84 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



It is unfortunate that the disease is advancing so fast that we 

 are not warranted in waiting one or more years to continue experi- 

 ments on a small scale and so secure more exact knowledge regard- 

 ing many phases of the disease. But if we delay even a year it 

 will be too late to use the cutting out method in regions now becom- 

 ing diseased, for this method is impracticable except in dealing with 

 advance infections. This is one reason why the cutting out work 

 in the neighborhood of New York failed. The danger is that 

 even in progressive Pennsylvania the work may have been started 

 too late ; and work in western New York, Ohio, and West Virginia 

 probably should have begun last summer. Last spring we thought 

 that here in Massachusetts there were only four stations of the 

 disease; but Prof. Arthur H. Graves' survey in the summer showed 

 the southwest half of the State to be already too thoroughly 

 infected to make state-wide efforts at control advisable (13, 22). 



hispection of chestnid nursery stock. Diseased chestnut nursery 

 stock has been a most important factor in the spread of the bark 

 disease. If all such stock can be located and destroyed, the spread 

 of the disease can to this extent be prevented. Fortunately laws 

 are already operative in practically all States requiring the inspec- 

 tion of nursery stock. 



Utilization of dead a7id dying trees. This is a forestry problem 

 of the utmost importance (20, 23). In the neighborhood of New 

 York City all chestnut trees are dead; as we go from there in any 

 direction we find areas of dead trees, corresponding to old points 

 of advance infection, surrounded by infected and dying trees. 

 Between these areas are occasional insulae of trees still healthy. 

 But the number of trees that must be immediately utilized is 

 enormous, and will increase annually. They must be utilized to 

 save the timber, to reduce infection, and to prevent the starting 

 of insect epidemics, such as have been known to result when large 

 numbers of trees have been killed by fire, for example. It has been 

 suggested that a discrimination in freight rates in favor of chestnut 

 for a certain time would enable chestnut products particularly 

 poles and ties to be used in place of other species. Unless some 

 such plan can be brought about it is difficult to see how a great 

 glut in the market for chestnut products can be avoided. 



Improvement in forest management. The scouting work on the 



