25 



euce iuid such work. 1 as^slll•(; you lliaL wluitevei' ell'orts are made 

 by this (.'(MilVi-ciicc, or w halcvfr coudusioiis arc rc.-achcd l»y this 

 Coniercuce aud whatever eilorts are made by other States, these 

 Avill be supplemented with vi«!;or in our own area. Personally, of 

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

 we feel tliat wc have in the chestnut hark disease one of those 

 occasional and epoch iiiakinj^ parasites wdiicli has arisen from the 

 unkn<nvn and wrought incredible damages; that it will continue 

 its aggressiveness through a long period may or may not fjrove 

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

 very great. II' llu' coiKlJiions proNc more fa\(»iahl(', (»nr Coi-csls 

 may be preserved. 



THE CIIAIK.MAX: IMnMh- Island. 



JESSE ]5. M()\MIY, State Forester: Mr. Chairman, in be- 

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

 senting that State, I desire to acknowledge the very 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, aud this disease was 

 found to exist in the chestnut-growing pin-tions 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 the other States which grow the wild chestnut 

 tree. 



THE CHAIRMAN: Tennessee. (No response). 



Vermont. (No response). 



Virginia. 



MR. CEORGE P.. KEEZELL: Mv. Chairman, on behalf of 

 the General Assembly of N'irginia, L 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 this time per- 

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

 us, we have so far had very little complaint of it. We are not here 

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

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



