El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-04-20

lumber men and land own
| ers all are interested in the fight that
I is being waged to save the chest
| nut trees Of the United States from
/ an infectious bark disease or canker
/ thaNis rapidly spreading over the coun-
! try. The pest IS a parasitic growth
I or canker which attacks the chestnut
] tree and quickly causes the death
/ OF the affected part. If it attacks
/ first a smaller branch it may not
/ spread over the entire tree for months
! or even years. but IL it attacks the
] trunk first the whole tree is killed in
I single season
( Although the plague is worst in east
! ern Pennsylvania and New Jersey II Is
/ rapidly spreading TO other parts OF the
| country and no less than p states were
| represented at the conference called
by the governor Of Pennsylvania re-
1 Gently to consider means of fighting It.
| This conference was the OutgrOwth Of
/ a discussion OF the matter At the meet
ing Of the American association for the
/ advancement of science in Washington
] during the Christmas holidays. Al
? though there never has been a Subject
! upon which there is greater variance
] of opinion as to the possibilities OF
! remedying the evil, the enormous losses
| which have already resulted from the
( ravages Of the chestnut canker are sui
/ ficient to bring il prominently before
! the mind OF the public.
Pennsylvania is First.
Pennsylvania was the first state TO
mission which was appointed last
I June with an appropriation Of $2l5,0O0
at its disposal It Immediately sent
/ large force OF experts into the field,
and they are still actively at work
upon the solution Of the problem A bill
is now pending in the New Y Ork legis-
lature for the appropriation Of su1tl-
cient money to establish a like com
mission in that state and in each OF
the p states in which the chestnut
tree is recognized as an impOrJan as
set, il is expected that some similar
action viii be taken. PENNSYLVANIA
claims a loss Of $4,000. 900 If the chest
nut blight is not overcome
Not Impossible to Eradicate
The specialists in the United States
department Of agriculture believe that
II is possible to check the disease and
claim IT has been practically eradi-
Gated within a radius of 25 miles OF
Washington. .. c. According to the
theory Of these experts, the disease
spreads slowly in a direct line, and
thus by going slowly through certain
radius, with more or less care each
year, it was possible within two or
three years TO remove all Of the infect
ed trees and to make an immune zone.
The making OF this immune zone IS
most important 1t may call for the
extraction Of all chestnut trees.
healthy or diseased, within a belt five
or ten miles wide
Advantage may be taken Of all nat
ural barriers to Infection. such as IN
fOreSIed areas or wooded areas without
Chestnut trees, but an immune zone
can be established without any unsur-
mOuntable obstacles by a little discre-
ton After the immune zone is estab-
hshed, the greatest care must be taken
not to allow any possible infection
upon it. This infection is easily trans
mitted. Even chestnut fence posts
which have been peeled are capable OF
carrying the infection and should not
be permitted even TO cross the zone
without being nTaW1OuEIE soaked in a
solution Of copper Sulphate. corrosive
sUblimate or some other disiDfectant
This theory is violently opposed by
DR.. ". A. Murrill OF the New York
Botanical gardens, who made the first
investigation OF the disease and gave
II the name by which il is known TO
scientists, diapOrthe parasitica- Dr..
Murrlll Is more Dessimistic in his views
and claims that the method OF search
ing for individual trees is like looking
Tor needle In haystack and will not
serve It's purpose. He IS supported by
number Of other well known DathOlo-
gists who claim that there is so far. no
means OF curing the plague These men Z
advocate further Investigations and
nope for some results from the thor
ough scientific methods being now
that the cutting out of individual in (
tected trees can give no permanent
benefit and even claim that there a re
large numbers of infected trees in the
sertion Of the department OF agricul- ]
ture experts
Many Plan Canker Hunting.
There is no doubt. however, that. at 1
least until some other methods have /
been suggested. the majority Of people /
interested in chestnut culture win at
tempt the work OF eradication sug-
gested by the department Of agricul-
ture and many different organizations 7
are planning TO combine chestnut can 4
ker hunting with their vacation pleas
ures this summer. In many towns for |
estry officers are delivering courses Gf /
Illustrated lectures that it is believed /
VIII enable the amateur to report /
more or less truthfully upon infected !
trees 1t Is claimed that II forest low
ers IN their walks would be on the .
lookout for trees which show signs OF I
canker and report them to the forestry
OAlcer OF the community, much could 7
De done to check the raYages Of the
plague, even IL its complete eradica-
tlon Is as yet impossible.
one Of the organizations which is
enthusiastically taking up the war T
against chestnut canker is the Boy
scouts Of America over $4,000 scouts
IN Pennsylvania are now pledged 20
aid in the fight against the disease in
That state II appeals to them es-
peclally because Of their love for chest
nut hunting. and their loyalty TO that
sport aside from other considerations.
makes them anxious TO save the trees
from their threatening destruction.
The national headquarters Of the Boy
Scouts is furnishing them with illus
trated literature on the matter and In
their walks and marches they viii keep
a sharp eye for any blighted tree
Cut the Treesg Burn the Brush.
Scouting for chestnut canker can
best be done from April to october, IS
after the leaves change in the fall the
marks are almost obscure excepting
upon trees on which the disease has Z
reached an advanced stage. Many Of
the advance infections can be de- :
stroyed bv the person who discovers 1
them, especially II they are remote I
from other infections, but the greater {
part Of the work of elimination had best /
be carried on by persons specially
qualified. The work of elimination ]
should be done as soon as possible ,
after the diseased trees are located. It
may be done however. at wha tever Z
time Of the year is most convenient, 7
since new infections viii be detected I
BY scouting the following year. The I
marked tree should be cut down So l ]
lar as is known. there is no reason ! !
why the timber Of such a tree may not
be utilized. provided It is barked. Ths !
park and brush should be piled over J.
he stumps and burned as soon as pos {
sible- II it Is not possible to have the Y
itumps burned they should be barkcd