115 



end, to measure an ineli. They are exceedingly small micro- 

 scopic objects and they are readily carried by the Avind, and not 

 very much by the woodpecker. That is my judgement of the case. 

 The wind will carry those very readily, and sometimes to a 

 considerable distance. I think we can account for the spread of 

 the disease, the carrying of the spores, by the wind. Itailroads 

 are sinners to a certain extent in this matter. The trains, as they 

 sweep through the country, will create a great deal of draft, 

 and you will notice along certain main lines that the disease has 

 sx)read with a great deal of certainly and rapidity. Now these? 

 spores, when they are lodged upon a chestnut tree, are washed 

 (h)\vn by the rain, by tlie water, *by the dews, and you are very 

 apt to find the disease attacking the tree in the fork of the lind). 

 You will find it there perhaps more frequenth^ than any other 

 place, and there is a good place for the entrance of the spore. 



Now, to digress from that for one moment, I think. Sir, that 

 Fennsylvania has done a magnanimous and great thing, and I was 

 very glad to hear from Deputy Commissioner Williams. We were 

 told by the Governor that the value of the chestnut stand in 

 this State, I think, was forty millions dollars. The Legislature 

 of the State of Pennsylvania did not appropriate one per cent, 

 of that which is endangered by this chestnut blight. In fact, the 

 Governor told us the estimate Avas based upon fifty cents per 

 tree. Indeed, if the statistics were carefully made, Pennsylvania 

 has not appropriated more than about one-half of one per cent, 

 to protect the value of a great chestnut growth. (Applause). 



DR. GIDDINGS, of West Virginia : Mr. Chairnmn : I would 

 like to raise some questions in connection with Dr. Clinton's 

 statement. I infer two things from it : One is that the control of 

 the gypsy moth in Massachusetts was not a valuable expendi- 

 ture of money; another was that, by leaving off the control of 

 the peach yellows in Connecticut, it was to the advantage of 

 that State. I would like to ask if those inferences are correct 

 and if Professor Clinton has data to show that the dropping of 

 the peach yellows inspection has been to the advantage of Con- 

 necticut. 



THE CITAIR]MAN: Professor Clinton, can you answer those 

 questions in a word or two? 



