The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1913-11-27
HOPELESS IN GRIP Of
THE CHESTNUT BLIGHT
Only Chance Is To Cut Wood Before
Disease Has Ruined Its Value.
BY F. w. BEsLEY, STATE FORSTER

/ W ASA1SASSAs CAF1A Il OlNo In
The chestnut blight, technically known
as Diaporthe Parasitica, appeared IN
the State about six years ago. having
come to US drought Pennsylvania,
where it began its destructive work a
few years before. This disease appar-
emily started in the vicinity of Long
Island and has spread northward and
northeastward as far as Massachusetts
and southwestward into Maryland
| 1t is the worst tree disease that has
ever been known in this country, and
since the chestnut is one of our most
valuable species. useful for many
purposes, it is very serious problem
This disease attacks only the chestnut,
but is extremely virulent in character,
attacking trees of all sizes and all con-
ditlons.
Infection comes by means of minute
spores which are scattered by the wind,
insects, birds and other agencies, and
| may gain entrance to the tree through
any crevices or wounds on the branches
or trunk of the tree. From the point
of infection the disease works in the in
ner bark in both directions round the
branch or trunk of the tree until it
meets on the opposite side, thus COM
pletely girdling it. shutting off the flow
of sap.
The blight does not injure the wood
of the tree, as many suppose, but as it
works almost entirely in the bark, the
wood is left practically sound and use
able, provided it is utilized within two
years from the time the tree is killed.
The loss occasioned by this disease in
Maryland has been a very severe one
amounting to approximately 500. coo.
The northeastern and northern sections
of the State have suffered most, as it
was from this direction that the disease
entered the State, and this is also the
section where chestnut is most album
dant. The greatest loss has been in the
upper two-thirds of Cecil Hartford
and Baltimore counties. where chest
nut is more abundant than any other
tree species. and also in the upper part
of Carroll county.
An investigation was made by the
State Forester three years Eago to de-
termine the damage and extent of the
disease in the State and it was found
that IN sections of the counties named
above the dead or diseased trees
amounted to not more than per cent
of the total stand of chestnut. An ex-
animation made this past simmer in
Cecil county on large area that was
eXamlnedithree years ago, at which time
only per cent of the trees were dead
or diseased. showed that in three years
the percentage of infection had increas-
ed to 80 per cent, and this represents
pretty nearly the condition in the north
eastern part of the State Badly in
fected sections are in the vicinity of
Principe, Cecil county, along the North
ern Central railroad from the Pennsyl-
vania line to Baltimore, and in the
Green Spring Valley.
The disease has not maze as much
Roadway in the western part of the
State. although the section around
Edgemont has suffered a great deal,
and the disease is progressing rapidly
southwark in Blue Ridge Mountains,
where chestnut is very abundant Up
to the present time there has been
practically no damage in Garrett and
Allegany counties and very little in
Western Washington county. There is
very little chestnut in the Eastern
Shore section, so that this disease will
never be an important factor in that
part of the State. Likewise in the
lower,parts of st. Mary's, Calvert and
Charles counties, where there is little
chestnut, and therefore, there is little
damage from this disease possible; but
in all other sections the chestnut blight
is working undated and threatens the
determination of this valuable species.
The .dlscouraging feature about the
chestnut.blight is that there is no known
remedy. The State of Pennsylvania,
realizing 1.-THE millions of dollars loss
from this disease, a few years ago
appropriated $275, 600 for combating it
and after two or three years of en-
ergetlc efforts has practically abandoned
all hope of checking the disease. Even
were it possible to check the disease by
| spraying or other methods that are USE
ed in combating disease of fruit trees
and shade trees, this is impractcable in
dealing with the trees of the forest,
not only because they are so large that
it would.be difficult to reach the top,
but because the cost of the cost of
treatment would be greater than the
value of the tree; but the chestnut blight
apparently cannot be killed by sprays or
any of the common methods of treating
tree fungus diseases and insect pests.
To the man who owns chestnut timber
in which the chestnut blight has gotten
established the only thing for him to do
is to cut and utilize the trees as soon
as possible before the timber has a
chance to deteriorate. Even with the
large amount of chestnut poles, ties and
other material that has been thrown up
on the market in the last few years
because of the chestnut blight the
market for these materials remains
good and Iprices obtained are very