117 



_\c;ir, ;iimI in lli:il desk is alioiil cNcrvl liiiii; llwil li;is Ih-cii s;ii<l, 

 or llioii^lil, oi' (li-c;iiii('(l (»r, i-('l;ili\(' l<» liic rlicsiiiiit Iciik discji.se. 

 We liJivc li;i(l (Ih' advice oC <tiir I'l-iciKl Sicwaii, who lliiiiks as 

 ])r. Cliiiloii docs, aloii^ tlic same lines. NN'liat tlicy have slatcMl 

 lien; to-day we iimsl accc]»l as llic lioiiost statement of men wiio 

 kllo^^■ eiioiiii,li lo make sntdi slatemenls. The\' know what they 

 are talkiiii; ahont, because they have investigated this disease and 

 they liave investigated similar diseases, so that we must tak(i 

 wlial (liey say with a great deal of confidenec;. Tliey have Immmi 

 lali<iiig lo the ])oiMl wheliier cheslnut Itark disease; conhl 1k' <-o!i- 

 JroihMl or eradicated. If I were to ask eitlier one of tliose gentle- 

 men what tliey wonld do with a (diestnnt tree in their own yard 

 tliat was infected with this disease, they would probably say. 

 "Cut it out.'' That gives us the keynote of what I think should 

 be done wlierever there is a possibility that single trees, or small 

 infections, can be removed. That seems to be the simple thing, 

 and the proper, sensible thing to do. It ma}^ have to be done by 

 the force of statute, but a great deal can be done by advising 

 owners of chestnut trees that Iteconie slightly inrected. asking, 

 urging, f(»i*cing I hem in ovvvy way yon can, to cut that tind»er 

 while it is still alive and save it. If that were done in the State 

 of Pennsylvania, their entire two hundred and seventy-five thou- 

 sand dollars would be w^ell expended. We are up against a 

 proposition in New York. We have ]»robably two-thirds of onr 

 chestntit timber still intact, and we want to save it if we can. 

 Now why should we not go out in the borders and carry on a 

 nussionary work, or something stronger, and see if we cannot 

 cut a dividing line? Let scientific men go on with tlieii- investi- 

 gations. A^'e need all tlie advice tliat their broad knowledge can 

 bring to us; but the other thing is a practical thing, a thing that 

 is at our doors, ami a few hundred thousand dollars spent now 

 may result in a saving of that valuable ])roperty lying all to the 

 west and south of us. ( Applause i. 



DK. J. RUSSELL SMITH, of Pennsylvania: Mr. Chairman: 

 Professor Clinton ad\:inced a \'eiy interesting point; that it 

 was the dry weather that made these trees amenable to blight. 

 The evidence was that jX'ople in Connecticut thought the dry 

 weather had killed other trees that died, if I renuMuber the 



