97 



Every tree which has the infection at any place should be cut 

 because that tree will eventually be killed and by being left it is 

 afforded an opportunity to throw out spores continually. 



Valuable orchard or ornamental trees may be treated by cutting 

 out the canker, disinfecting and painting the wound. A bulletin, 

 which goes into this subject in detail, may be secured free of charge 

 upon request. 



In southern Europe chestnut orcharding is a well-established 

 and profitable industry. In the United States chestnuts have been 

 considered a marketable commodity ever since the Indians carried 

 them to the settlements and traded them for knives and trinkets. 

 The demand has always exceeded the supply, and at the present 

 time about two million dollars worth of nuts are imported from 

 Europe annually. With the development of the better varieties of 

 the nut has come an increased activity in American orcharding. 

 The chestnut orchard industry promises to become one of very 

 large importance, especially upon the poorer types of soil. 



At the present time there are in what is known as the Blight 

 area of Pennsylvania, which includes about one-half of the State, 

 about loo orchards from 12 trees up to 400 acres in extent. These 

 orchards are in varying stages of blight infection, some of them 

 being entirely free, due to the attention which has been given 

 them. 



The blight came as a very serious blow to this industry. Some 

 of the orchards have been completely annihilated and the income re- 

 duced from several thousands or more dollars per year to nothing. 

 Whether or not the blight will completely wipe out the orcharding 

 industry is a subject of considerable discussion. Personally, I be- 

 lieve that chestnuts will be raised commercially in Pennsylvania in 

 increased abundance, and as the various phases of the blight subject 

 are brought to light, the work of keeping the blight under control 

 will be more easily and accurately done. At the present time tnc 

 blight is being kept under control in some orchards by examining the 

 trees often and by treating an infection as soon as it appears, or cut- 

 ting out the tree. If this policy is successfully pursued for several 

 more years it will be demonstrated conclusively that chestnut can 

 be grown in spite of the blight and this will mean an opportunity to 

 use vast areas of waste land in Pennsylvania in a highly profitable 

 manner. The results which have been attained in other fruits by 

 selection and hybridization in recent years have been noteworthy. 

 Certain pure strains of Japanese and Korean chestnut seem to be 

 resistant to the blight and it is not unreasonable to suppose that we 

 may eventually see an immune hybrid chestnut of good size and 

 quality. 



Discussion. 



W. H. Black. How general is the infection in Adams County? 

 Mr. Rockey. I understand it runs about 4 per cent, as an 



