FOREST BIOLOGY 211 



offered evidence that the fungus must have come from China via 

 Japanese dwarf chestnuts. A battery of mycologists went to work on 

 the organism's life history and rapidly discovered and drew pictures 

 of a variety of spores. In the meantime farmers were losing their 

 woodlots and estates their famous shade trees. Nobody could well 

 do anything until the methods of spore distribution were worked out. 

 Since the spores could be carried by insects and birds and everything 

 which moved through the infected • forests, entomologists and 

 Biological Survey specialists became involved in the activities. It was 

 considered possible that infected trees might be induced to take up 

 toxins which would kill the attacking fungus or make the tree im- 

 mune. Plant physiologists were called in to experiment with toxins 

 and therapeutic agencies. Still the disease spread. Numbers of young 

 foresters and others were sent into the woods to superintend the 

 cutting and burning of the diseased material. Other foresters worked 

 up data to indicate the seriousness of the situation and set to work 

 to devise means to utilize the dead timber, so as to prevent as much 

 waste as possible. The others have done their work, and we know 

 now what the fungus is and how it works and some of the ways in 

 v.hich it may be possible to control it. The application of possible 

 control measures and determination as to their economic feasibility 

 and general practicability must be left to the forester. 



The typhoid organism may have been discovered by a bacteri- 

 ologist. Physicians may have worked out its life history anrd have 

 developed the fact that the fly is the common carrier. Entomologists 

 may now review the life history of the fly. Everything has now been 

 done save the development by experts in prophylaxis of an effective 

 serum to confer immunity against typhoid — and the stopping of the 

 fever among the people. When things have reached their proper 

 stage, sanitary measures will be enforced by the town constable, and 

 the milk and water inspectors. Neither the constable nor the inspectors 

 can do work unless they fully understand what it is all about. They 

 will not be experts in bacteriology, entomology, or prophylaxis, but 

 they can nevertheless do the work if properly directed by a good 

 health officer. 



In the aggregate, during the last twenty years or so, a very great 

 amount of work in forest entomology, mycology, biology, and physi- 

 ology has been done by specialists in those things. In many cases 

 these specialists have discovered an organism, named it, and more or 



