138 



1 cannot believe, in view of the greal value of clicsliiiil \vo!»d 

 and the rapidity and vigor of its growtli, that we can get along 

 Avithout it in our Pennsylvania forests, or in our eastern forests. 

 I am optimistic naturally, and I do not believe that Ave will ever 

 carry on forest management in this country Avithout using chest- 

 nut. 



A\'illi the possibility of the complete commercial destruction 

 of this valuable tree, it is indeed time that the foresters of the 

 country consider A\'hat the effect of the removal of this tree Avill 

 have upon the future of the forests and Avhether or not the intro- 

 duction of some special method of management may not make it 

 more difficult for the disease to spread or make it easier for the 

 tree to resist the disease by keeping it in the most healthfnl and 

 vigorous groA\ing condition. Tliese are not easy questions to 

 ansAver, because Ave have no precedent to folloAV, either in the 

 practice here or abroad. We have never had such a serious 

 enemy o£ the forest Avorking in a Avell settled region of the coun- 

 try, and at a time Avlien Itoth the national and state governments 

 are so well disposed to appropriate; sufficient funds for combating 

 tiie pest. In the State of rennsylvania Ave are uoav carrying on 

 work against this disease Avhich Avas undreamed of Avhen Ave 

 Avere suffering earlier from special insect devastations in onr 

 forests. 



A very brief statement of the devastations of two similar pests 

 may lielp us to appreciate someAvhat our x)roblems in connection 

 Avith the blight. In 1882 the Larch Saw-fly Avorm appeared in 

 the native larch or tamarack in Maine, and during the next five 

 years did (remendous damage throughout northern Ncav England 

 and NeAV York. By destroying the needles of the trees it caused 

 their slow death and not until the territory had been pretty thor- 

 oughly covered by tlie insect and until certain natural enemies 

 arose did this insect finally disappear. Nothing, of course, was 

 done to combat the insect or prevent its spread. While it AA^as 

 not possible to estimate the damages resulting from the Avork 

 of this insect, it must have exceeded seA^eral millions of dollars. 

 There was no serious re-occurrence of this pest until last year, 

 when it appeared in the tamarack swamps of the Northern Lake 

 States. It is reported that Michigan is studying this pest Avith 



