1935 
tributed between the years 1914 and 1916, only 1,019 are reported 
alive. Drought, frost, fires, and lack of adaptability to climate 
are set down as the chief causes of death. In the northeastern sec- 
tions of the United States blight is said to have caused the death of 
many trees, although numbers of reports show the trees have resisted 
blight where the American chestnut succumbed. This is particularly 
true of the experimental planting made at Bell, Md. , by the late 
Dr. Walter Van Fleet of the Office of Horticultural Investigations. 
That planting is now ten years old and the trees have been fruiting 
for the past five or six years. The orchard originally contained over 
1400 seedlings, about 50 per cent being hybrids made by Dr. Van Fleet 
for the purpose of securing blight-resistant types. The hybrids were 
chiefly the results of crosses between our American chinquapin and two 
Asiatic species, Castanca crenata and Castanea mollissima, imported by this 
Office. Straight seedlings of both the last named species have been grown 
in the orchard. Of all the chestnuts tested at Bell, the Chinese hairy 
chestnut seems to be the most promising so far as ability to resist 
blight, vigor, size, quantity and quality of nuts produced are con- 
cerned. 
The question arises as to whether the Chinese hairy chestnut may 
be regarded as a promising introduction for extensive forest planting 
to take the place of our own vanishing species in furnishing wood and 
bark for tannin material. That it will ever be able to do this is 
very doubtful. As a possible source of supplying nuts very closely 
resembling our own sweet and highly flavored native product, the 
Chinese form seems well worthy of study and further development. The 
tree lends itself readily to orchard culture and begins to bear when 
five or six years old. Trees for orchard culture may be planted as 
close as 12 by 12 feet or 14 by 14 feet. Such trees should not be 
pruned. Experience has shown that cutting the lower branches from 
the trunk invites blight infection. The trees do best when left to 
grow in bush form. Trees planted in this way must have good culture, 
the same as apple, peach or pear trees. They cannot be left to care 
for themselves with much hope of success. This fact may account in 
part at least for the heavy mortality in the trees distributed. 
It would seem inadvisable under the present wtate of our know- 
ledge regarding the Chinese hairy chestnut to undertake planting it 
on an extensive scale with a view to utilizing wood and bark for tan- 
nin purposes. It is true that this chestnut has a number of qualities 
to recommend it. In the first place it is a true species, and seed- 
lings are readily grown. There is a large extent of territory in 
China wh6re the tree grows from which seeds may be obtained at reason- 
able cost. The chief difficulty, however, is in connection with the 
harvesting and transportation of the seeds. Chestnuts lose their 
vitality quickly after harvesting and much care is required in hand- 
