Now You See It, Now You Don't!
TellZall's object for April is the American Chestnut
Last month, we visited the blacksmith and learned about how this craft once was a vital part of American communities. We found that in 1839 poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote a famous poem called "The Village Blacksmith". The poem began:Under a spreading chestnut tree The village smithy stands
Not only are blacksmiths largely gone from the American scene, the chestnut tree itself has disappeared.
One hundred years ago, the American chestnut tree (Its Latin name is Castanea dentata.) was plentiful in forests from Maine to Florida and from the East Coast to the Mississippi River. These beautiful trees flowered in June to July, producing a glorious display of yellow blossoms with a distinct scent. The fruit ripened and dropped after the first frost, and the nuts were large, sweet, and much-loved by squirrels, deer, and people.
Chestnut trees were valuable in many ways. They could grow to huge dimensions; trees five feet in diameter and one hundred feet tall were not uncommon. The lumber was valuable, and the trunks often were branch-free for fifty feet, which produced long, wide boards. The wood was straight-grained and lighter than oak and was used for many, many purposes, including shingles, paneling, furniture, musical instruments, and even telephone poles. The nuts were good to eat and are remembered in the Christmas song that recalls "chestnuts roasted on an open fire." And the chestnut was a wonderful shade tree. Chestnut-lined streets were common in many American towns and cities, and both governments and individuals planted thousands of them.
So what happed to this magnificent tree? In 1904 in New York City, scientists discovered a lethal fungus, Ednothia parasitica, was attacking chestnut trees. Commonly called Chestnut blight, the fungus had been introduced to the United States from the Orient on some imported nursery stock. The fungus causes swollen or sunken sores on the limbs and trunks of chestnut trees. The fungus spreads into the tree's inter portion and "girdles" the tree's diameter. Leaves above the fungus girdle die, followed by the tree's limbs. Within two to ten years, the tree dies.
Chestnut blight quickly spread to chestnut trees throughout the nation. Despite the best efforts of scientists, foresters, and others, nothing could halt its advance or cure a stricken tree. The once-common and magnificent American chestnut was gone, with only a few isolated survivors. American chestnut trees destroyed by the blight actually comprised 50 percent of the total value of Eastern hardwood timber stands. The loss was devastating.
For more than fifty years, arborists have been working to develop a blight-resistant chestnut. Unfortunately, their efforts have not been very successful. Hopefully, as their work continues, an immune chestnut tree will come forth, and once again the United States will be populated by the stately American chestnut tree.
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