220 ‘ W.vV. AGR. EXPERIMENT STATION [Bulletin 137 
Dr. Spaulding, of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, 
has made careful notes on this disease in the Connecticut Val- 
ley during the past three years. In summing up his obser- 
vations there he states, “There can be no shadow of doubt 
that in the three years, 1909 to I911, inclusive, the disease 
has spread so seriously as to now be beyond hopes of control 
in the lower Connecticut Valley.” (1) 
In the case of New Jersey infection is already so general 
that there is very little hope of saving any chestnut in that 
state. 
Europe is fearful of the disease and Italy has already 
taken steps to prevent its introduction there. 
PREVENTIVE MEASURES. 
Numerous experiments have been conducted in the hope 
of finding some practical method of controlling the chestnut 
bark disease and some good results have been secured. Those 
most actively engaged in work along this line at present are 
the Pennsylvania Chestnut Tree Blight Commission and the 
Office of Forest Pathology in the U. S. Department of Agri- 
culture. 
Spraying appears to be of little value, and, of course, is 
entirely impractical in forest areas. The method which has 
finally been adopted aims to prevent the further spread of 
the disease from the area of general infection and to destroy 
all diseased trees outside this area. To accomplish the first 
point, it is éssential to establish a line beyond which it will 
be extremely difficult for the disease to progress. The main, 
advancing front of the diseased section must come to a point 
where there are no more chestnut trees within easy range of 
infection. Large unwooded areas and forest tracts free from 
chestnut should form as large a part of this boundary line as 
(1) From unpublished data furnished by Dr. Spaulding. 
