THE CHESNUT. 91 



The chesnut tree is very ornamental when grow- 

 ing ; and it makes excellent timber. In extreme ag'e, 

 too, its timber is not so valuable as when of a mode- 

 rate size. One advantage of chesnut is, that there 

 is very little sap-wood; and thus, in the growing 

 state, it contains much more timber of a durable 

 quality than an oak of the same dimensions. 



In the Transactions of the Society of Arts for 1 789, 

 there is an account of the comparative durability of 

 oak and chesnut, when used for posts. Posts of ches- 

 nut, and others of oak, had been put down at Wel- 

 lington, in Somersetshire, previous to 1745. About 

 1763, when they had to undergo repair, the oak posts 

 were found to be unserviceable, but the chesnut were 

 very little worn. Accordingly, the oak ones were re- 

 placed by new, and the chesnut allowed to remain. 

 In twenty-five years, (1788) the chesnut posts which 

 had stood about twice as long as the oak, were found 

 in much better condition than those. In 1772, a 

 fence was made, partly of oak posts and rails, and 

 partly of chesnut. The trees made use of were of 

 the same age, and they were what may be termed 

 young trees. In nineteen years, the oak posts had 

 so decayed at the surface as to need to be strength- 

 ened by spurs, while the chesnut ones required 

 no such support. A gate-post of chesnut, on which 

 the gate had swung fifly-two years, was found quite 

 sound when taken up ; and a bani, constructed 

 of chesnut in 1743, was found sound in every part 

 in 1792. It should seem, therefore, tiiat young ches- 

 nut is superior to young oak, for all manner of wood 

 work that has to be partly in the ground. We have 

 not heard of any case in which it has been tried 

 against larch. 



Chesnut trees of full growth were more abundant 

 in England than they are now ; the timber was used 



