05 



Staff Meetings 



Regular monthly meetings of the staff and registered students 

 have heen continued during 1922. These meetings are addressed 

 by the director and the members of the different departments, their 

 primary object being to enable the personnel of the staff to become 

 thoroughly acquainted with the various Garden activities ; e.g., the 

 work of the different departments, the improvements on the 

 grounds, additions to the collections, investigations in progress, and 

 any features about which they may be requested by visitors to give 

 information. 



Scientific Investigation 



Work on a new disease of the butternut which I have been study- 

 ing for the last four years is now completed and will appear shortly 

 in Phytopathology. The fungus is a weak parasite, as determined 

 by inoculation experiments, growing slowly in vigorous trees — - 

 more rapidly if they are weakened. It is important not solely be- 

 cause it attacks the butternut (and Japanese walnut), but especially 

 because of its possible pathogenic relations to other trees of the 

 same genus, such as the black walnut and the Persian or English 

 walnut. 



Investigations have been continued on the American chestnuts 

 in the vicinity of New York, found in 1918, which are resistant to 

 the dread chestnut blight. Plans are being formulated for the 

 cross-pollination of these individuals with resistant Chinese and 

 Japanese stock at Washington, D. C, during the coming June, with 

 a view to securing seed which will possess enhanced resistance 

 qualities. 



The chestnut disease fungus has also been found attacking living 

 scarlet oak (Quercus coccinca) in Connecticut, and a note on this 

 occurrence is being prepared for publication. 



Respectfully submitted, 



Arthur Harmount Graves, 

 Curator of Public Instruction. 



