72 TREES OF NEW ENGLAND. 



in pairs, at the end of a short peduncle; involucre 4-lobed, 

 fringed with prickly scales; calyx with six awl-shaped Lobes; 

 ovary 3-ceUed ; styles .'!. 



Fruit. A prickly bur, thick, 4-valved, splitting nearly to 

 the base when ripe: nut sharply triangular, sweet, edible. 



Horticultural Value. Hardy throughout New England ; 

 grows well in any good soil, but prefers deep, rich, well- 

 drained loam ; usually obtainable in nurseries ; when fre- 

 quently transplanted, safely moved. Its clean trunk and 

 limbs, deep shade, and freedom from insect pests make it 

 one of the most attractive of our large trees for use, sum- 

 mer or winter, in landscape gardening ; few plants, however, 

 will grow beneath it ; the bark is easily disfigured ; it has a 

 bad habit of throwing out suckers and is liable to be killed 

 by any injury to the roots. Propagated from the seed. The 

 purple beech, weeping beech, and fern-leaf beech are well- 

 known horticultural forms. 



Castanea sativa, var. Americana, Watson and Coulter. 



Castanea dentata, Borkh. Castanea vesca, var. Americana, Michx. 



Chestnut. 



Habitat and Range. In strong, well-drained soil ; pastures, 

 rocky woods, and hillsides. 



Ontario, common. 



Maine, southern sections, probably not indigenous north 

 of latitude 44 20' ; New Hampshire, Connecticut valley 

 near the river, as far north as Windsor, Vt. ; most abundant 

 in the Merrimac valley south of Concord, but occasional a 



