•ri!E STAMi OF CHESTNUT NEAR SCOTLAND, CONN., ESTIMATED TO CONTAIN 22,000 BOARD FEET PER ACRE 



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Use of Blight ^Killed Chestnut 





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Within the last few years the chestnut trees in the eastern 

 portion of the United States have been attacked by a previously 

 unknown disease which threatens the extinction of the species 

 throughout the entire range. The disease is a blight caused by a 

 parasitic fungus which kills the tree by girdling it at various 

 points. Trees of all ages and conditions are attacked without 

 discrimination, and when once infected, a tree never recovers. It 

 takes from three months to as many years to kill a tree, according 

 to the size of the specimen and the point of attack. 



The value of the standing chestnut timber in the United States 

 is estimated to be upward of $400,000,000. The species is widely 

 distributed throughout the east-central part, reaching its greatest 

 age and maximum size in the southern Appalachians. In southerit 

 New England and eastern Pennsylvania it comprises a very large 

 proportion of the forest, but is for the most part young timber 

 of sprout origin. It is in the latter regions that the disease is 

 now at its worst. It is estimated that at least $25,000,000 worth 

 of timber has been killed; of this amount $10,000,000 is Pennsyl- 

 vania's share. The disease is spreading rapidly and appears to 

 be making its way into the highly valuable forests of the South. 



The seriousness of the situation is just beginning to be publicly 

 appreciated. The disease appeared so suddenly and spread so 

 rapidly and disastrously that it has been hard to realize the 

 enormity of the impending calamity. No similar case is known 



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to science, and there is a difference of opinion among cx|ierts as 

 to the most advisable course to pursue. Pennsylvania is making 

 a determined effort to control the situation, but in spite of all 

 that has so far been done, the disease is spreading rapidly west- 

 ward into the more valuable timber. 



There are two distinct jjroblems involved. One is concerned 

 with a study of the disease and methods for its control. The 

 other is with the utilization of the killed or infected timber in 

 order to prevent a total loss. It is with the latter phase of the 

 question that this article is concerned. 



Chestnut is a valuable timber and its merits have long been 

 recognized. As a tree for woodlots it had no superior, for it 

 reproduces readily by means of sprouts, grows very rapidly, and 

 attains a merchantable size in a comparatively short time. It 

 makes a beautiful shade tree, and its edible nuts are of great 

 economic value. The heart-wood is quite durable in contact with 

 the soil, and as the sap-wood, even in young trees, is very thin, 

 small timber has a value for fence posts, poles and ties. The wood 

 is quite rich in tannin, which is largely responsible for its durabil- 

 ity, and within the last decade has made the wood a very important 

 source of tannin extract. In fact, the list of uses to which the 

 wood is put is very long, and under ordinary circumstances there 

 would be no difficulty in disposing of the material. 



The trouble comes when an exceptionally large amount of timber 



