240 



ill a center, though perhaps tlie source of the iiifectioii was one. 

 These are shown on the map as small circles without a cross. 



In the same Avay a careful inspection of the Fisher and Savidge 

 tract lias been carried on. jMessrs. Fisher and t^avidge of Wil- 

 liamsport and Sunbury respectively, liave i)lannc(l to cut off 

 and graft with Paragon scions, the nahn-al slock on 550 acres 

 of land located one mile west of Essick Heights. This land 

 is admirably adapted to the optimum growth of chestnut, and 

 in fact, in some portions of the tract, which comprises in all 

 640 acres, nothing else grows. The stand is dense young sap- 

 ling sprouts 12 to 15 years of age, though here and there patches 

 of old mature timber are found. The purity and density of the 

 stand, liowever, without a doubt accounts for the number of 

 infections present, which exceeds greatly any condition here- 

 tofore found in Lycoming county. 



The first spot or center was found not over 100 yards west 

 from the house of G. H. Newman (on map), and it is definitely 

 known that summer before last wild doves roosted here and 

 that they flew in here whenever disturbed. Adjoining w'as a 

 field of buckwheat where they were in the habit of feeding. The 

 infection or center was entirely on a tract of less than one-fourth 

 acre in size and the trees were nearly all thoroughly infected, 

 mostly in the tops. Several trees showed persistent leaves in 

 the tops, but otherwise there Avere no signs of the blight. Upon 

 climbing these trees the first stages of the blight w^ere found 

 in a slight splitting of the bark together with a few pustules 

 just beginning to become visible. It seems likely, therefore, 

 to suppose that this infection Avas carried here by these birds, 

 or at least that it was spread locally by them to other centers 

 near at hand. In all nearly 400 trees w^ere found to be infected, 

 and these were found grouped in six or eight centers. Very 

 effective co-operation is IxMng given the Commission by the 

 owners of these tracts in this region, liowever, there is a solid 

 strip of chestnut timber four to five miles wide and eight to ten 

 miles long, stretching from the' Ogdonia down the Loyalsock 

 Creek. It will be impracticalile to attempt to scout this region 

 this winter, but with the o[)ening uj) of spring, by placing a 



