﻿43 
  

  

  1909, 
  45 
  Japanese 
  seedling 
  trees 
  were 
  set 
  out 
  at 
  Gap, 
  Lancaster 
  

   Co., 
  for 
  experimentation 
  along 
  this 
  line. 
  A 
  recent 
  examination 
  

   showed 
  that 
  90 
  per 
  cent 
  are 
  infected. 
  Concerning 
  the 
  variety 
  

   or 
  purity 
  of 
  this 
  stock, 
  1 
  have 
  not 
  been 
  informed. 
  Our 
  force 
  as 
  

   well 
  as 
  others 
  are 
  at 
  work 
  upon 
  the 
  problem 
  which 
  will 
  require 
  

   many 
  years* 
  study. 
  

  

  Previous 
  investigations 
  seem 
  to 
  show 
  that 
  certain 
  pure 
  

   strains 
  of 
  Japanese 
  and 
  Korean 
  chestnut 
  are 
  resistant 
  to 
  the 
  

   blight. 
  Blight 
  cankers 
  may 
  be 
  found 
  upon 
  them 
  but 
  they 
  are 
  

   less 
  easily 
  infected 
  and 
  suffer 
  less 
  than 
  the 
  more 
  susceptible 
  

   varieties. 
  With 
  this 
  as 
  a 
  working 
  basis, 
  considering 
  the 
  results 
  

   that 
  have 
  been 
  attained 
  in 
  other 
  fruit 
  by 
  selection 
  and 
  hybri- 
  

   dization, 
  the 
  situation 
  is 
  hopeful. 
  Prof. 
  Collins 
  said 
  at 
  the 
  Har- 
  

   risburg 
  Conference 
  in 
  February 
  that 
  "There 
  is 
  no 
  reason 
  to 
  

   doubt 
  that 
  we 
  may 
  eventually 
  see 
  an 
  immune 
  hybrid 
  chestnut 
  

   that 
  will 
  rival 
  the 
  American 
  chestnut 
  in 
  flavor 
  and 
  the 
  Paragon 
  

   in 
  size". 
  

  

  In 
  southern 
  Europe 
  chestnut 
  orcharding 
  is 
  a 
  well 
  established 
  

   and 
  profitable 
  industry. 
  In 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  chestnuts 
  have 
  

   been 
  considered 
  a 
  marketable 
  commodity 
  ever 
  since 
  the 
  Indians 
  

   carried 
  them 
  to 
  the 
  settlements 
  and 
  traded 
  them 
  for 
  knives 
  

   and 
  trinkets. 
  The 
  demand 
  has 
  always 
  exceeded 
  the 
  supply 
  and 
  

   at 
  the 
  present 
  time 
  about 
  $2,000,000 
  worth 
  of 
  nuts 
  are 
  imported 
  

   from 
  Europe 
  annually. 
  With 
  the 
  development 
  of 
  the 
  better 
  

   varieties 
  of 
  the 
  American 
  nut 
  has 
  come 
  an 
  increased 
  activity 
  

   in 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  and 
  the 
  chestnut 
  orchard 
  industry 
  prom- 
  

   ises 
  to 
  become 
  one 
  of 
  very 
  large 
  importance. 
  It 
  has 
  an 
  added 
  

   advantage 
  that 
  the 
  trees 
  can 
  be 
  grown 
  upon 
  the 
  poorer 
  types 
  

   of 
  soil 
  which 
  are 
  not 
  adaptable 
  for 
  farming 
  or 
  the 
  raising 
  of 
  other 
  

   fruit. 
  

  

  At 
  the 
  present 
  time 
  there 
  are 
  in 
  what 
  is 
  known 
  as 
  the 
  blight 
  

   area 
  of 
  Pennsylvania, 
  or 
  eastern 
  half 
  of 
  the 
  State, 
  about 
  100 
  

   orchards 
  ranging 
  from 
  12 
  trees 
  up 
  to 
  400 
  acres 
  in 
  extent. 
  These 
  

   orchards 
  are 
  in 
  varying 
  stages 
  of 
  blight 
  infection, 
  some 
  of 
  them 
  

   being 
  almost 
  entirely 
  free, 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  attention 
  which 
  has 
  been 
  

   given 
  them. 
  In 
  order 
  to 
  protect 
  such 
  orchards 
  the 
  Commission 
  

   is 
  compelling 
  the 
  removal 
  of 
  infected 
  trees 
  within 
  a 
  certain 
  

   radius 
  of 
  them. 
  

  

  As 
  you 
  know 
  the 
  blight 
  has 
  been 
  a 
  very 
  serious 
  factor 
  in 
  

   this 
  industry. 
  Some 
  of 
  the 
  orchards 
  have 
  been 
  completely 
  

   annihilated 
  and 
  the 
  income 
  reduced 
  from 
  several 
  thousand 
  or 
  

   more 
  dollars 
  per 
  year 
  to 
  nothing. 
  Whether 
  or 
  not 
  the 
  blight 
  will 
  

  

  