233 



contains 37 per cent, of lime in the ashes of the bark, and there 

 seems to be a general law in nature that tannin bearing trees 

 must have lime in greater quantities than other trees. 



The first few analyses of the soils where blighted chestnut 

 is growing will put the Forestry Departments of the states 

 represented at the convention in position to know in a few 

 weeks whether this supposition of a lack of lime in the soils in 

 blighted tree areas is borne out by facts. If it is found to be 

 so, then the costly and irritating job of forcing reluctant owners 

 of blighted chestnut trees into cutting them down at their own 

 expense will have been avoided, and a policy of preservation 

 adopted in its place. The latter policy will be much easier to 

 put in force, as it will have the hearty co-operation of the public, 

 in the generous efforts of the states to assist owners of blighted 

 trees to save them. If the Forestry Departments can be put 

 in possession of a proper remedy for the blight by this single 

 convention, it will emphasize the value of such conventions, 

 and demonstate the wisdom of the legislators of this State, 

 who so far-sightedly made the convention possible by their 

 appropriation. 



FIELD WORK OF THE CHESTNUT TREE BLIGHT COM- 

 MISSION. 



By THOMAS E. FRANCIS, FIELD SUPERVISOR. 



During the six months the field force has been at work, the 

 field agents have been trained and organized, and the general 

 line of western advance determined. Owners of infected wood- 

 lots, and the public generally have been warned of the existence 

 of the disease. 



The general plan which has been followed is to place one 

 man in charge of the work in a county, under the direction of 

 the field supervisor. The man in charge of the county usually 

 has an assistant, and the two work out from the same head- 

 quarters but cover different territory. When one community 

 has been carefully scouted for the blight, the men move to an 

 ;i<l joining district, and in this way cover the county. In the 

 meanwhile, timber owners are interviewed and the subject is 



