ere planted the same day, in the
same ground, and all came up. Those I got from another tree resembled a
hill of beans, and stayed that way for three years. Why wouldn't those
grow? In soil three feet from those, there were trees growing. Those
nuts never did make trees. The nuts were of good size.

Colonel Van Duzee: As a practical nurseryman, I wouldn't think of
planting nuts from a tree that I didn't know individually. We have had
very much better success with nursery stock where we have chosen as seed
medium sized nuts from vigorous trees with which we were acquainted. In
the case of Mr. Pomeroy, I don't think there is any question but that
the history of his tree would account for the failure. In other words,
his nursery stock was undoubtedly from the results of years of slow
growth on the part of the original tree, or unfavorable conditions of
some kind. I don't quite agree with Professor Craig on the question of
the influence of stock, because I believe it is really a very important
point.

President Morris: We are not here to agree upon anything.

Colonel Van Duzee: I can't speak from the scientific standpoint, but I
am quite sure that in the nursery business I shouldn't care to overlook
that influence.

President Morris: When men agree, it means we are on stale old ground
which has been thrashed over.

THURSDAY AFTERNOON, DECEMBER 14, 1911.

President Morris: The meeting is called to order. The first paper this
afternoon will be that by Mr. J. Franklin Collins of the United States
Department of Agriculture, on the chestnut bark disease.

THE CHESTNUT BARK DISEASE.

J. FRANKLIN COLLINS, Washington, D. C.

I presume some of you know as much about certain features of this
chestnut disease as I do myself; for I have only worked over certain
sides of the whole question. I also presume that you are all acquainted
with the fact that this disease, which is known as chestnut blight or
the chestnut bark disease, is without doubt the most serious disease of
any forest tree which we have had in this country at any time, that is,
so far as its inroads at present appear to suggest.

I want to call your attention to certain general historical facts in
connection with the disease, facts which are familiar to some of you,
but unfamiliar possibly to others. The Forester of the Bronx Zoological
Park, Dr. Merkel, discovered in the fall of 1904, or had his attention
particularly called in 1904 to the fact, tha