20 CONTROL OF THE CHESTNUT BARK DISEASE. 
The Department of Agriculture asks the cooperation of all persons 
who have experimented with the disease in any way, and in return 
is ready to give specific advice, based upon extensive experience with 
the disease, as to the best methods of attempting its control or as to 
what are likely to be the most profitable systematic observations or 
experiments. 
ADVICE TO CHESTNUT ORCHARDISTS. 
In view of the uncertain future of the chestnut tree, the Depart- 
ment of Agriculture advises against planting chestnuts anywhere east 
of Ohio, at least until it is settled what efforts will be made by the 
individual States to control the bark disease. The only exception is 
that Japanese chestnuts may be grown if raised from imported seeds 
and not grafted on American stocks. If the seed is raised in America, 
the trees are more than likely to be hybrids with the American chest- 
nut and to vary greatly in resistance to the bark disease. If grafted 
on American stocks, the stocks readily succumb to the disease, and 
so the whole tree is killed, no matter how resistant the scion may be. 
However, the nut of the true Japanese chestnut is of poor quality at 
best, and it is an open question whether it can ever be made a 
commercial success. 
West of the natural range of the American chestnut, however, the 
situation is quite different. Obviously the western chestnut orchard- 
ist has before him a great opportunity. No matter how successful 
efforts to limit the bark disease in the East may be, the nut crop will 
be reduced for some years, and the business of growing fine orchard 
chestnuts in the East will be depressed for the same length of time. 
There is no apparent reason why, with rigid inspection, both of any 
purchased stock and of the orchards themselves, all chestnut orchards 
and nurseries from Ohio to the Pacific coast can not be kept perma- 
nently free from the bark disease; therefore all persons interested in 
growing the chestnut in the West as an orchard tree are earnestly 
advised not to secure any chestnut nursery stock from eastern nur- 
series; to be sure that stock from any source is rigidly inspected; to 
watch with the utmost care their own nurseries and orchards; and to 
destroy immediately by fire any trees that may be found diseased. 
There is presumptive evidence that the bark disease was introduced 
into America on the Japanese chestnut, but until this point is defi- 
nitely settled orchardists west of Ohio are advised not to import nur- 
sery stock of this variety. Seed can probably be imported with a 
reasonable degree of safety, however. 
ADVICE TO OWNERS OF CHESTNUT WOODLAND. 
Owners of chestnut woodland anywhere within the area of com- 
plete infection are earnestly advised to convert their trees into lumber 
as quickly as possible. The trees that are not already killed will soon 
die in any case and the timber will quickly deteriorate in quality. Such 
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