30 THE FRUIT GROWER'S GUIDE. 



Seed. Select the ripest acd best formed. They may be sown as soon as ripe, but 

 mice and rats often cause their destruction, and the seedlings are so injured by frost that 

 the nuts are, perhaps, best stratified in sand, and sown in February or March, in drills 

 1 foot apart, and 3 inches deep, placing them about 4 inches asunder in the rows. Keep 

 the ground clear from weeds, transplant the seedlings the following November, if they have 

 made good progress ; if not, defer it another year, and, after cutting off about one- third of 

 the tap-root, plant in rows 3 feet apart, and the plants 2 feet asunder. Eemember the 

 object is fruit, not forest trees ; therefore, transplant the trees every other year if growth is 

 moderate, every year if it is strong, and allow sufficient room for them to develop pro- 

 perly. Prune off the side shoots to secure a clean straight stem for each tree, staking 

 if necessary. Originate the heads at about 6 feet in height, and after the fashion of a 

 standard apple tree. After the heads have been formed two or three years the trees may 

 be planted in their fruiting quarters, or they may remain in the nursery several years, 

 provided they are lifted annually or biennially so as to move with safety when required. 



Grafting. This is a certain method for perpetuating good varieties, and the trees 

 produce fruit earlier than do seedlings. The scions should be taken from trees which 

 have fruited satisfactorily. Seedling trees which produce empty burr may be worked 

 to advantage, operating by the usual methods. 



Budding may be performed when the buds are sufficiently plump, which is generally 

 the case in July. These make the best trees, and it is important to procure growths 

 with buds in a proper condition, off good large-fruiting varieties. 



Situation and Soil. Chestnut trees look well planted singly or in groups in parks and 

 pleasure grounds ; they grow, and form good specimens, in almost any position, but a 

 warm site, with a southern exposure, and shelter at a distance from the north-west, north, 

 and east, is necessary to ripen the fruit properly. A deep sandy or friable loam resting 

 on a dry subsoil is best. The finest nuts we have seen were produced by trees growing 

 in about 3 feet depth of loam overlying gravel. The chestnut does not fruit satisfactorily 

 in stiff soils unless the subsoil is dry, or thrive where the subsoil is wet, nor succeed 

 on shallow calcareous soil. 



Planting. By securing well-formed trees from a first-class nursery, carefully lifted 

 and planted, several years' waiting is saved, for such trees commence bearing as soon as 

 they are well established worked trees in two or three years, provided they have good 

 heads to begin with, whilst seedling trees may require a dozen or more years to over- 

 come their youthful vigour and set about the production of fruit in earnest. Early 



