25 



euce and such work. I assure you tliat wliatever efforts are made 

 by this Conference, or Avhatever conclusions are reached by this 

 Conference and whatever efforts are made by other States, these 

 will be supplemented with vigor in our OAvn area. Personally, of 

 course, we are without experience in the disease. For ourselves, 

 ^we feel that we have in the chestnut bark disease one of tliose 

 occasional and epoch-making parasites which has arisen from the 

 unknown and wrought incredible damages; that it will continue 

 its aggressiveness through a long period may or may not prove 

 to be true. If it prove to be true, then our dilliculties are very, 

 very great. If the coiKlitioiis prove moi-e fnvoi-ible, our forests 

 may l)e preserved. 



THE CHAIRMAN: Rhode Island. 



JESSE B. MOWRY, State Forester: Mr. Chairman, in be- 

 half of the State of Rhode Island and the other delegates repre- 

 senting that State, I desire to acknowledge the yery cordial wel- 

 come extended to us by the Governor of Pennsylvania. Last sum- 

 mer a systematic inspection of the State of Rhode Island was 

 made, under direction of Professor Collins, and this disease was 

 found to exist in the chestnut-growing portions of the State. We 

 are very glad to be here, to learn what we can about it, and to 

 profit by the pioneer work which the State of Pennsylvania is 

 doing in behalf not only of its own Commonwealth, but in the 

 interest of all tlie other States which grow the Avild chestnut 

 tree. 



THE CHAIRMAN: Tennessee. (No response). 



Vermont. (No response). 



Virginia. 



MR. GEORGE B. KEEZELL: Mr. Chairman, on behalf of 

 the General Assembly of Virginia, I desire to return thanks to 

 the Executive of this great Commonwealth for the invitation to 

 be present on this occasion, and to take part in these delibera- 

 tions. So far as Virginia is concerned, we are at tliis time per- 

 haps fortunate in the fact that, if Ave have this dread disease with 

 us, Ave liave so far had very little complaint of it. We are not here 

 to give any experience of our own Avhicli may be helpful to others, 

 but to learn from others Avhat mav be of benefit to the whole 



