DISEASES OF THE CHESTNUT AND OTHER TREES 87 



remember, that with the increase in value of timber, and the devel- 

 opment of intensive forestry in the Eastern States, methods now 

 impracticable for controlling this and other diseases will come 

 into regular use. 



The Immediate Program. 



We now come to the great question: What are we going to do 

 about it now? Obviously three courses lie open before us; First, 

 do nothing. There is much precedent for this, and some scientific 

 authority. The result of this plan will be the loss of the chestnut 

 trees, and no increase of knowledge. Second, conduct fundamental 

 scientific investigations on the disease. This procedure is neces- 

 sary and must be done at any cost. I think there is no disagree- 

 ment as to the propriety and necessity of this. But investigation 

 alone will not control the disease, since there is not sufficient time 

 left in which to perform the necessary experiments and apply the 

 results. So this plan would only result in increase of knowledge, 

 applicable only to future epidemics. Third, conduct investiga- 

 tions and endeavor to find out all we can about the disease, particu- 

 larly possible methods of control, and at the same time combat the 

 disease by any and all methods whatsoever that we have at hand. 

 Since up till now the only method that has been proposed is the 

 cutting out of advance infections, this will mean that this method 

 must be used until some other one is discovered or proposed; but 

 every method that holds out the least hope of controlling the 

 disease must be given a fair trial. 



We must not close our eyes to the fact that we have no guarantee 

 of the ultimate success of the cutting out method. But it may at 

 least hold the disease i?i statu quo until some better method is 

 devised, or until it is demonstrated that all methods are futile. 

 We may be certain that the problem is intrinsically no more diffi- 

 cult than the one you have faced in this State, namely, the control 

 of the gypsy and brown-tail moths. I have heard your critics say 

 that in this work your methods are visionary and impractical; 

 that it is a continuous and losing fight; that there was no chance 

 of success from the start. But I know that the majority of people 



