The Chestnut Blight by L. L. C.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jun 15, 1916

The Chestnut Blight

By L. L. C.

WHILE, forsooth, the knowledge of means of successful scientific agriculture may be increasing, pests and plagues in the vegetable and animal world seem to be on the increase. One of the most recent is the chestnut blight. An editorial in the Washington Post of April 26, states that Massachusetts has announced that she has given up all hope of saving her chestnut tree area. The State forester is quoted as saying:—

“The area of severe infection is already so great, and the proportion of chestnuts that there would be any hope of saving is so small, that the commonwealth would not be justified in making any attempt to stop the disease.”

Congress was induced to make a considerable appropriation for cooperation between the Department of Agriculture and the State foresters, and in several States some headway is claimed toward checking the disease. The editor of the Post, however, expressed his opinion that the surrender of Massachusetts to the chestnut blight would be followed by the surrender in other States, and his opinion was that the vast area of chestnut trees in this country is likely to be cut to zero in the next few years.

L. L. C.