132 SYLVA AMERICANA. 



tree nearly resembles that of Europe in its general appearance, 



its foliage, its fruit and the properties of its wood, it is treated by 



botanists as a distinct species. Its leaves are six or seven inches 



long, one and a half broad, coarsely toothed, of an elongated 



oval form, of a fine, brilliant color and of a firm texture, with 



prominent parallel nerves beneath. The barren flowers are 



whitish, unpleasant to smell, and grouped on axillary peduncles 



four or five inches long. The fertile aments are similarly 



disposed, but less conspicuous. It flowers in June. The fruit is 



spherical, covered with fine prickles, and stored with two dark 



brown seeds or nuts, about as large as the end of the finger, 



convex on one side, flattened on the other, and coated round the 



extremity with whitish brown. They are smaller and sweeter 



than the wild chesnuts of Europe. They are ripe about the 



middle of October. 



The wood is strong, elastic and capable of enduring the 

 succession of dryness and moisture. Its durability renders it 

 especially valuable for posts, which should be made of trees less 

 than ten inches in diameter, and charred before they are set in 

 the earth. It is also used for rails, and is said to last more than 

 fifty years. For shingles this wood is superior to any species of 

 oak, though it has the same defect of warping. It is not exten- 

 sively used for staves, and its pores, like those of the red oak, 

 are so open that it is proper only for dry wares. The chesnut 

 is little esteemed for fuel and is not much used : it is filled with 

 air and snaps when it burns. The coal is excellent. 



