No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 357 



13. Pear Bliglit. This is another uncontrolled disease. The 

 remedy heretofore has been to cut and burn blighted trees. How- 

 ever, so many reports from dilTereut sources have come to this office 

 concerning the use of salt around the trees, that we have reason to 

 believe it worth trying. No less than five or six persons have re- 

 ported curing pear blight by salt added to the soil at the roots of 

 the tree. One man stated he used strong fish brine, and it had 

 not injured the trees, but had cured the blight. For the sake of in- 

 formation, I ask here if others have made use of this salt for Pear 

 Blight with success? If so, I should like to have such a report. I 

 shall test it this year on the one blighted tree which I have. I asked 

 for a similar report at the State Horticultural meeting last week, 

 and alter the meeting one gentleman reported to me he had seen 

 pear blight sucessfully cured in the orchard of his brother by the 

 use of salt placed around the roots of the blighted trees after some 

 of the soil had been removed. 



14. Chestnut Blight. This is one of the new diseases coming 

 into this State and proving very serious. I have here a letter and 

 my reply, concerning this disease, taken from my regular correspond- 

 ence of just this morning: 



Brooklyn, N. Y., Jan. 25, 1909. 

 "Prof. H. A. Surface: 



''Dear Sir: In December, 1908, I visited Chester county. Pa., and 

 in natural woodland found the deadly parasite — Diaporthe para- 

 sitica — the cause of the chestnut blight. In my private laboratory 

 I now have on native chestnut limbs, also on Japanese and Para- 

 gons, in full development, this destructive fungus. I have traced 

 it for 250 miles across Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York, 

 almost to the Connecticut line. I am told it is in Connecticut. In 

 the November issue of Conservation you will find an article by me 

 on the subject. It would seem that extermination is not to be ex- 

 pected, but there may be control, so that valuable chestnut orchards 

 will not be destroyed. My observations show the Paragon as sus- 

 ceptible as our native trees. This is an important fact for many 

 chestnut growers in Pennsylvania and elsewhere. The Japanese is 

 not immune, but it is the most highly resistant of any chestnut trees. 

 Having studied this particular form for more than a year, it is 

 my purpose to write a pamphlet on the subject." 



To this letter I replied as follows: 



**Dear Sir: I have at hand your valued letter of the 25th concern- 

 ing the Chestnut Blight. This will prove to be a very serious 

 ti'ouble with chestnut trees in this state and liave a tendency to 

 prevent chestnut culture at this time. The chestnut worm or 

 weevil has been such an annoyance as to make it impracticable, and 

 this blight is tbe last straw, and will probably result in crushing out 

 many chestnut growers and deterring many others from beginning 

 it. I trust you are working on the biology of this subject and shall 

 be able to give us something regarding the kind of remedies or pre- 

 ventives. I trust you will work out the full life history of this 

 germ which will give us some aid. It may be well for us to find a 

 variety that will be highly resistant and I am very much interested 

 in your statement that the Paragon is as susceptible as our native 

 trees. 



