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50
percent of the overall value of those
timberlands. Simultaneously with the
first recording of one of our favorite
Christmas carols, the American
chestnut was fading into oblivion.
One strong characteristic of the
American chestnut has saved it from
total extinction: even after the trees
die, the stumps and root systems often
live on. One of the ways in which
the American chestnut reproduces is
through new sprouts that spring up out
of existing roots. Trees that
have been blighted will often
grow new sprouts below the
diseased portion of the tree.
The trouble is that the sprouts
and saplings that result usually
succumb to the blight before
they are able to bear fruit.
The enduring effect of the
blight on the lumber industry
was cushioned to some degree
by the natural durability of
the wood. For decades after
the blight had decimated
the species, dead American
chestnut trees stood fast in
place. Although the loss of the
nut crop was felt immediately,
the lumber continued to be
harvested for another ten
years. Many of the standing
dead trees had become
infested with small insects
that bored tiny holes in the wood.
This lumber became known as “wormy
chestnut”, and was in fashionable use in
picture frames and other small wooden
pieces.
Long before its eventual downfall,
scientists and politicians recognized the
need to take steps to try and preserve
the American chestnut; obviously, their
efforts yielded little in the way of timely
results. Tree surgery, chemical spraying,
and fungicide injections all proved
ineffective. The lack of progress, aided
by hard economic times and two world
wars, resulted in the cutting of funds
for research.
Thanks to the survivability of the
root systems, the species survived,
albeit barely, and living genetic material
remains available to plant pathologists
and breeders. After decades of
experimentation with crossbreeding,
The American Chestnut Foundation
is confident that the species can be
brought back. New developments in
genetics have shed light on the reasons
for past failures, with promising results.
Researchers
are
successfully
crossbreeding the American chestnut
with blight resistant Asian trees,
culling blight resistant offspring, and
crossbreeding them with the objective
of increasing genetic purity, while
retaining blight resistance. Ultimately,
the goal is producing a blight-resistant
strain that contains at least fifteen-
sixteenths of pure American chestnut
DNA. Test plantings in Virginia and
elsewhere have fueled optimism that
the species will be successfully restored.
In fall of 2007,The American Chestnut
Foundation harvested a generation of
seeds that may be the answer.
The resultant trees are in a phase
of rigorous testing in both orchard
and forest environments. It may take
another 5 to 10 years to have concrete
results, to be sure that these
trees are truly blight resistant.
The curious reader may
now be asking, “So where do
chestnuts come from now? I’ve
seen them in the stores.”
Different
varieties
of
chestnut trees continue to thrive
in many parts of the world.The
aforementioned Asian chestnut
and the European chestnut
are the primary sources of the
chestnuts that we find in stores
today. Most come from Japan,
China, Spain, and Italy. The
chestnut has been a food staple
in Mediterranean areas for
centuries. The nuts are ground
into flour in places where grain
cannot be grown.
Although we Americans
find the foreign varieties tasty enough,
supposedly, the American chestnut
produces a larger, sweeter nut. Add the
value of the timber into the mix, and
it is easy to imagine that restoration
of the species to our forests and farms
would reap untold rewards. Some day,
in the not-too-distant future,“chestnuts
roasting on an open fire” may be a lot
more to us than just words in a song.
Chestnuts Continued
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The Barn Cat Buddies
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SAVE A LIFE AND GO GREEN
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ger
Of Being Killed In Our Shelters
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ALL BUDDIES ARE STERILIZED & RABIES VACCINATED
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ation Greatly Appreciated
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We Have NO Barn Homes Available Now-In Desperate Need*
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Angels of Assisi
344-8707
ext. 3
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xt. 3
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The Barn Cat Buddie
Needs Barns, Greenhouses,
Marinas, and Wineries To Employ
Feral and/or Friendly C ts As
Rodent Control Technicians
SAVE A LIFE AND GO GREEN
Please
ger
Of Being Killed In Our Shelters
Visit
catbuddies.org
ALL BUDDIES ARE STERILIZED & RABIES VACCI ATED
e
preci
*
We Have NO Barn Homes Available Now-In Desperate Need*
Will Mouse In Exchange
For Free Room and Board
W.BAR
Ang
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The Barn Cat Buddies
Needs Barns, Greenhouses,
Marinas, and Wineries To Employ
Feral an
s As
Rodent Control Technicians
SAVE A LIFE AND GO GREEN
Please
ats In Danger
Of Being Killed In Our Shelters
Visit
ci
*
We Have NO Barn Homes Available Now-In Desperate Need*
Will Mouse In Exchange
For Free Room and Board
Discover Smith Mountain Lake |
Discover Smith Mountain Lake | Winter 2012
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