CHESTNUT BARK DISEASE. 359 
CHESTNUT BARK DISEASE, 
Endothia gyrosa var. parasitica (Murr.) Clint. 
HISTORICAL CONSIDERATION. 
Introduction. It is now over eight years since the chestnut 
blight was first found in New York, and nearly six years since 
it was reported to this Station as occurring in Connecticut. 
The writer became acquainted with the trouble in 1905 through 
Murrill’s work and specimens sent by him, and has been actively 
engaged in a special study of it ever since its discovery in 
Connecticut. Articles (5-12) concerning these studies have 
appeared from time to time in the Station Reports and else- 
where. Since our views have -been, in part, at variance with 
those held by certain other investigators, we propose to give 
here more in detail the information we have gained during 
these investigations, and our conclusions therefrom. 
We wish to acknowledge especial indebtedness to our assist- 
ant, Mr. Stoddard, who during the last three years has greatly 
aided in the work with artificial cultures, inoculation experi- 
ments, etc. Mr. Spring, the former, and Mr. Filley, the 
present, forester of this Station, have codperated with the 
botanical department in determining the conditions in our for- 
ests and the possible remedial treatments. American and 
European botanists have aided with specimens and information ; 
and we are especially indebted to Professor Farlow, of Harvard, 
in our systematic study of the blight fungus and its allies. We 
are also indebted to numerous persons interested in forestry 
‘in Connecticut for much local information. 
Discovery of Disease. The chestnut blight was first noticed 
by H. W. Merkel, in charge of the trees of the New York 
Zoological Park, in the summer of 1904, as injuring scattered 
trees in that park. In 1905 it was so bad that he took active 
measures to bring it under ‘control, and published (32) the first 
general description of the trouble in the Report of the New 
York Zoological Society for that year. The attention of 
Murrill, of the New York Botanical Garden, was called to 
the disease, which had now become quite conspicuous in the 
parks - -and woods in the vicinity of New York City, and he 
began a botanical study of it to determine the exact cause. 
