Mr. Vollertsen: I would almost think so. I have had lots of inquiries for them from storekeepers. It seems to me there are a great many imported around here. Our American hazels are not so very good. There may be here and there a fairly good one, but I have not found any really good ones worth propagating. I think if we would do more scientific work we could get very good nuts. There is no question that they are perfectly hardy and will stand almost any climate.
Mr. Jones: Some of your varieties are hybrids aren't they?
Mr. Vollertsen: They are all hybrids. I have a few of the real, original avellana type I think got there by accident.
President Reed: I believe the next paper is one the secretary has from Mr. A. H. Graves.
DISEASE RESISTANCE IN THE AMERICAN CHESTNUT[1]
Arthur H. Graves
(Read by the Secretary)
Your secretary, Mr. Bixby, has asked me to tell you about the native chestnut trees in the vicinity of New York City which I have found to be resistant to the destructive bark disease. I commenced the search for such trees in the summer of 1918, at the suggestion of Dr. Haven Metcalf, of the laboratory of Forest Pathology, Bureau of Plant Industry. During the campaign in Pennsylvania against the bark disease, scouts had been on the lookout for immune or resistant trees, but without result. As far as I am aware, no systematic organized search had been made for such individuals.
It was our plan to commence the search in the region of New York City, because this area is probably the oldest center of infection in the United States. Apparently this is the port of entry where the undesirable immigrants (Japanese or Chinese chestnuts) passed through quarantine and were allowed to disembark carrying their terrible scourge with them unnoticed. According to Metcalf and Collins,[2] this was probably as early as 1893. This was why we selected this area to begin on, for here the disease has had a longer opportunity to run its course than anywhere else, and, consequently, has had ample time (more than a quarter of a century) to call out the non-resistant trees. Those remaining, if any could be found, might be suspected, a priori, of being resistant.