Periodical Literature. 295 



In a paper before the Chestnut Tree Bark 

 Chestnut Disease Conference at Harrisburg, Pa., on 



Bark February 20, 1912, attention is called by C. 



Disease. L. Spear to promising methods of treating 



ornamental and orchard chestnut trees suf- 

 fering from this much-discussed epidemic. It is unfortunate that 

 State and Federal workers have had to devote so much time to 

 locating and destroying infected trees and so little to research on 

 the life history of the fungus concerned. 



When it was learned during the past year that the mycelium 

 invaded the outer zone of the sapwood the difficulty of treatment 

 was increased, but Collins shows by experiments that completely 

 cutting out the diseased areas of bark and wood with a sharp 

 gouge and treating the wound with tar or lead paint results in 

 rapid healing over the excised area. If shellac or creosote is used 

 as a first dressing it should soon be followed by the thicker com- 

 pounds. The wounds largely heal from the sides, the newly- 

 formed fibers sometimes bending 80° from their normal longi- 

 tudinal direction. For this reason the incisions should be pointed 

 above and below. The destruction of the infected chips is a very 

 necessary sanitary measure, as the fungus will persist in them 

 even through hot summer droughts. 



The possibility of developing immune varieties of the American 

 chestnut is doubtful. Importations from northern Asia and 

 Japan have given good results, but the trees are small and the 

 fruit inferior in quality. Perhaps, in time, a satisfactory hybrid 

 can be secured. 



The systematic position of the fungus, named by Murrill Dia- 

 porthe parasitica, has been discussed by various authors. A few 

 years ago Rehm placed it in the genus Valsonectria, but American 

 mycologists, such as Farlow, Clinton and Shear, think it more 

 closely related to Bndothia, although distinct from B. Gyrosa 

 (Schw.). The exact relation of the European Bndothia radicalis 

 (Schw.) to Diaporthe parasitica Murr. is still in doubt, although 

 some American writers consider these two species of Bndothia as 

 synonymous. Further studies are being conducted along this line 

 in order to clear up the nomenclatorial difficulties, and as Dr. 



