Evening star., 1950-09-20
New Chestnut Growing
In Areas Hit by BLIGHT
Asiutic Variety, Resistont
To Disease, Is Thriving
By Thomas R. Henry

ny Ihomos K. Henry
Throughout the Appalachians and as
far West as Southern Indiana q new
chestnut is making its mark
For the first time there appears to be
a reasonable hope that within the next
half century Americas dead chestnut
forests may be restored.
Bureau Of Plant Industry experts now
are repeating wherever they drive along
country roads in the East the methods
OF Johnny Appleseed-distributing Of
likely farmhouseS quantities Of seed
chestnuts OF the new variety and re-
questing that they be planted.
Up to now the struggle for restoration
OF the chestnut has been discouraging.
About 80 years ago the great blight,
starting from New York City park,
swept northward and southwark along
the Appalachians. Within about q dec
ade only ghost forests remained. The
MountainsideS were covered with dead
white trunks.
The blight came from Asia. The only
counter-move possible was to introduce
Chinese and Japanese varieties which
were resistant to the disease in their
own habitats, with the hope that one
or more Of them would At into soil and
climatic conditions of North America
and would yield nuts and lumber Of as
good quality as the native variety. The
loss was perhaps the greatest wild life
disaster which ever struck the country.
Many thousands had been dependent on
the chestnut for livelihood.
Many Varieties introduced.
Several score varieties have been IN
S~. Sc
brought in by Agriculture Department
plant explorers before the blight and
were already being tested in expert
mental gardens. None, up to now, has
proved very satisfactory. Japanese chest.
nuts especially have been disappoint-
ment. Some Of them bear nuts twice
the size Of the native trees but these
nuts are rather tasteless and some are
bitter. A few Jap varieties have proved
fairly vigorous and blight resistant near
the sea, but they Succumbed quickly
when they were moved inland. Some
have proved quite good for chestnut
orchards where they could be given COM
slant care. They could not shift for
themselves. The Chinese varieties, es-
pecially those brought from Western
China. generally have proved more
adaptable. Until now, however, none
has been quite satisfactory. ~
The new chestnut was in lot brought
In about so years ago. 1t seemed to have
no particular promise. Lately, however,
1t has proved by far the most adaptable
OF all. 1t grows rapidly. advancing from
the seed to the nut-bearing stage In
about 10 years The nuts have flavor
very nearly equal to that of the native
cheStnutS The timber is of excellent
quality. The yield of tannin for the
leather industry is quite high.
A crucial experimental plot is being
maintained in the George Washington
National Forest near Roanoke, Va. There,
on q sunlit hillside. 1t is planted with
q wide variety Of other chestnuts and
easily has outStripped all the others. II
has proved adaptable to New England
climates. The best results have come
from experimental paintings in the hills
OF Southern Indiana. Everywhere it has
proved blight resistant It is vigorous, O
heavy nut bearer and able to fend for
itself in competition with other trees.
New Chestnut Thrives.
1t is by no means duplicate Of the
dead American chestnut, however. It
thrives best in particular soils whereas
the native variety had little choice. It
does best In sheltered mountain holloWs,
rather than on mountain sides and creSts.
Agriculture Department experts be-
lieve that unless a better prospect ap-
pears-and there is none in sight-it ID
the logical candidate for the chestnut
succession in North America.
Reports from farmyard paintings have
been encouraging. In very few instances
have the seeds failed to sprout, or the
sprouts to grow. Cases of failure are
attributed to too much care on the part
Of conscientious farmers who unwittinsly
thwart the purpose Of the experiment.
Restoration of the chestnut is consids
cred Of exceptional Importance in the
Appalachian national forests where loss
Of what was once the predominant tree
has disrupted the whole life picture. It
is responsible. for example, for the prac-
tical disappearance Of the wild turkey,
The nuts were its chief food.
Hope has by no means been given up
for an even better variety which may
turn UP among the imports. There still
probably are scores Of unknown species
in the West China mountains, but this
region now is closed to American plant
explorers. .,