180 



THE CHESTNUT. 



grow luxuriantly on Mount Somma, on the heights of the 

 Camaldoli near Naples, on the Pyrenees near medicinal 

 springs, and in general in the neighbourhood of subter- 

 raneous fires, not to mention the numerous and gigantic 

 trees that have for ages darkened the sides of Etna." 



The Chestnut is usually propagated by sowing the nuts ; 

 but the choice varieties are continued by grafting. Eng- 

 lish nuts germinate freely, but if foreign ones be sown, 

 care should be taken to ascertain that they have not been 



FRUIT OF CHESTNUT. 



kiln-dried, as in that case the germinating principle is 

 destroyed. 



The Chestnut blossoms in July, and soon the upper 

 part of the spike bearing the barren flowers withers and 

 drops off, leaving the lower part of the spike still sup- 

 porting the fertile flowers with the embryo of the future 

 nuts attached. Towards the end of September the latter 

 begin to ripen, and in October fall to the ground, where 

 they open with valves and expose the ripe nuts. Each 

 case contains from two to five nuts, two or more of which 



