69 



100 had offered great hope until I ignorantly cut the top off and graft- 

 ed it. It looked so good that I thought it was safe. I now know that 

 that thing can't be done. 



Some sprouts seem to have root systems that are of such low vitali- 

 ty as to die off under the shock and toxic products of the serum, as in 

 No. 110 whose roots died without any evidence of blight perceptible. 



Automatic Serum 



As a source of immunity this must not be overlooked. When an 

 area becomes blighted nature makes an attempt to check the invasion 

 by building a wall of cells around it. This wall will be digested as 

 the defensive ferment is formed and serves as a source of automatic 

 serum. This, while detrimental when only a little immunity is present, 

 becomes quite valuable as immunity develops, as frequently all that 

 will be necessary is to start this activity. With this in mind I have 

 made no attempt to cut away any blighted area unless there was danger 

 of its encircling the tree before it had a chance to recover. 



My Future Plans 



Four years ago I grafted a chestnut on a chestnut oak. My idea 

 then was to keep it growing on the oak for many years in an attempt 

 to have scion and stock become congenial and form perfect union. I 

 then made a blunder, for now after four years and the tree containing 

 six burs, I have nothing, for the variety is known to be practically 

 worthless. It might be used as an intermediary to regraft other better 

 varieties of chestnuts. I therefore determined, when I saw the en- 

 couraging results from my antigen, that I would not make the same 

 mistake again, and accordingly wrote to a large number of men asking 

 their first and second choice chestnut, regardless of its blight re- 

 sistance. From these replies I selected the following varieties and 

 procured scions and grafted them here at Piketown: 



Fuller for its good quality. 



Boone for its early ripening and regular bearing. 



McFarland for its hereditary qualities. 



Rochester for its thrifty growth as a stock. 



Dan Patch, Riehl No. 62 and 68, Champion, Paragon, Drescher 

 Merribrook, Parry, Old Biarndoors, and others for various reasons. 



Most of the grafts are growing nicely and many of them have 



