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isliii'dy old sccdliiiji li-ccs. Jlow many times we can renew our 

 chestnut woods by sprout growth is a question, l»ut that such 

 trees in time are weakened foresters generally acknowledge. Most 

 of (Mil- (Nunicclicnt chestnut timber has already been cnl over at 

 least two or three times. 



(4). The uuusual spread of the disease in very dry years is 

 contrary to the general experience of fungous troubles, which 

 are favored l»y moist years; and yet here is a case where the 

 severer the di-ought, the worse the fungus became. If I am 

 wrong alxnit its relatiou to Avcathei- conditions, what a 

 deluge of trouble we may exjx'ct with the returu of a few moist 

 years 1 



As to my statement tliat chestnul blight cannol be eradicati^d 

 in this country by the cutting out ami burning method i)er]ia[)s 

 no one now thoroughly conversant with tiie troul)le will deny, 

 though there are those that evidently believe it can be controlled 

 in this Avay. Man never yet has eradicated a fungus so widely 

 distributed as this, unaided by nature, and is nevei- likely to un- 

 less he eliminates the host. Professors Stewart and .Murrill have 

 given reasons wh}^ tlie}-^ believe it is impractical even to try to 

 control the disease. I agree in tlie main with their contentions. 

 The method that is advocated in thei»resent case aims at the com- 

 plete destruction of the infected trees and in sonu; regious, if I 

 am informed coi-rectly, of the healthy as well. This is a decidedly 

 uuusual procedure iu the control of plaut diseases, siuce usually 

 we aim to save not only the healthy plants but the infected ones 

 as well. 1 know of no similar jtractice, outside of nursery in- 

 spections, except that api)lied in a few regions for the control 

 of peach yellows. There the iufected trees only are destroyed, 

 but the yellows would kill those any way in a short time. There 

 is, however, no National effort to ccmtrol ]>each yellows even iu 

 this way and at least one State. Connecticut, that started under 

 authority of law to inspect orchar<ls and to destroy all infected 

 trees, repealed that law after a few vonrs' trial. 



Now as to my last contention : that the disease of itself will 

 gradually decline with tlie return of a series of years favorable 

 to the cliestnut trees. Tf unfavorable weather conditions for the 

 trees have been the chief cause of the rise of the fungus as an 

 aggressive ]>arasite, favorable weather conditions for the chest- 



