No. 4.] REPORT OF STATE FORESTER. 533 



to cope with large ones. It therefore seems necessary, if we are to lessen 

 the damage caused by our large fires, that our four district men be provided 

 with suitable apparatus and means of getting it to a fire if the efficiency 

 of their service is to be increased to a maximum. 



In conclusion, I desire to express my appreciation of the loyal and 

 hearty co-operation of all employees in this branch of the service. 

 Respectfully submitted, 



M. C. HUTCHINS, 



State Fire Warden. 



Chestnut Bark Disease. 



This disease, which was mentioned quite fully in last year's 

 report, still continues to spread throughout the State, and at the 

 present time is to be found to a greater or less degree in nearly 

 all places where chestnut is growing. Regardless of the fact 

 that both government and State men have given much time 

 and effort to combat this very virulent tree disease, little has 

 been learned during the past year that would tend to solve the 

 problem of eliminating the disease without eliminating the 

 chestnut trees on an extensive scale. Mr. Roy G. Pierce, the 

 expert on chestnut blight who was connected with this office 

 until July 1, 1914, covered the State quite thoroughly, making 

 examinations, giving advice and lectures, and disseminating 

 knowledge generally in regard to the disease and its workings, 

 so that most woodland owners have at present a very fair idea 

 of what the disease is like. 



Clean cutting of all infected specimens is recommended where 

 the disease occurs in woodland areas, and a certain amount of 

 spread can be checked if the trees infected are cut when the 

 cankers first appear rather than after they have girdled and 

 killed the trees completely. 



State Highway Planting. 

 At the request of ]\Ir. Pillsbury, division engineer of the 

 Highway Commission, we undertook a piece of work on a line 

 which we have never undertaken extensively before, namely, 

 setting out trees on the highway. After looking over several 

 possible situations it was decided to do the planting on the 

 State road between Ipswich and Newburyport. Eight hundred 

 trees were set out in all, on a stretch of road 10 miles in length. 



