7(1 



cietj lit'ld in W'jisliiiinloii, 1). ( \, duiiiig a discnssioii of tlic clicst- 

 init bliiilit pi-ol»l('iii, llic writer made the followini!,' [ii-cdictioiis : 



(1). That clicshml liliiLilit was not iiiii)()i'ted into the Tiiited 

 States from Ja])aii; not savinjj; (hat it does not occnr in (he hit- 

 ter eoiiiitry. 



(2). That it is a native Auiei-ican species. 



(3). Tliat it is a previonsly descrihed species. 



(4). Tliat there is evident relationship between its rise and 

 spread in tliis conntrv and Aveather conditions. 



(5). Tha( i( is impossiitle (o ei-adicate it h\ (he cn((ini»' ont 

 nie( hod. 



((I). That tliere will in (inie he a <le(dine in its i»rominence 

 due to natural conditions. 



(7). Unpublished — bv which was meant, that (he I'uni^us oc- 

 curs in Euro])e. 



I ]>rop<)se here to discuss some of these i)redic( ions, (hus <;iv- 

 ini:, m,v reasons for jn-esentinj; (hem. There have been advocated 

 two almost diametrically (»i)])osed views concei-ninu (he chestnut 

 blii^ht in this country. 



The first of these, if 1 understand it correctly, assumes tluit 

 the chestnut bliiiht is a recently introduced disease, apparently 

 from Japan, and that its spread and destructiveness here have 

 not been at all influenced by weather conditions; that if left un- 

 controlled, it will continue (o spi-ead and devastate our forests 

 un(il they ai-e ]»ractically i-niiied. 



The second view, advanced by tlie writer, assumes that the 

 chestnut blight is a native AnuTican funi>us, a])])aren(ly also 

 indij^enous to Euro])e, and that weather and other unfavorable 

 conditions, which have weakened (he vitality of (he ches(nut 

 trees in (he nordieastern United States, have had much to do 

 with its sudden, destructive, and wide-spread appearance, and 

 (hat it will not necessarily wi])e out all of (mr chestnuts, as it 

 is likely to decline i^radnally with the disappearance of the fac- 

 tors that have favored its rise in(o prominence. 



lietween these two extremes (here are tliose Avho take one or 

 the other view in modifled form, or aiiree in part with both. Tt 

 is hiiihly important thai the tru(h of the matter be ascertained, 

 since u]K)n the nature of the fun.u;us and (he manner of its a])pear- 



