No. 4.] REPORT OF STATE FORESTER. 363 



ing the chestnut blight work in the State. Without this help 

 from the press the people could not have been reached in the 

 way they have been. The results of this educational work 

 have been encouraging. 



During the season this department has begun some effective 

 forest-mapping work, as noted elsewhere in this report, and 

 this offered an exceptional opportunity to systematically deter- 

 mine the chestnut-blight conditions. A brief description of the 

 infestations as found in the following towns may prove of 

 interest: — 



Auburn. — The chestnut blight has not made much headway 

 in Auburn as yet. A number of isolated cases were found, but 

 nothing threatening great damage at present. 



Blackstone. — The per cent of timber land covered with 

 chestnut comprises at least one-half of the total, and probably 

 two-thirds has some chestnut on it. The bark disease, although 

 present in nearly all extensive stands of chestnut, seldom ex- 

 ceeds one affected tree per acre. West of the Mendon Road, 

 near the Mendon-Blackstone line and in the extreme north- 

 western corner of the town, are large tracts with 5 or more 

 infections per acre, these being the worst cases of the disease 

 in the town. 



Douglas. — Chestnut bark disease scattered. Only individ- 

 ual trees attacked throughout the town. More prevalent in 

 northern half, and usually among smaller growth. Chiefly 

 noticeable around East Douglas. 



Dudley. — In the timber along the western part of the town 

 the chestnut bark disease occurs, but not very widely dis- 

 tributed. In young sprout stands, of which there are large 

 areas, it is practically everywhere. There is very little evidence 

 of its presence in the larger chestnut area in the eastern part of 

 the town. 



Grafton. — Chestnut constitutes practically 70 per cent of 

 the woods. Blight infections in stands 10 inches and over in 

 diameter will not average more than 2 or 3 to the acre. Some 

 of the stands are entirely free from it. In young sprout areas 

 the disease is spread much more, in most cases about 10 to 15 

 young trees to the acre being infected. Some 200 acres of 

 young sprout land, north of Goddard Pond, between the rail- 



