27 



As you may be asked questions at the Northern Nut Growers' 

 Association meeting at Rochester regarding chestnut bhght work of 

 the Office of Forest Pathology I am sending the following letter : 



By means of short field trips and correspondents I am keeping 

 up in a general way with the spread of the chestnut blight. The 

 disease is steadily spreading southward and westward. Infections 

 are now known in seven counties in Ohio and thirteen counties in 

 North Carolina. There is every reason to expect that the disease will 

 ultimately cover the range of the native chestnut and chinquapin. 



In Ohio several orchards have been reported as infected by 

 State authorities. The blight is now present on native and planted 

 chestnut in a number of localities in the Northwest quarter of that 

 state. State authorities have reported one orchard in Indiana as in- 

 fected. 



It is evident that chestnut orchards located in the middle west 

 are in danger of becoming infected with the blight. The most im- 

 portant means of spread to localities outside of the range of native 

 chestnut are by chestnut poles and lumber products, and by infected 

 chestnut nursery trees. Owners of chestnut orchards should keep 

 on the watch for the disease and any suspicious specimens will be 

 gladly identified. 



There is some disagreement among pathologists as to the prac- 

 ticability of controlling chestnut blight in orchards located outside 

 of the range of native chestnut or in localities within the range of 

 the native growth where the native trees are very scattering, such as 

 in many parts of Ohio. 



My personal opinion is that the orchardist thoroughly familiar 

 with the disease who will systematically inspect his trees, properly 

 remove any infection as soon as it becomes visible and who has elim- 

 inated the sources of new infection in his neighborhood has a good 

 chance of success. Control of the disease in some orchards is being 

 tried out and I am desirous of getting in touch with other chestnut 

 orchardists who have infected trees. 



The chestnut breeding work at Bell, Md., started by Dr. Van 

 Fleet, is being continued. Mr. Reed is looking after points relating 

 to culture, quality of nuts, productions, etc., while I am looking 

 after the hybridization and disease work. The Chinese chestnut 

 seems to be the most resistant to the disease though a number of trees 

 of this species have been killed primarily by the blight. 



A number of reports of chestnut blight becoming less virulent 

 have been investigated but in all cases the reports were incorrect. 

 Professor Graves is continuing his observations on resistant trees 

 around New York City. 



That, I think, summarizes the chestnut blight situation very well. 



I have a letter from Mr. Reed from China ; it is a long letter and 

 I will only read from it one or two extracts which tell why he was 

 sent to China : 



