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over the eastern and northeastern sections of the State. Per- 

 haps one-fonrth of the State has been general!}' invaded. Prob- 

 ably abont five per cent, of the chestnut trees in the area is lost 

 up to the present time, and I may say this is based on an investi- 

 gation of last summer to determine the extent of the damage 

 caused by the chestnut bark disease in Maryland. I might say 

 also that this investigation was prompted, at least, by the very 

 excellent example tiiat we have in Pennsylvania, because we felt 

 that we might use it as data, not only for the State of ]Maryland 

 in trying to control the chestnut bark disease, if it is possible to 

 do so, but for other States in co-operation with the State of Penn- 

 sylvania. We found that the amount of damage up to the present 

 time was about thirty thousand (h)llars, that is, the stumpage 

 value of the chestnut trees, and in the area of infection that the 

 stumpage value of the chestnut was something like six hundred 

 thousand dollars. The disease appears to be spreading very 

 rapidl3\ The toial stumpage value of all the chestnut in Mary- 

 land is something like two million dollars. So, if there is some 

 way by which we can control the chestnut bark disease, it is 

 going to mean a great deal to the forest interests of the State. 

 What we propose to do, — and we have already started the ma- 

 chinery going, but the results of this Conference are going to 

 determine very largely the manner in which we are going to 

 press that, — we thought it miglit be possible, by establishing 

 a sort of dead line just outside tlie area of infection to prevent 

 the spread of the disease. Now I do not know whether that is 

 practicable or not, but it seemed to be the only solution offered 

 at the time, and in carrying out that idea avc have introduced a 

 bill, which is practically a copy of the Pennsylvania law, into 

 the Legislature of ^Maryland, now in session, carrying a small ap- 

 propriation for the purpose of putting this work into operation. 

 Now we have had several people speak about the management 

 of the chestnut as being perhaps the solution of the difficulty. 

 It seems to me that Avhere a man has the chestnut bark disease 

 in his woods, it would be simply commonsense business policy to 

 cut out those diseased trees and utilize them wherever possible, 

 and T think we can depend on the individual land owner to do 

 that. Now whether it will be possible for us to go much further 

 than that in recommending the prompt cutting out and utiliza- 



