Blight-Resistant Chestnuts and Related Tree Crops 5 
The promising members of the two genera will be briefly de- 
scribed, summarizing as concisely as possible the results obtained 
and the possible economic uses.of the various forms already intro- 
duced or worthy of introduction. 
CHESTNUTS 
(Castanea spp.) 
The botanical characters of Castanea have already been noted. 
This genus is by far the most important economically, as most, if 
not all, of the species probably will grow in any région where our 
native form thrives. 
CHINESE HAIRY CHESTNUT 
(Castanea mollissima Blume) 
Reference has been made to some early introductions of chestnuts 
from China by Brill and the probability that these were Castanea 
mollissima. These introductions, made in 1901, were inventoried and 
recorded in the usual way and later distributed. All traces of these 
trees have disappeared. According to E. H. Wilson,? Castanea mol- 
lisstma was introduced at the Arnold Arboretum, near Boston, Mass., 
by C. S. Sargent, who procured seeds in 1903 in the market at 
Peking, China. 
The records of the Office of Foreign Plant Introduction show 
that more than 25 importations of this chestnut have been made. 
It was not until 1913, however, that it was recognized by the office 
as a distinct species and called by its right name. Prior to 1913 
it was listed and distributed under the name Castanea sativa, which 
is the common chestnut of Spain, Portugal, Italy, and other countries 
in southern Europe and northern Africa. 
Castanea mollissima is distributed over most of northern and 
central China. It is found in the eastern and also in the far western 
Provinces, including Yunnan, where it was collected by Rock. In 
a wild state the chestnut constitutes a considerable part of the forests 
of certain regions. The districts where it seems to be cultivated most 
extensively are found to the north and northeast of Peking. Con- 
siderable areas are given over to the cultivation of this tree in Chihli 
Province, and from the records at hand it has for many years been 
an important source of food there. According to Meyer and others 
who have visited the chestnut regions in China, it is the practice to 
plant the trees in large or small areas here and there along the bases 
of hills and on the sloping foothills (fig. 2). In the native forests 
the trees grow to a height of 40 to 60 feet, with trunks 3 to 6 feet in 
girth. The nuts closely resemble our native species in size, color, 
sweetness, and flavor (fig. 1). There is much variation in the species 
as to size and quality of nuts and size and vigor of trees. Evidently 
there are numerous horticultural types. From Meyer’s studies it 
would appear that there is variation in its ability to resist blight in 
the native orchards and. forests. : ; 
According to Meyer’s notes, it is the practice of the Chinese grow- 
ers to give special attention to the trees with respect to treatment 
for blight. The diseased areas are cut out and scraped with a great 
2Sarcunt, C. S. PLANTA WILSONIANAB, Vol. 3, p. 194, 1916, 
