The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-11-04

dent that the disease advances but slowly in solid line, but spreads from miles in advance of the main line of l disease. It therefore seemed prob able that if these advance infections i could be located at reasonably early stage, they could be eliminated at rel ativeiy little expense, thus preventing 1 further spread from these points at least. Accordingly the country with
 in thirty-five miles of Washington, D.. 1 G.. was chosen in the fall of 1908 as territory to test this method of con- trol. This section has since been gone | over thoroughly once year, and up to the present time the disease has not reappeared at any point where eliminated, although new infections must be looked for as long as the disease remains elsewhere unchecked. It is believed that if this method IS carried out on large scale it will re-
 suit ultimately in the control of the disease. A
 While the disease is essentially a na-
 tional issue, there is no law whereby
 the federal government can attempt to
 cope with the emergency Each state
 must act on it's own initiative and
 control the disease or let it go as it's
 officers and legislative bodies see fit.
 Herein lies one of the most serious aspects of the matter, for if one state
 elects to undertake control it will be
 seriously handicapped if neighboring
 states do not. It is not practicable to
 try to control the bark disease solely
 by the cooperation of individual own
 CTS of chestnut woodland, since sin
 gle indifferent or obstinate person can
 nullify the efforts of an entire com
 munity The control of the chestnut
 bark disease must, therefore, be un- dertaken by the separate states under special legislation.
 :. I,1 ix, n state is to determine the exact range of the disease in that state, and per-. ticularly to locate the advance points of infection. This work should be car ried out by experts, and would best be handled by the pathologists of the state agricultural experiment sta tions. The work of destroying ae- vance infections can be best directed by state foresry officials. The work of elimination as soon as possible af- ter the diseased trees are located. The marked trees should be cut down. The timber may be safely utilized in va rious ways, provided it is parked. The bark and brush should be piled over the stumps and as soon as practicable burned.
 After all spots of infection are elim- mated, attention must be turned to the main line of advance, the edge Of the area of general infection. Here
  ences. It may prove necessary in some states to destroy all chestnut trees, diseased or healthy, in belt ten to twenty miles wide, or possibly less. Advantage must be taken of natural barriers to infection, such as unforested areas or wooded areas without chestnuts. In this way an immune zone will be established, across which the disease can not easily be transmitted by merely local agents. Every effort should be made to have them cut down and the timber utiliz- ed as soon as possible, since they re- main sources of distant infection as long as any spore-laden bark or dis eased sprouts remain on them
 whether any restrictions are placed upon the movement of chestnut pro- ducts from the area of complete in depend largely on local conditions and must be left to the judgment of the state authorities. Barked timber can be moved with comparative safety. It will always be desirable to limit the movement of unbarked chestnut tim ber and firewood and of chestnut tan bark.
 The work for the second year will consist mostly of re-inspection of the | advance spots, where the disease has been eradicated the previous year, and 1 of general scouting to locate new spots. From this time on the persons | in charge of scouting will have the bulk of work and responsibility
 Pennsylvania is the first and so far | the only state to undertake in any l way the control of the disease. It | is obvious that in every state in which | the chestnut grows, either naturally | or under cultivation, that there | should be some law for the rigid in | spection of nursery stock, and only | perfectly healthy plants passed. The | life of valuable ornamental trees may | be greatly prolonged by promptly cut | ting out all diseased areas and remov- | ing all disease-girdled branches and | then covering the cuts with tar Spray | ing is of no use in stopping the fun ! gus after it has once started growth | in the bark. It is recommended