66 THE XUT CULTURIST. 



crop at once. The object of this early gathering is to 

 collect the false and weevil-infested specimens and de- 

 stroy them. But in whatever way the nuts are collected, 

 they should be stored in the shade and in shallow boxes, 

 or spread out on a tight floor ; but the better way would 

 be on screens over a floor, and then when the grubs 

 worked their way downward through the nuts and screen, 

 they would fall upon the floor, from which they could 

 be taken up and burned or otherwise destroyed. The 

 nuts, while on the screen or other receptacle, should be 

 stirred over daily for two or three weeks, and by that 

 time they will be in good condition for either planting 

 or packing away for the winter. But before finally dis- 

 posing of the nuts in either way, they should be carefully 

 looked over, and every shrunken specimen, as well as all 

 with punctured shells from which the grubs have es- 

 caped, removed from among the sound stock, because 

 these damaged nuts are not only useless, but are very 

 likely to decay and affect all with which they come in 

 contact. It is not to be expected that by such means or 

 handling we can get rid of all the grubs enclosed in the 

 nuts when gathered, for there will always be a few not 

 more than half grown at the time, and these will remain 

 hidden in the nuts until midwinter, or later, but the 

 greater part of the brood will reach maturity within two 

 or three weeks after the nuts are ripe. Of course, what 

 is said here about chestnut weevils is only applicable to 

 chestnuts grown in this country, but all species and vari- 

 eties, when planted here, are subject to the attacks of 

 this pest at least, everywhere in the Eastern and 

 Southern States. 



Having assorted the nuts carefully, the sound ones 

 should be reserved for planting ; these should be mixed 

 with or stratified with moist, sharp sand, and stored in 

 boxes of convenient size for handling and examination, 

 whenever this is required. In preparing the boxes, bore 



