50 



nut worms. It would probably be wise to gather the fruit as SOOD 

 as possible after it is ripe and keep it in a damp, cool place, whence 

 all worms and diseased fruit could be removed and promptly de- 

 stroyed. 



It is unfortunate that as described above, land otherwise worthless, 

 can be made to produce a valuable crop of chestnuts after we have 

 realized one pro-fit on the timber. It would, however, be very unfor- 

 tunate if it were supposed that such land only should be used for 

 chestnut culture. The fact is that it might be made even more profit- 

 able to raise chestnut trees from the seed and graft tlhem with the 

 variety we desire to raise, and allow these trees to stand where they 

 had room to spread and where they could be under our immediate) 

 care. The yield of some such mature trees is fabulous. I have in mind 

 one tree, about seventy years old, still in its prime, with many years 

 apparently ahead of it, which in one season bore thirty-six dollars' 

 worth of fruit, besides what was used by the family of the owner. 



The relative hardiness of the Paragon stock as compared with the 

 native wild chestnut may yet be probably regarded as no-t wholly 

 settled. It seems necessary to repeat most positively the well known 

 truth that no one should plant Paragon or other large variety under 

 the impression that the resultant trees will produce fruit of a like 

 size. If such happens it will be unusual. Grafting is the only 

 method of certainly securing the special quality of fruit desired. 

 Though it is to be remembered that even failure to raise trees which 

 will produce fruit like that from which the trees came may occa- 

 sionally, rarely indeed, produce an even better fruit. Hence trees 

 grown (ungrafted) from the nut should be carefully studied. They 

 may become the parents of valuable varieties. On the whole, it might 

 be considered a promising venture for one to plant our native chest- 

 nuts where you desire them to stand, on cleared but waste land, and 

 subsequently graft them with such a variety as the Ridgely or the 

 Paragon. The Scott chestnut is said to have great merit. Among 

 its good points it is claimed to be early bearing and to have a re- 

 markable freedom from insect attacks. 



There is one point especially worthy of mention; i. e., that occa- 

 sionally a variety with new and sterling qualities springs from our 

 common wild chestnut. There are some such instances which are 

 well known, for example, where the fruit was of exceptionally large 

 size and matured very early. Such a combination of qualities would 

 be sure to find a sale, especially if added to them were the character- 

 istic of hardiness. 



Ho-w to keep chestnuts safely over winter for spring planting is 

 by no means so easy as some would have us believe. It requires 

 judgment, and I had almost said skill, even when it is remembered 

 that when the essential conditions of success are to keep the nuts 



