information on the
effects of this disease on oaks of various ages and under various
environmental conditions. In the United States the post oak (_Quercus
stellata_) is the only oak species that has been seriously damaged by
the blight.

Thus, the blight is threatening not only the native chestnut forest
growth and orchards of Europe, but also the oaks. A steady extension of
the blight throughout Italy can be expected. Advance infections in
Yugoslavia are being cut out but how long the disease can be held back
depends on future efforts along this line. Delay work in Yugoslavia also
delays the time of loss of the chestnut and damage to the oak growth of
Greece and Turkey. The inspection and eradication work being carried out
in Spain may result in the elimination of this threat to the chestnuts
and oaks in Spain, Portugal and southwest France. However, there is the
possibility of the blight occurring anywhere in Europe. People working
with chestnut should be on the alert to find and eradicate the first
infections.

The film entitled "It Bringeth Forth Much Fruit", shown here today, was
prepared at my suggestion by the U. S. Foreign Agricultural Services at
Rome. It is being used to aid local authorities in Italy in attempts to
delay the spread of the chestnut blight.

The Italian authorities, with assistance from the United States Foreign
Agricultural Service, have purchased blight-resistant chestnuts in this
country for planting in Italy. These resistant chestnuts are doing very
well in Italy so far. However, the development of a new orchard industry
with the Chinese chestnut and its hybrids in Italy will be a slow
process. It is expected that shipments of chestnuts from Italy to this
country, which is now going on at a rate of 15 to 18 million pounds per
year, will gradually decrease.

DR. GRAVATT: I will talk on while they are fixing this next film.

Much of the trouble in Italy is that so many of the chestnut orchards
are overgrazed, sadly overgrazed, and as these chestnut orchards are
killed by the blight, the land is going back into this overgrazed
condition, which leads to serious erosions. Italy needs all the water
that can be saved. The mountains are eroded down to the rock in many
areas and when you get to the rock, you can never bring the soil back.
It's a serious problem to meet because of the tremendous
over-population. Every little twig of wood is used. As these chestnut
orchards are killed it's going