The discovery of the chestnut blight in China makes it now all the
more probable that resistant chestnut stocks may be obtained in that
country. It was, therefore, a wise movement last fall when we took
advantage of the opportunity to obtain a considerable amount of seed
of what is probably the most important chestnut in Eastern China. A
large quantity of the nuts were planted at Paxinos, and the seedlings
at this date which are from six to fifteen inches high, are looking
well. From the nuts sent also to the State Forest Nursery at Greenwood,
75 seedlings are at present growing, and from those sent to Asaph,
Pa., there are now 182 plants, averaging ten inches in height. All of
these seedlings will be of much value in cross-breeding and other ways
in the important future work of developing blight resistant orchard
trees. In this connection it should be noted that in a recent bulletin
issued from the Arnold Arboretum a considerable discussion is given of
the possibilities in developing blight resistant chestnut trees from
Chinese introductions, a number of the latter now being grown at the
Arboretum. The two mentioned as the most important include the one of
which we now have seedlings. So far these Chinese chestnuts grown at
the Arboretum have not become blighted.
According to the Kew Index, there are seven species of chestnut and
twenty-one of the chinquapin in the world. From all these species there
should be many other chances of obtaining blight resistant trees that
may be used in breeding and making our own stock better.