BULLETIN 137. 



THE CHESTNUT BARK DISEASE 



A DANGEROUS ENEMY OF WEST VIRGINIA'S 

 CHESTNUT TREES. 



The blight or bark disease of chestnut seems to be, in many 

 respects, the worst pest that has appeared, in the forests of 

 this country. It is unusual for a disease to destroy the entire 

 growth of a plant in any section, but this blight has been found 

 to attack practically every chestnut tree in its line of advance, 

 leaving in its wake only dead and dying trees of that species. 

 We should be thankful indeed that it has not been found to 

 attack other species of our forest trees since that would ser- 

 iously complicate matters. 



The chestnut timber is of very great value and importance 

 in this state and it would seem well for us to take any reason- 

 able and necessary steps for the prevention or control of 

 the disease in West Virginia. The average annual cut during 

 the past few years is about 118 million feet, and this figure 

 does not include poles, cross ties, or posts. 



The value of the nuts is also great, as food for man, or for 

 fattening hogs. Shipments from one railroad station last 

 fall aggregated 155,092 pounds. 



We have secured estimates from several lumbermen as to 

 the present standing chestnut timber of the state. These esti- 

 mates range from more than one billion feet to ten billion feet. 

 Taking five billion feet as a reasonable average, and $3.00 per 



In publishing this bulletin on the Chestnut Bark Disease we have drawn 

 freely from all available publications on the subject. We are especially indebted 

 to Dr. Haven Metcalf of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, Mr. A. B. Brooks, 

 former State Forester of West Virginia, and Mr. S. B. Detweiler of the Pennsyl- 

 vania Chestnut Blight Commission. 



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