60 
Although the number of nuts is in most cases too small to justify 
much faith in the dependability of the results, it would appear 
that the viability of the Smith and Winthrop hybrids is much 
superior to that of the Folk and Hammond nuts. As was stated 
last year, the only nuts secured from the Winthrop tree were 
those which resulted from our cross pollinations. Otherwise the 
tree was absolutely 
— 
yvarren. The same thing happened the year 
before, and is certainly good evidence that the nuts secured were 
actually hybrids. 
In the above table we have also, under the heading “ checks ” 
assembled the performances of ordinary nuts (not hybrids) whic 
were collected from the Japanese parents and from other sources. 
Those labelled “ Italian chestnuts’ were bought under this name 
ina Brooklyn market on October 16, 1931, and were the large 
nuts one sees in the markets at this time of year. They had been 
imported from = [urope—probably southern =Europe—perhaps 
either from Italy or the Balkan peninsula, and are apparently 
— 
aE) 
variety of Castanea sativa. Their germination and growth have 
been very satisfactory, one having double embryos, several at- 
taining a growth of nearly two feet, and one a height of 28 
inches, with a stem '% inch thick at the base. Besides these, 
several nuts of the American chestnut were sent us by Mr. 
Stuart Thomson of Jersey City, collected by him from possibly 
resistant trees in various parts of the United States. 
The height growth of the seedlings might be expected to prognos- 
ticate in some measure what will be the size of the mature tree. 
Toumey gives the average height of a one-year-old American 
chestnut to be 10-16 inches.t| Most of the seedlings are within 
these limits. A notable ele is the case of the Hammond 
hybrids, averaging 19.25 inches in height for the year. One of 
these is most remarkable, having made a growth of nearly three 
feet during the year. What happened was an unfolding of two 
terminal or winter buds during the season, so that in addition to 
the growth from the embryo, two extra seasons of growth were 
added. This seedling seems to possess the proverbial virility of 
hybrids. 
'The figures actually given (1. ¢., p. 302) are 10-6 inches, but the “6” 
is evidently a misprint for “16” since in all other cases in the table the 
figures ascenc 
