112 



In the meantime, concerted effort should be made to determine 

 the actual spread of the disease and to prevent its introduction 

 into new localities in this country and in Europe through diseased 

 nursery stock. Affected trees are doomed. There is no treat- 

 ment except pruning away affected parts, and these are rarely 

 discovered in time to save the tree. Pruning always opens up 

 new points of infection, in addition to the pruning wounds, by 

 causing the death of certain areas that are thus deprived of nutri- 

 ment. Infection by natural means is also liable to take place at 

 any time. 



A careful inspection of several hundred infected trees of all 

 sizes recently cut showed conclusively that pruning with a view 

 to saving the tree is futile. Many of these trees had been care- 

 fully pruned with this in mind for two or three years, apparently 

 without the slightest effect. The number of separate infections 

 counted, on young trees as well as old, was remarkable, reaching 

 twenty-five or more in some cases. In many cases, where the 

 disease was more advanced, trunks from two to five feet in 

 diameter were found affected throughout their entire extent from 

 top to base, branches included, the fungus showing in the cracks 

 of the bark on all the older portions and in the lenticels of the 

 younger twigs. A year or two later, the bark sloughs off, leav- 

 ing the wood white and naked and entirely unaffected by the 

 fungus. 



Owners of individual affected trees of large size are advised not 

 to attempt to save them, but to prune away affected branches for 

 the sake of appearance only, until the tree ceases to be an orna- 

 ment. In the case of a few young trees on the home grounds, 

 careful pruning of affected branches might be tried as a preven- 

 tive, but I can hold out little hope of success. 



It need hardly be said that the planting of any species of 

 chestnut at this time in the affected area would be attended with 

 great risk. Owners of chestnut timber should make use of it at 

 once, thus clearing the woodlands of the sources of infection and 

 giving young trees of other kinds an opportunity to develop. 

 New York Botanical Garden. 



