126 



CHESTNUT. 

 CasUnea dentata, (Marshall) Borkhausen. 



FORM — A large tree UEually attaining a height of GO-80 ft. with a diameter of 3-4 It., but 

 may ri-ach a height of over 100 ft. witn a diameter of 10 feet. A tree with a diameter of 17 

 ft. bas been recorded frorii Francis Cove, western North Carolina. Open grown trees have 

 .''hort trunks with dtxp. widespreading crovt-ns. Trees in close stands tall, with little stem 

 taper and few laterr.l branches. 



3AJLK — On old trunks fibrous, deeply fissured; fissures separate somewhat oblique ridges 

 which are covered w:i'i dark brown scales. On young trunks and older branches much smoother. 

 See Fig, 82. 



TWIGS— Stout, smootii. greenish to brown, round or angular, swollen at the nodes; covered 

 v.-jth numerous small, white, raised lenticels. Pith star-shaped. 



BUDS— Alternate, axillary; terminal bud absent; ovoid, i of an Inch long, sharp to blunt-pointed; 

 covered by 2-3 dark chestnut-brown scales. 



LEAVES— Alternate, simple, oblong-lanceolate, sharp-pointed at apex, toothed on margin, 

 smooth on both lowt r and upper sides. 



LEAF-SCARS — Semicval in outline; raised from twig; with numerous, rather Inconspicuous, 

 scutteied, occasionally clustered bundle-scars. 



FLOWERS — Appear in June or July. Staminnte in crowded clusters along ament; pistillate 

 appear at base of upper aments as globular involucres. 



FRUIT — Matures in September or October. A bur covered with numerous, prickly spines 

 and containing 1-5, usually 2-3 nuts. 



■WOOD — ^Distinctly rin^-porous; with indistinct medullary rays; quite strong in young trees, 



rather weak in olde:* ones; yellowish-brown, very durable, splits easily, rich in tannic acid. 



Weighs 28.07 lbs. per cubic foot. Used for railroad ties, telegraph poles, fence posts, rails, 



cheap furniture, and tannic acid. 



DISTINGUISHING CKARACTEEIBTICS— The Chestnut can readily be distinguished from aU 

 other trees except the Chinquapin by its characteristic fruit. See "Distinguishing Characteristics," 

 under Chinquapin, page 127. For Genus Description and Key to Species, see page 125. 



RANGE — Maine to Michigan, south to Delaware and along the mountains to Alabama, Mis- 

 sissippi, and Arkansa**. 



DISTRIBUTION IN PENNSYLVANIA — Very common in the eastern, southern and central 

 parts and locally in other parts. It is the most common tree of Pennsylvania. 



HABITAT — Grows almost on any kind of soil, from bottom lands to mountain tops, but 

 does not love limestone or extremely wet soil. In the North it is common on glacial drift 

 but in the South it remains close to mountains and reaches its best development in western 

 North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. 



IMPORTANCE OF THE SPECIES — This species, which reproduces itself best by sprout, but 

 also by seed and stedling, is one of the most important commercial species in this State. 

 It bar. shown itself to be the surest of all our trees to reproduce a stand fully from sprout. 

 It grows fast and is ustt' for many purposes in small as well as large sizes, and thus can be 

 managed in short rotation, which insures a certain profit on the investment. A Chestnut 

 forest managed for tl'e purpose of producing telegraph poles should be .run on rotations of 

 about 55 years. On pjor soil it may be necessary to increase the length of the rotation. Good 

 tendance reduces tlic length of the rotation while the absence of it will not only increase 

 the length but also result in an inferior grade of wood. The great variety of uses to which 

 the wcod of this species is put will drain the existing forest to an enormous extent. There 

 is urgent need to reproduce, develop, and improve our existing stands and also to guard 

 against such destructive organic enemies ns the Chestnut Bark 'disease (Endothia gyrosa var. 

 parasitica) commonly known as the Chestnut Blight. 



