CHESTNUT: ITS MARKET IN MASSACHUSETTS, 



DESCRIPTION. 



The chestnut, Castanea dentata, in this State seldom grows 

 over 90 feet high, with a diameter of 1 to 2 feet. In the open 

 it sometimes reaches a diameter of 4 to 6 feet, but it is then 

 shorter and has a brushy crown. The leaves are oblong-lanceo- 

 late in shape, 6 to 8 inches long, with acute apex, wedge-shaped 

 base and dentate margin. The flowers, which appear about the 

 4th of July, are creamy white, in slender catkins 6 to 8 inches 

 long. The fruit is a bur containing from 1 to 3 nuts. 



The typical form in which chestnut occurs in Massachusetts 

 is an even-aged sprout stand. This results from the common 

 practice of clean cutting. Following such an operation, prac- 

 tically every chestnut stump sends up a number of vigorous 

 sprouts, which soon close together and form a complete cover. 

 The weaker sprouts are soon shaded out, as are any seedlings 

 which may have started, and the resulting stand is of nearly 

 even height as well as age. Chestnut rarely reproduces by seed 

 in the forest, since it is unable to endure shade. 



Chestnut frequently occurs in nearly pure stands, and fre- 

 quently also is mixed with different species of oak. White 

 pine sometimes occurs in mixture, its ability to endure a certain 

 amount of shade and its rapid growth when once started ena- 

 bling it to hold its own with the more rapidly starting chestnut. 



The State Forester of Connecticut has determined that the 

 average growth of sprout chestnut is as follows : 



