83 



states. It may prove hardier than the Persian (English) walnut and 

 take its place as a commercial sort for this state. The nut is said to 

 be very large with a shell somewhat midway in thickness between the 

 English and black walnut. The kernel is reported to have a fine 

 flavor. We are attempting its culture in the state. The writer has a 

 number of seedlings growing from seed imported from China. 



The American Szveet Chestnut 



The chestnut is native to the state, being found in Olmstead, in 

 Pulaski County as reported by Trelease (]). It is reported from 

 other counties, mostly in central Illinois, though it is probable that 

 there are no other native stand's of this species. It succeeds best on 

 a well drained soil on sunny ridges, even in rather dry and rocky 

 situations. It will not grow in wet soil or in soil underlain with hard 

 pan. Limestone soils are not desiraTole. Chestnut trees, blue grass 

 and sheep make an excellent agricultural combination, on rough hilly 

 land too steep for ordinary cropping practices. 



The tree grows rapidly to a large size and comes into productive 

 bearing earl3\ In the fall of 1921- ^Ir. Riehl showed me a young- 

 chestnut tree of the Fuller variety, five years from the graft, which 

 was then producing thirty-one burrs, three nuts to the burr. Chestnut 

 trees in southern Illinois at the Endicott homestead near Villa Ridge 

 were coming into profitable bearing at six years of age. Mr. R. B. 

 Endicott told me in 1917 that his tliree largest trees of the -Boone, 



(1) Trelease, Wm., Trans. 111. Acad. Sci.. 10:1 917. 143-145 

 Blair, and Rielil varieties had made an average for the last four years 

 of better tlian one hundred pounds of nuts per tree. They were then 

 eighteen years old. In the fall of 1924 Mr. Endicott told me that he 

 was harvesting about 160 pounds from each of these trees. At the 

 wholesale price of thirty-five cents per pound, on the Chicago market, 

 his gross profits were over fifty-five dollars ($55.00) per tree an- 

 nually. The chestnut blossoms late in spring and is seldom caught by 

 a late frost. Mr. Endicott's trees have failed to bear a. crop but one 

 year since planted. 



The varieties mentioned are hybrids between the Japanese and 

 native species. The Fuller variety, another hybrid, originated and 

 first propagated by Mr. Riehl, is superior to these in the quality of its 

 nut. It is a few days later in rijjening, however. 



