l-i SECOXD ANNUAL CONVENTION 



bulletins by the different States. This disease has now spread into Virginia 

 and West Virginia, and seriously threatens the forests of this State. Mr. 

 Metcalf writes, in answer to my letter asking him to be present at this 

 meeting: 



"I regret very much that it is impossible for me to come myself, or send 

 you a man for the meeting of your Association, as it seems necessary to have 

 every one at Harrisburg who has any knowledge of the disease. I regret 

 very muc"h being unable to be present myself, as there is a good deal to be 

 said on the subject of the chestnut bark disease, and I have little doubt that 

 it will reach North Carolina by another year." 



The meeting at Harrisburg to which Mr. Metcalf refers, has been called by 

 the Governor of Pennsylvania to consider ways and means for combating this 

 disease, which has now spread over the larger part of that State. Invitations 

 were sent out to interested people all over the Atlantic States, and three of 

 the men whom I had hoped to have at this meeting have had to decline on 

 account of attending the meeting at Harrisburg yesterday and today. 



At a recent meeting of the foresters from the Eastern States in New York, 

 at which the writer and many prominent railroad men were present, the whole 

 time of the meeting was taken up with a discussion of ways and means to 

 dispose of the enormous amount of dead chestnut in the southern New Eng- 

 land and North Atlantic States which has been killed by this disease. 



Not only were reduced rates on the railroads advocated for dead chestnut 

 wood, so that immediate cutting of the infected timber could proceed without 

 serious loss, but the erection of new plants for the utilization of this dead 

 chestnut wood through the most seriously affected regions of New England, 

 New York, and Pennsylvania was strongly urged. 



Last year the State of Pennsylvania appropriated $275,000 "for the investiga- 

 tion and scientific study of this problem, and, more specifically, to ascertain 

 the exact extent of the blight, and to devise ways and means through which 

 it might, if possible, be stamped out." 



The Pennsylvania Chestnut Blight Commission, which has been appointed to 

 carry out these provisions, is carefully studying the disease and at the same 

 time taking strenuous measures to prevent its further spread. They are 

 asking neighboring States who are threatened with this pest to cooperate 

 with them in every way possible. 



The chestnut timber of North Carolina means more to the farmers, the 

 timberland owners, and the manufacturers of the western part of the State 

 than any other tree. According to an estimate made by the North Carolina 

 Geological and Economic Survey in cooperation with the United States Forest 

 Service, there are slightly over three million acres of forest land in North 

 Carolina now growing a larger or smaller proportion of chestnut timber. On 

 this area, mixed with many other species, there was a stand in 1909-'10 of 

 approximately 3,380 million feet board measure of chestnut timber. In 

 addition to this there was at least one and one-half million cords of chestnut 

 cordwood that could not be converted into lumber. Putting the low stump- 

 age value of one dollar per thousand or fifty cents per cord on this timber, we 

 have a present value for the chestnut timber in North Carolina of at least 

 four million dollars. 



The cutting, marketing and manufacturing of this timber will mean at 

 least forty million dollars to the citizens of this State, and there can be no 



