Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1916-04-14
Breediug Chestnuts For Disease
Control.
U. 5. Department Of AsrIculture.

importance. From its obscure beginnings
in Eastern New York about twelve years
ago. 1t has swept into nineteen States, and
now affects about all of the northern half
of our native chestnut stands. doing dam
age estimated at close upon $50. 000, 900.
1t attacks the trees in twig. branch and
trunk. causing death in year or two, and
soon recurs In the sprouts or suckers sent
up from the still living roots. No native
chestnut appears to be spared In the long
run. but the little Eastern bush chinqua-
pin. with its smoother bark and compare
tive freedom from insect enemies, appears
less readily attacked. The European chest
nut in its favorite varieties is also subject
to the disease, but when we come to the
chestnuts Of Japan and China we find very
great resistance. amounting in some varie-
ties to almost practical immunity. There
appears to be now no method Of control
ling this disease. which Is caused by
fungus whose spores are carried about by
birds and insects, creating new infections
wherever they reach the sap wood or inner
bark Of the chestnut tree. There is no
apparent diminution of its virulence since
1t came under observation.
The most obvious means Of replacing the
great losses Of chestnut timber and nuts
WOuAu SCCiu W uC III tilC buuotitutiOu lOi
our native forms the Asiatic species that
best resist the disease, having evidently
for ages been accustomed to its presence.
and also to breed the chestnut as valu-
able genus Of forest trees, by hybridiza-
ton and selection for the avowed produc-
ton Of varieties better adapted for our
purposes.
Some chestnut breeding has already been
accomplished in various parts of our coun-
try. and generally with good results. A
promising experiment of this character
has been under the direction of the Office
of Forest Pathology of the u. S. Depart
ment Of Agriculture for several years.
Hybrids between the highly resistant
Japan chestnut and our native chinqua-
pin have been raised in considerable num-
bers, quickly forming handsome dwarf
trees, bearing at an early age profuse
crops Of nuts of excellent quality, five or
six times the size of those Of the wild chin
Quapin parent and ripening weeks before
any other chestnuts. So far these trees
show a very high degree Of disease resis-
lance. The second generation of hybrids.
grown from self or chance pollinated nuts,
appear quite as good as their parents,
which is an important feature when the
cost Of propagation of nut trees by bud
ding and grating is considered Another
line Of breeding lies in the er-crossing
Of disease-resisting Japan and Chinese
varieties that are rapidly being imported
into this country by the Office Of Foreign
Seed and Plant Introduction, and selection
of the best resulting forms. Four genera
tons Of. cross-bred Japan chestnuts of
very eary-bearins type. producing nuts
when two or three years old, have already
been grown, and the varietal characters
appear to be well fixed. Some Of the Chi
nese chestnuts are said to grow nearly 100
feet high in their home forests, and it may
be possible by their use to replace in some
measure our vanishing native chestnut
stands, and perhaps develop very superior
varieties HI-i-H '|H T-nrcrs Of nccl'rra1i-a
lion.
The hybrid 3 uquonins and cross. bred
chestnuts referrs 20 IN ia article ire not
yet av0iahle for distribution To the public
for testing since hey are bisng hsld for
fufther obaer' Of, rs as g. heir yareta
characters lo' the degree Of disease
Beg ~ TiaU. fKs saYa
ra1Ha q. 1Ltre8 fust aui esaatse
"a sluefa1auu or Hia apHteg +.
abalrR IHa sece thug ot Mr 5r
as 1rlher of tie umiis maa6, lt
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GioHtaio 0Iey w1n muta taau u
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8 elcesiou .aI ueau i.s leaders n Z
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oatf'aat Har nlFfF fa4 q.
" taars ie
fa5 H afare
h-ett rfseira tH take .-tl
s.a4t
Minnie lhoma1 DO l0guiy Commission
ers, sll.O5.
Gustaye Bonhz 10 Gcace a. Oey. ibiss.
$50
Metropolitan Investment and Building
Company to C. r. Chisholm. $40 70.
OtandO W, Bcaut - ~ w. h1b8Tts0n, SIT
Michael Conan 10 NJ. v. ROBERTSON, S37.
Robert W. Cox to W. v. Robertson, $50.
Bradley S. Dixon to Thos. M. Talbot, SIS.
Fred Hacker to w. v. Robertson, Sl4.
Henry II. Hazen to C. A. Hensey, $16.
John o. johnson ct al. to Thomas M.
Talbot, $50.
Mary Leigh KiIsOur to w. v. Robertson.
$22.30.
Jesse M. Lyle to County Commission
ers. $94.38.
Charles A. Muzzy to Thomas M. Talbot,
$12.
Madeline B. Micou to C. A. Hensey, $f3.
Lillian M. Prince to W. v. Robertson, $50.
Percy W. PAGE to c. A. Hensey, S18.
Isaac H. Radf0rd to W. V. Robertson, $50.
Julius Rubin to Thos. M. Talbot, $18.
Laura X. Thomas to T. M. Talbot, S18.
John W. Walling to W. v. Robertson, $24.
Geo. 7. Wells to County Commissioners,
5000.
John c. Whitaker to ". v. Robertson.
SLIT.
J. W. Wiley to W. v. Robertson, SLIT.
Margaret E. Barr to County Commission
ers. Sl0414.
VIM. L. Browning to County Commits
sioners, $l0618.
Richard H. Goreas to County Commits
sioners, $213.06.
Nejib Hekimain to County Commission
ers, $85.82.
Luther S. Bush to Samuel 7. Kalbfus, $11. |
J. p. Lanning to c. II. Hoskinson, $11.02
Robert M. Washington to c. II. Hoskin-
son. $1l.02.
John F. Miles to W. v. Robertson, $38.
VIM. r. Drane to W. v. Robertson, $50.
G. and II. Z. Benson Easley to County
X. Holt Easley to c. II. Hoskinson, S22.
Edward Hocke to c. II. Hoskinson, $12.
Jas. W. Hawkins to County Commits
sioners. $t1.02.
John W. Hawkins to County Commits
sioners, $1102.
Mary b. Mannypenny to Michael Gala
han. $12.53.
Frederick B. squyer to c. II. Hoskinson.
$40.
Jesse H. Van Alstyne to Harriet Freely.
$93.23.
Norman Vought 10 W. v. Robertson, $l3. |
Henry Warfeld to County Commission
ers, $12.55
Conner J. Aiken to County Commission
ers, S1L02.
s. M. Fenton to C. H. Hoskinson. S31.
n. and r. Hendrickson to C. F. Chisholm,
$1i.02.
Hendrickson & wilkins to C. II. Hoskin-
son, S17,00.