8o A TREATISE ON NUT CULTURE. 



varieties, divided into five-acre blocks, so as to have the benefit of intermixing 

 the pollen of the various kinds and insure full crops. The varieties used of the 

 European sorts are Cooper, Numbo, Paragon, Comfort, Shoemaker, Hannum, 

 Scott, Corson and Ridgeley. Of the Japan sorts, Alpha, Beta, E. Prolific, Re- 

 liance and Parry's Giant, with a few assorted varieties for experiment. 



From the small portion of the tract first grafted, they gathered the past 

 season about forty bushels, principally of the Japans, which sold the first week 

 in New York market at $14.00 per bushel ; the next week at $10.00 per bushel. 

 The following week the European varieties were sent, and sold for $8.00 per 

 bushel. They are careful to keep each variety separate and distinct, with the 

 object of supplying wood for grafting purposes. 



Preparation for Chestnuts are best prepared for market by bathing in 



Market scalding water as soon as gathered and thoroughly 



drying till all surplus moisture is gone, so that 



moulding is avoided. The method is to place say a bushel of nuts in an 

 ordinary washtub and on these pour boiling water in quantity sufficient to just 

 cover the nuts an inch or two; the wormy nuts will float on the surface and are 

 removed; in about ten to fifteen minutes the water will have cooled enough to 

 allow the nuts to be removed by the hand; at this stage of the process the good 

 of scalding has been accomplished, the eggs and larva of all insects have been 

 destroyed, and the condition of the meat of the nut has been so changed that 

 it will not become flinty hard in the curing for winter use. The water is 

 drained off, nuts placed loosely in sacks, frequently turned and shaken up as 

 they lay spread in sun or dry house, and after perfectly dry so as not to mould 

 they may be packed in barrels or boxes and stored for winter, when they will 

 be found very tender, sweet and delicious. 



This process will also greatly hasten their ripening or coloring. They may 

 be gathered by hand, and hulled while yet not colored and by scalding greatly 

 improved in color and rushed into market one or two weeks in advance of 

 their natural time, realizing much better prices. 



Propagation. ^ e g enera l directions given under germination will 

 apply to Chestnuts. They are stratified in sand, placed 



in a cool cellar and kept until Spring. The sand should be occasionally mois- 

 tened to prevent its absorbing the moisture from the nuts. They may also be 

 packed between layers of damp moss and placed in cellar until Spring, then 

 planted in nursery rows, as previously described. 



Budding and BUDDING the Chestnut has not proven generally suc- 



GraftinS" cessful, though it is being done with partial success in 



ChestntltS California and some of the Southern States, the 



methods adopted being the shield and flute budding, 



and the best season of year is in August. The buds are freshly cut and iinme- 



