THE CHESTNUT 69 



In any event it seems now at least as desirable 

 as ever before to urge the value of this tree both 

 for ornamental purposes and as a producer of 

 commercial nuts, and the rules for the develop- 

 ment of chestnut orchards that have been given 

 by the Department of Agriculture may be 

 reviewed to advantage. 



Even if people living in the infected district 

 are slow to take up the cultivation of the chest- 

 nut, the orchardists of other regions may advan- 

 tageously do so. For it is not supposable that 

 the coming of a fungoid pest will be permitted 

 to exterminate one of our most valuable native 

 trees. 



In developing a commercial chestnut orchard 

 it is obviously desirable to graft with the 

 improved varieties. Quite aside from the mat- 

 ter of producing trees that are immune to the 

 fungous pest, the orchard may be made far more 

 productive if grafted with improved varieties 

 than if the native species were used. 



Some of these seedlings, for example, produce 

 nuts two inches in diameter, each weighing an 

 ounce or more; and these are borne in clusters of 

 from six to nine nuts to the bur. It is notable, 

 however, that the excessively large nuts are 

 usually lacking in flavor; although the reason- 

 ably large ones are of the best quality. 



