A TREATISE ON NUT CULTURE. 9 



until within the last ten years that any considerable orchards have been set. 

 These are principally in the Gulf States, where the Pecan succeeds much better 

 than farther North. 



The only sure way to propagate the varieties without degeneration is by 

 budding or grafting, and this is being done by a very few advanced growers. 

 Named varieties are being introduced, which have nuts twice as large as the 

 common seedlings. Some of them have shells so thin as to be crushed in the 

 bare hand, and with plump, sweet kernels. 



The Chestnut ^ e ^ estnut * s also highly esteemed at home and in 

 the market. While the bulk of the quantity con- 

 sumed by our people is supposed to be gathered from our forests, thousands of 

 bushels are imported each year from France, Italy and Spain. There are four 

 species of the Chestnut family growing within our borders. The one whose 

 varieties are at present most largely used in orchard planting and in grafting 

 into sprouts in old clearings is the European species. A few chance seedlings 

 of this species in the Eastern States have for many years proven hardy in tree 

 and abundant bearers of nuts of large size and good quality. Many seedlings 

 from these trees have been grown and planted in orchards, but owing to their 

 variability, grafting is resorted to by those who best understand the business. 

 Some varieties of the Japanese species produce the largest of all Chestnuts, but 

 they are usually of inferior flavor. I have within the past year seen some that 

 were over six inches in circumference. 



The wild native Chestnut is of sweeter and better flavor than all others, but 

 the trees are not such early or abundant bearers, nor are the nuts as large. The 

 most of .those are of foreign parentage. However, the largest wild varieties are 

 being sought out and grafted. Seedlings are also being grown, with the hope 

 of getting kinds that will combine large size with other good qualities. 



The Chinquapin, which is the smallest of the Chestnut family in all respects, 

 is often found in the Eastern -markets early in the Fall, as it is the first to ripen. 



The Almond ^ e Almon( l has been planted all over America for 

 many years, and with high hopes of success; but it is 



now thoroughly proven that the edible varieties will not succeed east of the 

 Continental divide, except near the Rio Grande. In the North they are tender, 

 and in the South the bloom is killed by Spring frost, because it conies out too 

 early. The hardy, hard-shelled varieties are worthless, because the kernels are 

 not fit to eat. 



In California there are many very large orchards of the Almond which pro- 

 duce large and profitable crops almost every year. Yet the statistics of that 

 State show the product to be only about one-seventh of the amount consumed 

 by our people. There is therefore abundant room for increased home produc- 

 tion. 



