THE AMERICAN CHESTNUT FOUNDATION President Vice President Philip A. Rutter Mark Widrlechner Treasurer Secretary William L. MacDonald Mark R. Michaud Science Chair Journal Editor Albert H. Ellingboe Angus W. McDonald, Jr. Board of Directors -1990 Dr. Norman Borlaug…………………………….…….Mexico Dr. Charles R. Burnham ……………………..……….Minnesota Mr. M.B. Dickerman………………………………….Virginia Dr. Albert H. Ellingboe………………………….……Wisconsin Dr. David French……………………………….……..Minnesota Dr. Dennis Fulbright…………………………….…….Michigan Dr. Cameron Gundersen…………………..…….…….Wisconsin Dr. Richard A. Jaynes…………………….……..…….Connecticut Mr. Robert J. Koenke……………………….…..……..Minnesota Ms. E. Gay Leonard, Esq…………………..…….……Virginia Mr. Maurice Levite……………………………………Virginia Dr. William L. MacDonald……………………………West Virginia Dr. Angus W. McDonald, Jr……………..……………Minnesota Mr. Mark R. Michaud…………………………………Minnesota Mr. James Olson…………………………..…………..Michigan Dr. Paul E. Reed …………………………..………….Nebraska Mr. Philip A. Runer…………………………………...Minnesota Dr. Thomas Tenbrunsel…………………..…………...Alabama Ms. Cheri Wagner……………………….….…………New York Ms. Jennifer Wagner…………………….…….………Washington, D.C. Mr. Richard K. Waybright…………………….………West Virginia Dr. Wayne H. Weidlich……………………….………Michigan Dr. Mark Widlechner……………………….…………Iowa Mr. Donald C. Willeke, Esq…………….……….……Minnesota Mr. James Wilson………………………….…….……Virginia Honorary Director Dr. Peter H. Raven………………………………..…..Missouri ACF Receives Major Grants The Foundation is continuing to important to us, and among other things, broaden its base of support. Not only is our made President general membership steadily increasing, but Rutter's search for germplasm in China we are now increasingly able to attract possible by freeing him (temporarily) from major gifts from private foundations and fundraising chores. persons. Most recently, the hiring of our new For the last three years, the Merrill Executive Director was made possible by a G. and Emita E. Hastings Foundation has special gift from Mr. Wallace Dayton of supported us to the maximum their $20,000. Mr. Dayton is a dedicated and guidelines will allow, in spite of the fact that honored conservationist. He has served in their usual policy is not to fund any many ways, among them as a Trustee of the particular organization for more than two National Audubon Society, Chairman of the years in a row. Board of Governors of the national Nature Mr. Brad Stanback, benefactor of Conservancy, and as Chairman of the many environmental causes in the Minnesota Nature Conservancy. A few of Appalachians, and a major supporter of the his many awards are the 1985 Nature Longbranch Environmental Education Conservancy Land Guardian Award, and the Center in North Carolina, last year 1986 Garden Club of America Cynthia responded to our request for special help Laughlin Medal. with a gift of $40,000 for our general We are very proud of the trust operations fund. This gift was tremendously placed in the American Chestnut foundation by these eminent conservationists. Volume V. Number 1 • Fall/Winter 1990-91 1 Contents Foundation Directors…………………………………………..Inside front cover Major Grants to ACF……………………………………………………..………..1 Letters to the Editor………………………………………………………..………4 Editor’s Notes……………………………………………………….……………..5 In Memoriam………………………………………………………………………6 • NOTES • Announcing the 1990 Annual Meeting of the Foundation…………………..……7 Attendees at the 1989 ACF Annual Meeting…………………………….………..7 President's Message P.A. Rutter…………………………………………………….…………..8 Meadowview Notes F. Hebard……………………………………………………..…………..11 Sources of American Chestnut Seed F. Hebard……………………………………………………..…………..11 Chestnut Tree Planted at Walden M. P. Sherwood…………………………………………………..………13 • MEMORIES & OBSERVATIONS • Chestnuts K. Reinheimer……………………………………………………………14 Chestnut Breeding In New England L. Inman………………………………………………………………….16 A Case of Hypovirulence in the Wild F. L. Paillet……………………………………………………………….18 2 Journal of the American Chestnut Foundation A Simplified Key to Chestnut Species, Primarily for Identification of the American Chestnut in its Native Range P. N. Gordon………………………………………………….………….22 The Other American Chestnut and Two West Coast Cousins F. L. Paillet……………………………………………………………….24 • Science • Projects to Control Chestnut Blight in Connecticut K. S. Century…………………………………………………………….28 An Historical Reference for Chestnut Introductions into North America S. L. Anagnostakis……………………………………………….………31 Noteworthy Chestnut Trees in Connecticut S. L. Anagnostakis………………………………………………….……43 Index to Vols. 1 – III………………………………………………………………45 About the Journal of the American Chestnut Foundation………………….….…47 ACF State Coordinators………………………………………..Inside back cover Cover illustration by Frederick L. Paillet Volume V, Number 1 • Fall winter 1990-91 3 Letters to the Editor Sir- We have read with interest the on the covers of the last issue and this. Fall/ Winter, 1989-90 issue, Vol. IV, Acknowledgement was inadvertently No. 1 of the Journal of the American omitted during the production process. Chestnut Foundation, but note the need We apologize to our readers and to Dr. for better proofreading in its production. Paillet, and look forward to publishing There are a number of typographical more of his helpful work in future issues. errors that detract from the message that Ed. the articles are intended to transmit. Furthermore, the article on page Sir- 23 seems to have no author, and it does You have sent me my first copy not appear in the Table of Contents. of your journal, and my curiosity is The illustration on page 24 has aroused, Since all of us who subscribe the word canker misspelled and the root have an interest in growing good connection between the multiple- chestnuts in America, it seems a foolish stemmed growth form at the left should waste of your excellent paper to recite be shown to illustrate the origin of the again the fall of the American Chestnut. larger tree. The sketch should be drawn Surely there are more substantial in such a way that the dead portion of subjects to be discussed than the glory the crown can be distinguished by the of the split-rail fence. reader at a glance. You list some producers of It seems to me that pages 10 Chinese Chestnuts. Would it be feasible through 13 ("Service of Dedication" - to discuss with some objectivity the Ed.) are out of place in this journal. flavors and size of the nuts from the Sincerely, various cultivars? Even the Chinese Donald B. Lawrence Chestnut is not perfectly immune to the Minneapolis, MN blight; is there someone who could discuss the early signs of infestation Frederick L. Paillet of the with E. Parasitica? Department of the Interior, Denver, Thank you for your interest. made the drawings and accompanying texts in the last issue. Wallace C. Bedell Dr. Pallet also drew the illustration Free Union, V A 4 Journal of the American Chestnut Foundation Editor’s Notes Chestnut growers and supporters been, and we will exert every effort to be have accurate and discerning eyes. Many increasingly regular in the future. members have written or called to observe Although back issues of The that The Journal of the American Chestnut Journal are rare, we include in this issue Foundation has appeared irregularly since an index of Volumes I through Ill. If there it began publication. The Journal depends is sufficient interest from libraries, upon a constant stream of Notes, Mem- photocopies or microfilm of back issues ories & Observations, and Scientific ar- might become available. Those who own ticles for its existence - and frequency. On early issues of The Journal are permitted - the editorial side, we are still experi- even urged to make reasonable numbers of menting with procedures and format. Our photocopies for colleagues in pursuit of goal is two issues per calendar year to the goal: "Toward the Restoration of an keep our membership up to date on sci- American Classic." entific and organizational progress. This issue is "less late" than earlier issues have Angus W. McDonald, Jr. Volume V, Number 1 • Fall/Winter 1990-91 5 In Memoriam David Brewster • Edwin B. Newman • Anna Belle Wagner NOTES Annual Meeting October 20-22,1990 The Annual Meeting of the American Chestnut Foundation will be held on the 20th to the 22nd of October, 1990 at the Holiday Inn in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Registration will begin at noon on Saturday the 20th. There will be field trips during the afternoon of the 20th and the morning of the 21st. Scientific presentations will be made during the afternoon of the 21st. TI1C annual business meeting of the Foundation will take place on the 22nd. Pre-registration is required. For a schedule of events and registration forms, please write Dr. Mark P. Widrlechner, North Central Plant Introduction Station, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011. Schedules and registration forms should be ready for mailing to interested parties on or around 15 September. Registration deadline is 15 October. LIST OF ATTENDEES AT THE 1989 ACF ANNUAL MEETING Paul Barnett, Knoxville, Tennessee Bill MacDonald, Morgantown, West Gray Bethea and Family, Georgia Virginia Patrick Brown, Oak Ridge, Tennessee Bernard Monahan, California Bud and Elaine Coulter, Eastport, Steve and Linda Nash, Richmond, Michigan Virginia Paul DeHart, Franklin, Ohio Mack Pritchard, Nashville, Tennessee Mr. and Mrs. Robert De Long, Walden, Chester and Mike Ptaszek, Columbus, New York Ohio Al Ellingboe, University of Wisconsin, Janet Rock, Gatlinburg, Tennessee John Madison, Wisconsin Schafer, Logansport, Indiana David French, University of Minnesota,