NOTES UPON TREE DISEASES IN THE 

 EASTERN STATES^ 



Perley Spaulding 



The Chestnut Blight 



Some attention has been given to the chestnut blight for the 

 past three years. It was found in July, 1909, at Middiebury, 

 Conn., for the first time, and in September, 1909, at Bantam, 

 Conn. Also in September, 19 10, at Amherst and Springfield, 

 Mass., and in October, 1910, at Windsor, Conn. The writer has 

 spent most of the month of October each year in the lower Con- 

 necticut valley and the adjoining territory; much time has been 

 spent there during the past few years besides in October. The 

 disease was found at Windsor, Conn., the second season it was 

 there. At any rate, it was very scattering in the Connecticut val- 

 ley in the fall of 1909. A trip was made in July, 191 1, as far 

 north as Hartford, Conn., and the disease was everywhere in 

 evidence in the Connecticut valley. There can be no doubt that 

 in the three years, 1909 to 191 1 inclusive, the disease has spread 

 so seriously as to now be beyond hopes of control in the lower 

 Connecticut valley. 



Considerable time this season was devoted to finding out the 

 real situation of the chestnut blight in the state of Maryland. 

 It was found to be much more serious than at first supposed. 

 The northeastern corner of the state cut off by a line running 

 from the northern edge of Baltimore, east to the Delaware line, 

 and another a little westward and then northwestward to the 

 Pennsylvania line is already too badly diseased for eradication 

 to be successfully carried out. Outside this area the disease is 

 very scattering and might with relatively small effort and expense 

 be eradicated. The course of the disease in the Connecticut val- 

 ley indicates that this must be done at once or not at all. There 



^ Paper presented before the American Phytopathological Society at the meet- 

 ing of December, 191 1. 



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