A TREATISE ON NUT CULTURE. "73 



bad Spring, which killed all my fruit crop. I find Chestnut trees up here to 

 bear regularly every year, and heavy crops, too. France makes an immense 

 consumption of Chestnuts, and though the production within her own territory 

 reaches enormous proportions, she has still to import large quantities of the 

 nuts and meal from other countries. Italy has one million five hundred thou- 

 sand acres planted in Chestnuts, producing five million eight hundred thousand 

 quintals of Chestnuts (a quintal is one hundred pounds. ) In 1880, that country 

 exported to France twelve million pounds of Chestnuts and Marrons, valued at 

 1350,000.00. In 1881, Turkey exported to France seven million two hundred 

 and forty-six thousand quintals of Chestnuts, Marrons and Chestnut meal. In 

 1 88 1 France exported over fifteen million pounds of Marrons, Chestnuts and 

 meal, valued at $560,000.00 ; five million pounds going to England, the balance 

 to Switzerland, Algeria, Germany, Holland and Belgium. Paris alone con- 

 sumes twenty million pounds of Marrons (table or dessert Chestnuts) yearly. In 

 the Department of Dordogne, and where such large quantities of Walnuts are 

 grown, there are two hundred thousand acres planted in Chestnuts, this De- 

 partment exporting $400,000.00 worth of Chestnuts of all sorts. In the Depart- 

 ment of Ardeche, where the soil is of a granitic, volcanic formation, one hun- 

 dred and fifty thousand acres are planted in Chestnuts ; mostly Marrons or 

 Chestnuts for market are raised in that Department, they selling for almost 

 twice as much as common Chestnuts. 



In the Island of Corsica the Chestnut is planted up to an altitude of four 

 thousand feet. There are trees in that island measuring twenty-five feet in cir- 

 cumference and w 7 hich are eighty feet high. And so on in many Departments, 

 especially in Central, Eastern and Southern France. In the Department of 

 Haute-Savoie, where there are immense quantities of Chestnuts, are several 

 establishments manufacturing gallic acid, which is extracted from the wood of 

 the Chestnut, and selling for $5.00 to $6.00 per two hundred and eleven pounds 

 (one hundred kilograms.) 



FUTURE OE THE CHESTNUT IN CALIFORNIA. Thus we see of what 

 immense importance is the growing of the Chestnut in France and Southern 

 Europe, and the question that naturally occurs to our mind is: Why should 

 not we, here in California, where half of the territory may be said to be well 

 adapted to the culture of that tree, raise the Chestnut, at least the Marron 

 Chestnut, on a large scale, and then add another important product to our 

 already large list of products of all kinds? That Chestnut culture is possible 

 if the trees are planted in those parts of our State well adapted to it, is suf- 

 ficiently proved by trees found in the mountains and in full bearing. I have 

 the pleasure of sending a box of Marron Chestnuts for you to sample, roasted 

 and boiled, and I want you to tell if there is not in our great and privileged 

 State quite a future for the production of such nuts. 



NEVADA CITY, CAI,., November 24th, 1896. 



