15 



trees for miles around. When the spore has found a lodgment in the 

 layer of new growing cells beneath the bark, only the greatest care 

 will prevent the growth and maturity of the fungus. Ko forest tree 

 develops sprouts or coppice more abundantly than the chestnut, unless 

 it is the bass wood. If the tree is much infected almost invariably the 

 blight will be found on the coppice about its base. A chestnut stump 

 will aid the investigation, for it is sure to be surrounded with art 

 ample supi)ly of sprouts. The bark of an old tree has deep crevices or 

 fissures. In these fissures in :lie bark of old trees the fruiting bodies 

 are found. If the laj'er beneath the bark is dead, the deepest part of 

 the fissure should be examined for rows of little red tubercles. Here 

 is where the microscopist finds the sacs with their eight spores, as 

 well as masses of summer spores. By tapping on the thick bark with 

 a hammer, the muffled sound will indicate where the bark is dead. 

 If the area is small it can be cut away and the place tarred. 



Many suggestions have been made about injecting some chemical 

 that would enter into the circulation and destroy the fungus. So far 

 nothing of ])ractical value in this line has been accomplished. There 

 are fungicides but if used in sufficient strength to kill the growing 

 fungus, the treatment is about as injuricms to the tree as is the dis- 

 ease. Trees kept free from undergi-owth and frequently inspected 

 and by cutting as soon as the infectiim is Observed, may be saved and 

 kept in a healthy condition. Chestnut groves and orchards may be 

 protected by careful inspection and prom])t treatment. If a tree is 

 badly infected its removal is advised. All bark should be burned at 

 once. The bark of the stump w^ell down into the ground must not be 

 forgotten. 



While spraying hundreds of forest trees is out of the question, yet 

 grafted trees in groves or orchards may be benefited by s])raying, 

 and a limited number of young chestnut trees on a lawn may be so 

 treated. In the Zoological Bulletin, Oct. 1, 1907, page 190, Prof. 

 H. A. Surface says of the Lime-Sulphur Wash; "It is a fungicide as 

 well as an insecticide and cleans up many of the disease germs, such 

 as those causing leaf curl, leaf spots, rusts, mildews, ap])le scab, and 

 other diseases of leaves or fruits." The Bulletin of ^larch 1, 1909, 

 contains all necessary information on spraying. Many sj)ores may be 

 ^^ ashed away, but this infecticm is protected because it grows beneath 

 the bark and is scarcely touched by spraying. 



Trees have been treated by using cotton saturated with Bordeaux 

 mixture. Small bunches of raw cotton saturated with Bordeaux and 

 VTapped in burlap have been tied in the forks of the limbs. To be 

 effective, it would be necessary to treat every fork of the limbs and 

 twigs in this manner and also abraded bark on any part of the tree. 



Whether the blight will spread inland must remain a problem for 



