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June, 1911, for the purpose of thoroughly investigating the 

 chestnut blight, to devise and apply ways and means through 

 which it might, if possible, be stamped out. 



In 1909, according to the report of the State Auditor General, 

 there were 7,633,180 acres of forest land in Pennsylvania, of 

 which it is estimated that 21 per cent., or approximately one- 

 fifth, is chestnut timber. Allowing two poles, four ties, and 

 two cords of wood per acre, and allowing |2.00 per pole, 33 cents 

 per tie, fl.OO per cord for wood, the total value of the chestnut 

 timber in Pennsylvania would be $55,000,000, in round numbers. 

 If we allow 115,000,000 as the total value of the nut crop, and 

 orchard, park, and shade trees, the total value becomes |70,000,- 

 000. This does not consider the value of chestnut forests as 

 protection for water-sheds. By dividing the counties in the 

 eastern half of the State into zones, as shown on the map, on 

 the same basis as the above estimate is made, the value of the 

 chestnut trees already killed or affected l)y blight in Pennsyl- 

 vania is estimated at |10,000,000. Of this amount |7,000,000 

 is the value of poles, ties, and other wood products, and if53,000.- 

 000 is estimated as the value of orchard, park, and shade trees, 

 the loss to nurserymen, and to real estate owners. It is believed 

 that 13,000,000 is a low estimate for the value of these trees, since 

 the loss to real estate owners and to owners of shade and orchard 

 trees has been particularly severe in the southeastern corner of 

 the State where the chestnut tree is of great importance in this 

 respect. 



No reliable estimate of the annual income from the sale of 

 chestnut products in Pennsylvania can be given. The statistics 

 of the Forest Service, for the year 1909, show that for the United 

 States, the value of the annual cut in that year was approxi- 

 mately 120,000,000. Of this amount, about one-half was the 

 value of lumber, lath, and shingles, the other half representing 

 the value of poles, ties, and extract wood. 



The Pennsylvania Chestnut Tree Blight Commission began 

 its investigations in August, 1911. The general plan adopted 

 by the Commission is that recommended by Dr. Metcalf in his 

 recent bulletin on the control of the chestnut bark disease. In 

 brief, this consists in first determining the exact range of the 



