105 



"We were surprised by the large number of grubs we were able 

 to find in infected trees. They seemed, too, to be generally dis- 

 tributed throughout the bark of the tree." 



The inference being that the grubs attract the woodpeckers to 

 the blighted portions of the tree particularly. 



PROFESSOR DAVIS: .Air. Sober wishes me to extend an in- 

 vitation to any of you, or all of you, to visit his place, when he 

 will show you this grove in person. I forgot to mention it in 

 the lecture, but he invites you to meet him at the Paxinos station 

 at any time. 



THE CHAIRMAN: How early are the chestnuts ripe? 



PROFESSOR DAVIS: The chestnuts are ripe in the latter 

 part of October. 



DR. A. H. GRAVES, of New Haven: Mr. Chairman: There is 

 one thing that has been overlooked here, and that is that the 

 spores are very sticky in these exudations from the pustules. 

 They all stick together, and the wind would carry these spores 

 with great difficulty; so that the theory of the spores sticking to 

 the feet of birds seems very plausible, for that principal reason. 

 The spores might possibly be washed down the tree by the rain 

 and mingle with the dust at the base of the tree; but, as is said 

 somcAvhere by some authority, these chestnut trees do not usually 

 grow in the dusty places. The spores that are washed down the 

 tree would be covered up by leaves and there would be very lit- 

 tle likelihood that the wind would carry them. I think, Mr. 

 Chairman, the sticky nature of the spores should be considered 

 in this connection, with the dissemination of the spores by birds 

 and insects. 



DR. W. J. GIDDINGS, of West Virginia: Mr. Chairman: I 

 want to say something more in regard to the means of control 

 of this disease; and I have one suggestion that has occurred to 

 me during the afternoon and evening sessions: That is the pos- 

 sibility, in states where' they do not feel it would be wise to 

 make the inspection a thorough inspection, to send out men to 

 do plot work, I believe that is the proper term, such as is done 

 in forestry. They can pick out a certain small section where 

 there are chestnuts, and determine the number of chestnut trees 



