Tree Study 



759 



Leaves and flowers of chestnut and chestnut oak showing the differences. 



Photo by G. P. Morgan. 



the central thread of the catkin. No wonder it looks like chenille! 

 There are often as many as thirty of these catkin rays in the star 

 rosette; the lower ones come from the axils of the leaves; but 

 toward the tips of the twig, the leaves are ignored and the catkins have 

 possession. In one catkin I estimated that there were approximately 2,500 

 stamens developed, each anther packed with pollen. When we think that 

 there may be thirty of the catkins in a blossom-star, we get a glimmering of 

 the amount of pollen produced. 



And what is all this pollen for? Can it be simply to fertilize the three or 

 four inconspicuous flowers at the tip of the twig beyond and at the center of 

 the star? These pistillate flowers are little bunches of green scales with 

 some short, white threads projecting from their centers; and beyond them a 

 skimpy continuation of the stem with more little green bunches scattered 

 along it, which are undeveloped pistillate blossoms. The one or two flow- 

 ers at the base of the stem get all the nourishment and the others do not 

 develop. If we examine one of these nests of green scales, we find that 

 there are six threads belonging to one tiny, green flower with a six-lobed 

 calyx ; the six threads are the stigmas, each one reaching out and asking for 

 no more than one grain of the rich shower of pollen. 



Chestnut wood is light, rather soft, stiff, coarse and not strong. It is 

 used in cabinet work, cooperage, for telegraph poles and railway ties. 

 When burned as fuel, it snaps and crackles almost equal to hemlock. 



LESSON CXCIV 

 THE CHESTNUT 



Leading thought The chestnut is one of our most beautiful trees. We 

 should learn to appreciate it by observing the beauty of its blossoms and of 

 its foliage when green and when brilliant yellow in autumn. Until the 

 chestnut fruit is ripe, it is well protected by its spiny bur. 



