CONTROL OF THE CHESTNUT BARK DISEASE. 23 
always be sent, if these can be found. These commonly occur near the 
lower edge of the girdling area. 
PUBLIC COOPERATION. 
With many people familiarized with the appearance of the chest- 
nut bark disease and its possibilities of harm, the disease will be 
noticed and stamped out by private effort in many places when it 
first appears and the public will understand and be ready to cooper- 
ate in any official measures of control as soon as these become neces- 
sary in any locality. 
All possible forces must be enlisted in a campaign of publicity. 
The cooperation of all newspapers, particularly local papers, can be 
easily secured in all the States where the chestnut is an important 
tree. A portion of the program for Arbor Day, 1912, should be 
devoted to a consideration of this disease. Teachers of nature study, 
botany, or agriculture in the public schools can do great service by 
teaching their pupils how to recognize the disease and by training 
them to be on the lookout for its first appearance in the home com- 
munity. Such a body as the “ Boy Scouts” can, if properly trained, 
become in every community a most efficient force for locating the 
disease. The boys will readily appreciate that such work is real 
“scouting” against a most insidious and destructive public enemy. 
And, finally, many private owners of chestnut trees will be eager to 
cooperate with the State authorities in the early elimination of 
advance infections if only they are able to recognize such infections. 
THE PROTECTION OF THE SOUTHERN STATES. 
Tt must be remembered that the bark disease has as yet done only a 
small fraction of the damage that it is undoubtedly capable of doing. 
The best chestnut timber of America is south of the Potomac River 
and there the bark disease is present in only a few spots. For this 
reason it is of extraordinary importance that these few spots be eradi- 
cated and that the disease be soon controlled immediately north of 
the Potomac. If the bark disease once becomes well established in the 
chestnut forests of the South, it will be well-nigh impossible to control 
it, on account of the sparsely settled and mountainous condition of 
much of that country and for other reasons which do not obtain 
farther north. 
SUMMARY. 
(1) The chestnut bark disease was first noted near New York 
City in 1904 and is now present in at least 10 States. It attacks the 
American chestnut, the European chestnut, the chinquapin, and, 
rarely, the Japanese chestnut. ; ; ; 
(2) The total financial loss from this disease is now estimated at 
$25,000,000. | 
(3) The disease is caused by a fungus, and the entrance of a spore 
at any point where the bark is broken may cause infection. The 
467 
