"Chestnut blight, caused by a fungus brought into this country from Asia before 1904, is responsible for the death of millions of acres of chestnut growth in New England and the Middle Atlantic States. The disease spread rapidly to nearly all parts of the range of the native chestnut, and the remaining stands of the southern Appalachians face certain destruction. The present known distribution, its symptoms, and the fungus that causes the disease are described. The blight fungus itself does not have any effect upon the strength of chestnut timber, and blight-killed trees can be utilized for poles, posts, cordwood, lumber, and extract wood. Search is being made for native and foreign chestnuts resistant to the disease in the hope of finding a tree suitable for replacing the rapidly disappearing stands. Seedlings of Asiatic chestnuts, which have considerable natural resistance even though not immune, are being tested in the United States." -- p. ii

This bulletin discusses methods of soil conservation in the northeastern United States that can prevent erosion. Soil conservation practices vary with the type of agriculture being used. In addition to general farming, conservation for dairying, orcharding, market gardening, and single-crop farming are discussed.