156 NUT GROWING 



know now that the hazel blight is readily recognized 

 and it may be trimmed out with the greatest of ease 

 at its inception. It is simply necessary for the 

 orchardist to carry a good sharp pruning knife, cut- 

 ting out any spots of blight which are observed to 

 be making headway. Just one treatment in a whole 

 year will suffice if the pruning knife cuts are painted 

 in order to destroy any blight spores which might 

 remain. 



It is a very different matter with the chestnut 

 blight, which was traced by our Department of 

 Agriculture back to northern China, its original 

 habitat. The chestnut blight in its indigenous home 

 injures the chestnut trees very little, and the Chinese 

 orchardists control it easily by cutting out blight 

 spots, sometimes not even taking the trouble to do 

 this as the fungus makes slow headway with a species 

 of tree which grew up side by side with the blight 

 in the course of evolution. 



With increase of the interest in nut culture and 

 consequent transportation of nut stock the chestnut 

 blight has now been carried from China into Europe 

 and into America, being particularly disastrous in 

 our country. The particular part of the fungus 

 known as its mycelium extends in the cambium layer 

 of the tree where it is out of reach of all fungicides. 

 The mycelium rapidly encircles the limb or main 

 trunk of the chestnut tree causing its death. 



In the same way if our hazel blight were to be 

 carried to Europe and the Orient it would presum- 

 ably be quite as destructive there as the chestnut 



