September 29, 1911] 



SCIENCE 



399 



ing every tree showing the infection. In this 

 way it was possible to eradicate the disease 

 for a distance of forty miles around the city, 

 and to-day that area is believed to be almost 

 if not quite free from infection. In this fact 

 lies great hope, and it has a bearing of much 

 importance upon future efforts to be made by 

 any state for the eradication of the fungus. 



As soon as its prevalence was proved in 

 southeastern Pennsylvania, a determined sen- 

 timent arose looking to its destruction, or at 

 least to staying its spread in such degree that 

 it might not be communicated into new areas. 

 Probably the worst infected portion of the 

 state of Pennsylvania is that region along the 

 main line of the Pennsylvania Railroad from 

 the city of Philadelphia westward for a dis- 

 tance of fifty miles. The peculiarity of the 

 infection in this region is that it seems to 

 become more virulent the nearer one ap- 

 proaches the railroad, and is scattered in spots 

 at distances therefrom. Whether this fact is 

 sufficiently significant to point to railroad 

 trains as vehicles of distribution, possibly re- 

 mains to be proved; but it is a fact worthy of 

 careful attention. 



Along this portion of the railroad there ex- 

 ists a civic body known as The Main Line 

 Citizens' Association, banded together for the 

 good of the neighborhood. The chestnut tree 

 forms a large proportion of all the wooded 

 areas in this locality and is one of the best 

 park, woodlands and lawn shade trees of 

 natural growth in that region. Realizing that 

 serious trouble has come upon the chestnut 

 trees, this association appointed a committee 

 to inquire into the trouble; and in the spring 

 of 1910 this committee entered into negotia- 

 tions with the Pennsylvania Department of 

 Forestry for the purpose of making a proper 

 inquiry into the situation. The result of the 

 maturing of their plans was that a corps of 

 inspectors consisting of foresters, students in 

 forestry, and draftsmen, under the direction 

 of the Deputy Commissioner of Forestry, lo- 

 cated themselves at Ardmore in the midst of 

 the infected region, and immediately began a 

 detailed survey of the neighborhood herein- 

 above referred to, for the purpose of deter- 



mining to what extent the disease had at- 

 tacked the trees, and making report thereon. 

 This work was continued throughout the fall 

 and closed in the early part of December, with 

 the coming of freezing weather. The plan 

 adopted was to take a rough preliminary draft 

 of each tract upon the ground. The approxi- 

 mately correct location of every chestnut tree 

 on the premises was indicated on the draft 

 and designated by numbers corresponding to 

 a number upon a small wooden tag attached 

 to the tree. At the same time a careful exam- 

 ination of the tree was made and a report 

 noted in record books carried for the purpose, 

 of the condition of the trees, showing the 

 presence or absence of the infection, and in 

 what portion of the tree it existed most prom- 

 inently. The rough draft finished, it was 

 returned to headquarters, re-drafted with care 

 and accuracy upon tracing cloth, and blue 

 prints made therefrom. A print together 

 with a detailed report on the condition of the 

 trees was then sent to each property owner. 

 This gave him an accurate key to the situa- 

 tion, and it remained for him to decide what 

 to do with respect to treatment, cutting the 

 trees, or whatever else might seem to be called 

 for. In this way nearly 300 properties were 

 examined and reported upon, ranging in size 

 from small town lots to areas of hundreds of 

 acres. Over 30,000 tree groups, representing 

 over 50,000 tree stems, were examined, re- 

 ported upon, and recommendations relating 

 thereto made to the owners. To prove that 

 The Main Line Citizens' Association was 

 really in earnest, it should be stated that they 

 collected and expended for this work nearly 

 $3,000, and the cooperation of the Department 

 of Forestry represented an expenditure in 

 time nearly equal in value to the expense of 

 the committee. 



The committee having this work in charge 

 and representing the association consisted of 

 the following gentlemen, property owners and 

 residents in the immediate neighborhood: 

 Harold Peirce, of the New York Life Insur- 

 ance Co., chairman; Allen Evans, architect; 

 Theodore N. Ely, superintendent of motive 

 power of the Pennsylvania Railroad; Edgar 



