The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-11-22
CHESTNUT BLIGHT
FOUND IN WAYNE
All But Ten Tracts in the
County Infected With 1t
RAVAGES OF DEADLY DIAPOR-
THE PARASITICA DISCOVERED
BY EXPERT FORESTERS.
"Woodman, burn that tree;
Spare not a single bought"


" About five to ten per cent of the
chestnut timber in Wayne county is
infected with the blight. Out of the
225 tracts of timber we visited in
the past fifteen days, all are infected
but ten tracts"
such was the startling information
given a Citizen man, the first of the
week, by 5. j. Kinsler, of York coun-
ty, this State, who in company with
X. Manion, of Connecticut, and F. R.
Mott, OF Centre county, has been in
specting the timber tracts of the
county, during the first two weeks in
November, with view to finding
out how many of the chestnut trees
are infected with the deadly fungus
growth, known as Diaporthe Para
sitica.
:" We were sent out" he con-
t1nued, by the Chestnut Blight
Commission of Pennsylvania, locat-
ed at Philadelphia, 1112 Morris
Building, S. R. Detweiler executive
officer. This commission was ap-
| pointed by Governor Tener, and con
sists of five men all interested in and
owners of chestnut timber, and they
| have sole charge of the chestnut
timber blight and nothing else con-
corning forestry. They are under
the supervision of the Forestry Com
mission. Their part is to take charge
of the chestnut tree blight. The
first work was started in the latter
part of August.
Mr.. Marion has completed three
courses in the Forestry Department
of the Pennsylvania State College.
Mr.. Mott is a graduate of State Col
lege, and had a years experience in
forestry in Oregon under the u. S.
Forestry Commission. / qualify only
as an expert under the instruction of
Prof. j. Franklin Collins of the U.
s. Geological Survey of the experi-
mental station at Martick Forge, Pa.
| started in York county, and
worked west across the mountains to
Franklin county, coming here from
Franklin county. We came to Haw-
ley, November 2, and leave Monday
for Starrucca.
Is there much chestnut timber
in Wayne county?" he was asked.
don't think there's over one
per cent. of the timber" he answer
ed. That's as far as we've gone,
say in half of the county,
Is there much chestnut blight in
Wayne county?"
About five to ten per cent. is in
fected. Well say seven per cent.
will be fair average. All are in
fected but ten tracts.
We visited an average of Is
tracts day for Is days, 225 tracts
of timber in all, and find only about
one per cent. of chestnut, and about
seven per cent. of infection. We
were very favorably received by the
farmers and people we visited.
Wn'rn rnn11u oil
thorough inspection, only scouting.
We are not visiting every timber
owner. If we was inspecting it
thoroughly, we'd have to see every
timber owner.
The chestnut blight was first
discovered in about 1904. 1t was
imported here from Japan into New
York through nursery stock New
York city planting park of chest
nut trees had them grated with
japanese chestnut trees. That's the
way the thing was introduced Since
that it has spread over Eastern New
York, Rhode Island, Connecticut,
Southeastern Canada, New Jersey,
Delaware, Maryland, as far as the
central part of Pennsylvania, and as
far West as the mountains.
What can you do for it?"
hS Ohly " uO is 10
the timber out and destroy the bark
and brush by burning. Yet by a
man watching it up close, he could
cut out his infected timber and still
save his best timber. At any time a
man finds he has any infected tim
ber the State will be glad any time
to send a man to mark his infected
timber so as to give him any infor-
nation as to how he can dispose of
it.
You ought to cut the whole tree
if branch is infected. Nothing in
the world will save an infected tree.
1t is very important that the timber
be burned. 1t reproduces entirely
through the bark.
The Diaporthe Parasitica is
fungus growth, of lightish yellow
color. 1t enters the bark at any
break or opening in the bark and
starts to grow in a circular growth,
and keeps getting larger and larger.
in the shape of a target, until it en-
circles the trunk. 1t looks like a
target filled full of small shot holes.
1t just starts and grows in a circle.
DR.. VIM. A. Murrill was the first
scientific discoverer of it in 1906 in
the Bronx Botanical Gardens, New
York. 1t is fungus of new species,
of the class of sac fungi. The gem
eric name is Diaporthe Parasitica, of
which 100 species are known to
science. 1t will not grow in a dead
tree. 1t propagates itself by means
of microscopical spores, each spors
containing eight sacs.
Under the microscope it shows a
growth of fern or fan-leaf growth
spread out smoothly between the
bark and the wood. 1t causes the
bark to loosen from the wood Just
as II scorched or burnt. 1t stops
circulation and kills the tree.
81 was raised on farm, and have
(Continuod ~. D--- ralL.1