The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-04-27
CHESTNUT TREE DOOMED
Botanical Garden Expert Recon-
mendsThat They Be Supplanted

mends ! nat lney Se ouPPIdhteu
After attending a convention Of
agricultural and arboreau authorities
from many states called by Gov Ten
or of Pennsylvania at Harrisburg, to
consider ways and means of fighting
the chestnut blight that has ravaged
the chestnut trees of the country, DR.
w. A. Murrill assistant director of
the New York botanical garden, de-
clares in the current number OF the
New York Botanical Garden Journal,
that the chestnut canker is deadly
and cannot be controlled, and that
owners of chestnut timber in any OF
the states, where the blight has APP
peared had better make the best pos
sble use of the present growth, for
it may be the last. All the foresters
in the government service and the en-
tire United States army, he declares,
could not check the progress Of the
disease. 'NWs
The method of control adopted by
/ the Pennsylvania commission" he
says, 'is that outlined in Farmers
/ Dulltlll VI vi lut Oniltu OAdAto nt-
partment of agriculture, which rec
ommends the cutting out of infected
trees and the establishment of an
immune zone Several Psychologists
present at the conference endeavor-
ed to show that this method had not
been sufficiently tested and that the
only proper way in which appropria-
tions might be spent was in the sci
entifc investigation of the disease,
with the hope that some effective
method of control might yet be dis
rcovered and in aiding state surveys
to locate the disease for the ihfor-
nation of timber owners. The reso-
lutions adopted by the convention,
however, favored a campaign in all
of the states affected similar to that
already begun in Pennsylvania, which
combines scientific investigation with
the cutting-out method"
DR. Murrill declares that the only
proper procedure for the other states
isto make surveys, with the aid Of
small appropriations if necessary,
and to await the results OF the scien-
tihc investigations and tests already
being carried on in Pennsylvania and
backed by ample funds there. To
appropriate large sums TO duplicate
these experiments or apply a method
OF control which has not been tested.
he says, would be unwse and pretty
certain TO fail If scientific research
has any practical method of control
in store, he thinks. ii will be much
| aagtnr 10 nhfufu 80. Z, =.
operation then than to waste funds
on visionary and impractical plans at
: present
Owners of chestnut timber in any
state" he says. are advised to make
the best possible use of the present
growth, for II may be the last. This
timber represents money and you
should stand on your rights and de
mand a very good reason before al
lowing the summary destruction Of
this timber or the impairment of its
value by a guilt of the market. See
that you are advised Of the progress
OF the disease, appropriating money
for that purpose If necessary. anC
market your timber as IL approaches
BE businesslike and accept the inevi
table in time to make the best of It.
Owners OF chestnut orchards
anywhere within the affected ares
are advised to give up at once IN,
!. idea that these orchards can De saw
!. ed by treatment. If the soil is suit
II able for apples or other fruit trees
1t would be well to plant these a
once between the rows. Those VIII,
have chestnut trees for shade or OF
nament on their lawns are advised t.
replace them with other trees a
. soon as they become unsightly. Their
is no known method of saving
chestnut tree after II is once attack
4 ed by the canker, and money spen
] IN an attempt to do this would b.
simply thrown away"