n with those
of Connecticut." The essential fact seems to be that the European or
Spanish chestnut is very susceptible to the blight, perhaps as much so
as is our native species, but that evidently certain individuals or
races exist that are more or less resistant.
During the early part of 1947 we had a visit from Professor Cristos
Moulopoulos of the University of Salonika, Greece. Although the disease
had not then appeared in Greece, the pathologists there would like to be
ready for it when it does come.
_Pollinations in 1946 and 1947._ Without going into details, the general
purpose of the pollinations during these last two years has been to
incorporate more and more of the resistant Chinese stock into our
hybrids. Beginning in 1937, we crossed our best Japanese-American
hybrids with Chinese, and we now have a considerable number of young
saplings of flowering age, which have the pedigree: Chinese x
Japanese-American. Unfortunately, in this cross the Chinese is usually
dominant as regards habit, but not always. We have some tall,
straight-growing individuals of this combination which may well be the
forerunners of a blight-resistant forest stock for America.
Therefore, during 1946 and 1947 we have been crossing these fine Chinese
x (Japanese-Americans) with the following:
1. Our best Chinese
2. American-Chinese and Chinese-American
3. American (C. dentata)
4. Our best Japanese-Americans
5. Among themselves
For it is the ultimate aim of this work to develop a race of tall,
hardy, blight resistant individuals which will breed true and thus of
themselves re-establish the chestnut tree in the forests of Eastern
North America. As everyone knows, the re-establishment of the chestnut
as a forest tree can not be done in a few years or even a score of
years, but by continued breeding and patience and perseverance it can be
done. The materials are at hand, i.e. tall, erect growth, and blight
resistance; and with persistent effort the desired combination can be
made.
For (1) above we were fortunate in 1946 in receiving a supply of pollen
from tall-growing Chinese trees, through the kindness of Mr. Michael
Evans of Greenville, Delaware and Professor Maurice A. Blake of the New
Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station.
As a result of our pollinations in 1946, in which 72 combinations were
made, we harvested and planted in our cold frames in October 479 hybrid
nuts, a large proportion of which germinated,
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