and we are
indebted to them for considerable work, chiefly in an educational way.
The successful outcome of all our work will depend in a large measure
upon the owners themselves, and it is our purpose to give them all the
information possible upon the whole subject.

The Commission established a Department of Utilization which is
collecting information on the various industries which use or might use
chestnut wood, listing the buyers and owners of chestnut wood, thus
assisting owners of blighted chestnut trees in marketing their timber to
the best advantage. The Department is trying to increase the use of
chestnut wood by calling attention to its many good qualities, and thus
utilize the large quantity which must necessarily be thrown upon the
market. There has been more or less discrimination against blighted
chestnut timber. This has been in many cases unjust, since the blight
does not injure the value of the wood for most purposes for which it is
used. However, the owners sometimes fail to realize that the blight
cankers are the most favorable places for the entrance of the borers,
and that where a large number of trees are being considered, a
percentage of them will be materially injured by insects which follow
blight infection. Where telegraph poles are barked, it is often seen
that borers have attacked the wood under blight cankers, and have not
touched any other part of the tree. All blighted timber should be cut
before death to realize its best value, since insects and
wood-destroying fungi cause the very rapid deterioration of dead,
standing timber. There has been a good market in almost every locality
for poles, ties and the better grades of lumber. Cordwood presents the
difficult problem of disposal. The best market for this is in the
central part of the state, at the extract plants. The Commission has
secured from the Pennsylvania R. R. a special tariff on blighted
chestnut cordwood so that this product may be profitably shipped from
greater distances than before.

The Commission has inspected all chestnut nursery stock shipped from
nurseries within the state and has also provided for inspection of all
chestnut stock entering the state. This should prevent a repetition of
infections in the western part of the state which might destroy millions
of dollars worth of timber.

From time to time publications have been and will be issued by the
Commission, which are obtained free of charge upon request, or they