50 PRESENT STATUS OF CHESTNUT BARK DISEASE. 
stations, or colleges. By these means the inspectors first, and then 
the general public, may become familiar with the appearance and 
work of the disease in localities that it has not yet reached, and when _ 
it does appear may be able to recognize it before it is too late to take 
efficient measures against it. 
Although its present distribution is that shown by the map (fig. 1), 
the bark disease may be confidently looked for in any orchard or 
nursery in the United States that contains chestnut trees. All such 
places should therefore be rigidly inspected at the earliest possible 
date. ke 
. By tHE ProMpr DESTRUCTION OF DISEASED TREES. 
When the bark disease is first noticed in any locality, all the 
affected trees should be immediately cut down, unless, as in the case 
of orchard and some few ornamental trees, they are of sufficient. in- 
dividual value to warrant special treatment. Diseased trees if un- 
treated are doomed to death in any case. If permitted to stand, 
every such tree becomes a center of infection, certain to spread the 
disease to all neighboring trees, and so long as it will soon die if left 
to itself the sooner it is cut down the better. 
When cut, the brush should be immediately gathered and burned 
in order to destroy the fungus in the bark. Whenever the bark is 
removed from the trunk, as, for example, when the trees are to be used 
for poles, it should be immediately burned with the brush. Even 
when the tree is to be used for firewood an effort should be made to 
cut off at least all the diseased patches of bark on the trunk and 
large limbs when the tree is cut and to burn this bark along with the 
brush; otherwise the brush and the piled wood will continue to 
spread infection, since it has been found that the fungus continues 
alive on dead bark for at least six months after cutting. 
Sprouts arising from the stumps of cut trees will be free from the 
disease for the first year at least, but must then be carefully inspected 
to be sure that no infection has persisted. 
By THE TREATMENT oF DISEASED TREES, 
During the past two years the Office of Investigations in Forest 
Pathology has been conducting certain experiments and collecting 
information in regard to the best methods of treating diseased trees. _ 
At present it is impossible definitely to record general beneficial 
results from any of the sprayings which have been undertaken or have 
been under observation. This may in part be due to the fact that it is 
yet too early to judge satisfactorily all the results and in part, per- 
haps, to the infrequency of sprayings. 
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