THE CHESTNUT. 85 



been active and continuous in modifying and changing 

 the primary characteristics of these plants during un- 

 known ages. 



To more fully impress upon the reader the impor- 

 tance of care in the selection of materials to be employed 

 in any pursuit with which he is not perfectly familiar, 

 I am prompted to relate the story of my first personal 

 experience in chestnut culture, as it may serve as a warn- 

 ing to others who may attempt to raise these nuts in a 

 cold climate. 



At the time of purchasing the farm which has been 

 my home for the past thirty years, nut trees of various 

 kinds were on my list of things wanted, and the chest- 

 nut occupied a leading position, probably because there 

 were already many old and large native trees on the 

 place. My first planting consisted of a number of im- 

 ported seedlings, obtained from a well-known French 

 nursery. The trees were three or four years old, very 

 stocky and vigorous, and they made a good growth the 

 first season ; but the following winter the young shoots 

 were all frozen down to old wood, with the exception of 

 one tree, and thinking that this might prove hardy, 

 cions were taken from it and set in thrifty sprouts grow- 

 ing in a grove near by. The cions made rapid growth, 

 and from one of these I soon had a large tree, which re- 

 mained in good health for twenty years, but during all 

 that time it produced but one bur, containing two half- 

 developed nuts. Why it was unfruitful I do not pretend 

 to know, but it was certainly not for want of company, for 

 it had large native chestnut trees all about it, and these 

 bearing heavy crops. The seedling trees planted in the 

 orchard also failed to be fruitful, and were finally dug 

 up and burned. Thus ended my first experiment in the 

 cultivation of the European chestnut. Had my location 

 been farther south and in a milder climate, the experi- 

 ment might have ended differently, but I am relating ex- 



