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  con- 
  

   sidering 
  further 
  action 
  to 
  be 
  taken 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  this 
  disease. 
  It 
  might 
  be 
  

   well 
  that 
  your 
  office 
  should 
  be 
  represented 
  at 
  this 
  conference 
  in 
  order 
  that 
  the 
  

   united 
  action 
  of 
  the 
  states 
  may 
  be 
  brought 
  about 
  and 
  that 
  our 
  state 
  may 
  not 
  

   continue 
  to 
  lag 
  behind 
  in 
  a 
  matter 
  so 
  seriously 
  affecting 
  so 
  many 
  of 
  its 
  in- 
  

   habitants. 
  

  

  Detailed 
  information 
  concerning 
  both 
  these 
  diseases 
  is 
  contained 
  in 
  the 
  

   literature 
  to 
  which 
  reference 
  is 
  made 
  in 
  the 
  resolutions. 
  

  

  May 
  I 
  ask 
  if 
  you 
  will 
  kindly 
  inform 
  me 
  what 
  action, 
  if 
  any, 
  has 
  been 
  

   taken 
  by 
  the 
  Commissioner 
  of 
  Agriculture, 
  or 
  other 
  department 
  of 
  the 
  state 
  

   government, 
  for 
  the 
  study 
  or 
  the 
  control 
  of 
  either 
  of 
  the 
  diseases 
  referred 
  to. 
  

  

  REPLY 
  FROM 
  THE 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  AGRICULTURE. 
  

  

  Feb. 
  7, 
  1912. 
  

  

  1 
  have 
  your 
  communication 
  of 
  the 
  1st 
  inst., 
  duly 
  received 
  and 
  containing 
  

   the 
  resolutions 
  passed 
  by 
  the 
  Northern 
  Nut 
  Growers 
  Association 
  at 
  its 
  meeting 
  

   in 
  Ithaca 
  on 
  the 
  14th 
  and 
  15th 
  of 
  December 
  last. 
  

  

  Chapter 
  798 
  of 
  the 
  Laws 
  of 
  1911 
  constitute 
  Sections 
  304 
  and 
  305 
  of 
  the 
  

   Agricultural 
  Law, 
  under 
  which 
  this 
  Department 
  has 
  been 
  working 
  for 
  several 
  

   years 
  for 
  the 
  control 
  of 
  such 
  insects 
  as 
  are 
  distributable 
  by 
  nursery 
  stock, 
  

   and 
  for 
  the 
  preventing 
  of 
  the 
  establishment 
  in 
  the 
  state 
  of 
  dangerously 
  in- 
  

   jurious 
  insect 
  pests 
  and 
  fungous 
  diseases. 
  If 
  the 
  Department 
  were 
  to 
  attempt 
  

   to 
  control 
  the 
  hickory 
  bark 
  borer, 
  it 
  would 
  require 
  a 
  character 
  of 
  work 
  quite 
  

   'different 
  from 
  anything 
  that 
  we 
  have 
  undertaken 
  for 
  the 
  reason 
  that 
  this 
  

   Insect 
  would 
  not 
  likely 
  be 
  distributed 
  in 
  nursery 
  stock. 
  It 
  is 
  an 
  insect 
  that 
  

   Is 
  not 
  only 
  a 
  native 
  of 
  the 
  country 
  but 
  is 
  quite 
  widely 
  distributed 
  over 
  the 
  

   :state 
  and 
  is 
  one 
  that 
  is 
  given 
  to 
  irregular 
  periodic 
  outbreaks. 
  Of 
  late 
  its 
  

   'depredations 
  have 
  shown 
  seriously 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  New 
  York 
  along 
  the 
  

   Hudson 
  Valley 
  and 
  at 
  numerous 
  places 
  in 
  the 
  state. 
  The 
  pest 
  is 
  not 
  amenable 
  

   'to 
  such 
  treatment 
  as 
  can 
  be 
  used 
  against 
  many 
  other 
  deleterious 
  insects. 
  I 
  

   am 
  informed 
  that 
  the 
  only 
  way 
  now 
  known 
  to 
  control 
  the 
  insect 
  is 
  to 
  first 
  

   locate 
  it 
  and 
  then 
  destroy 
  all 
  trees 
  or 
  parts 
  of 
  trees 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  grubs 
  are 
  

   found 
  before 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  June. 
  It 
  appears 
  to 
  me 
  that 
  to 
  attempt 
  the 
  sup- 
  

   pression 
  of 
  the 
  hickory 
  bark 
  borer, 
  it 
  would 
  require 
  a 
  very 
  large 
  force 
  of 
  men 
  

   and, 
  of 
  course, 
  considerable 
  money 
  

  

  Relative 
  to 
  the 
  chestnut 
  bark 
  disease, 
  we 
  had 
  a 
  conference 
  at 
  this 
  office 
  

   in 
  the 
  month 
  of 
  October 
  last 
  and 
  the 
  question 
  was 
  discussed 
  by 
  botanists 
  and 
  

   foresters 
  from 
  adjoining 
  states 
  and 
  the 
  whole 
  matter 
  was 
  thoroughly 
  thrashed 
  

   out 
  by 
  those 
  who 
  were 
  present, 
  including 
  representatives 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  

   Department 
  of 
  Agriculture, 
  Washington. 
  Invitations 
  have 
  been 
  received 
  from 
  

   ithe 
  Governor 
  of 
  Pennsylvania 
  to 
  a 
  conference 
  to 
  be 
  held 
  at 
  Harrisburg 
  on 
  

  

  