THE CHESTNUT. 83 



nuts, then about forty feet will answer very well for the 

 larger- growing species ; and I will add that, in my opin- 

 ion, all the larger kinds of nut trees will give better 

 returns if placed in such positions, than when set in 

 orchards or in compact masses. When set in single 

 rows or widely scattered, they are less liable to be at- 

 tacked by insects and diseases, while they will still serve 

 the double purpose of being both ornamental and useful. 

 I must admit, however, that in my experimental grounds, 

 the trees are planted only twenty feet apart, but with 

 the expectation of soon cutting out every alternate- 

 specimen. 



Soil and Climate. The chestnut thrives best in 

 light, well-drained soils, and those containing a large 

 proportion of sand or decomposed quartz, slate, or vol- 

 canic scoria ; but it is rarely found, nor does>it succeed, 

 in heavy clays, limestone soils, or on the rich western 

 prairies, where we might think it would grow most lux- 

 uriantly. That limestone soils are inimical to the chest- 

 nut has often been disputed, but my own observations, 

 which have been somewhat extensive in years and range 

 of country, rather confirm the impression that this tree 

 avoids land containing any considerable percentage of 

 lime. It is true that chestnut groves, and sometimes 

 extensive forests, are found on hills and ridges overlying 

 limestone, but a careful examination of the soil among 

 the trees will show that it is a drift deposit containing 

 little or no lime. Such groves can be found in all the 

 southern tier of counties of New York, also among the 

 hills of northern and western parts of New Jersey, and 

 thence west and south along the Blue Ridge and Alle- 

 ghany mountains to the Carolinas, and westward in 

 Tennessee and Kentucky. The chestnut is sometimes 

 found in New Jersey and other northern Atlantic States 

 growing in considerable abundance near streams only 

 a few feet above sea level, but when found in such 



