CHERRY TREE WEEVIL. 



This shrub is an exotic, although it is now 

 naturalized to this climate, and was brought to 

 Europe from Trebisonde, in 1576. It is an 

 evergreen, with smooth bark, and short-stalked, 

 oblong, lanceolate, remotely serrated, coriace- 

 ous, shining leaves, with two or four glands at 

 their base. The flower is white, with round 

 spreading petals, and the fruit a small, black 

 drupe or cherry. The leaves of the cherry- 

 laurel have long been employed both in medi- 

 cine and in confectionary, on account of the 

 agreeable odour and flavour of the bitter 

 almond which they possess. They lose their 

 odour after they are dried, but retain their 

 flavour. 



CHERRY TREE WEEVIL. See PLUM 

 TRKE WEEVIL and CCRCULIO. 



CHERVIL, GARDEN (Charophyllum tati- 

 tw/n). This herb grows in gardens, and 

 sometimes wild in waste ground ; perhaps the 

 outcast of gardens. The flowers are white, 

 and bitter-tasted; the seeds are smooth, fur- 

 rowed, and large ; altogether the plant resem- 

 bles parsley, only the leaves are paler and 

 more divided. The roots are given in decoc- 

 tion. Chervil is slightly diuretic ; the cutters 

 of simples distil a water from its leaves, which 

 they consider excellent in colics. It is much 

 used in France fur salads ; and is mentioned 

 as a potherb by Gerarde. The parsley-leaved 

 chervil (Scandix cerifolium) and fern-leaved 

 chervil (S. odorata), are still cultivated by the 

 Dutch for soups, salads, &c.; but in this coun 

 try they are not often found in the kitchen gar 

 den. Seed may be said to be the only means 

 of propagation, and the only sowing of this 

 that can be depended upon must be performed 

 in early autumn, immediately after it is ripe ; 

 for if kept until the following spring, it will 

 seldom germinate ; or if this first grade of 

 vegetation takes place, the seedlings are gene- 

 rally weak, and die away during the hot 

 weather. 



The seed may be sown in drills eight inches 

 apart, or broadcast ; in either mode being 

 only just covered. The plants are to be thin* 

 ned to eight inches asunder, and to remain 

 where they are raised. The only after-culti- 

 vation required by them is the keeping them 

 clear of weeds. 



CHESSEL. The mould or vat in which the 

 cheese is formed. It is made of thick staves 

 generally of white or American oak, bound 

 with two strong iron hoops to withstand the 

 necessary pressure. The chessel is perforated 

 with many small holes in the bottom and sides 

 to let the whey drain out of the curd. 



CHEST. The breast; or that part of an 

 animal's body which contains the heart and 

 the lun^s. 



CHEST-FOUNDER. In farriery, a disease 

 incident to horses, which proceeds from in- 

 flammation about the chest and ribs. 



CHESTNUT, or CHESNUT (Fagus-casta- 

 nea). The species cultivated in England are 

 the common or sweet chestnut, of which there 

 are two kinds, the Spanish (Cos. vesca) and the 

 American (Cas. Americana}; and the horse 

 chestnut, which belongs to a distinct genus 

 The true chestnut tree flourishes on poor gra- 

 velly or sandy soils, and will thrive in any but 

 41 



CHESTNUT. 



moist oV marshy situations. It has been much 

 questioned whether the chestnut is indigenous 

 or exotic. It was at one time very common in 

 England, and a great many chestnuts have 

 been planted within the last thirty years. It is 

 long-lived, grows to an immense size, and is 

 very ornamental. The wood is hard and com- 

 pact; when young, it is tough and flexible; 

 but when old it is brittle and often shaky. 

 When divested of its sap wood, this timber 

 will stand in situations exposed to wet and dry 

 longer than oak ; and for gate-posts it ranks in 

 durability next after the acacia, the yew, and 

 probably it lasts longer than the larch. The 

 nuts form an article for our dessert. In some 

 parts of the continent they are frequently used 

 as a substitute for bread, and form a large pro- 

 portion of the food of the inhabitants. In Eng- 

 land, during the three years ending with 1831, 

 the entries of foreign chestnuts for home con- 

 sumption averaged 20,948 bushels a year, and 

 they pay a duty of 2s. per bushel. 



The fruit is used either boiled, roasted, or in 

 a raw state. Phillips informs us that in the 

 south of France, in Italy, and Savoy, they are 

 made into puddings, cakes, and bread. And 

 "chestnuts stewed with cream make a much 

 ad/nired dish; they make excellent soup; and 

 stewed and served with salt fish they are much 

 admired." We are also further informed that 

 there is now at Fortsworth, in Gloucestershire, 

 a great chestnut tree, fifty-two feet round, 

 which in 1150 was so remarkable that it was 

 called The great chestnut of Fortnvorth. And 

 Marsham states that this tree is 1100 years old. 

 Lastly, the timber of this tree is almost incor- 

 ruptible, and more durable than oak. Its dura- 

 bility is commensurate with the long life of the 

 tree. Corsica, it is said, exports annually of 

 this fruit to the amount of 100,000 crowns. 

 The American chestnut differs very little from 

 that of Europe. The fruit is smaller, but 

 equally good. Its growth is very rapid. The 

 bark for tanning is superior to oak. 



The chestnut is raised from the seeds, 

 planted in autumn ; the second year, they are 

 transplanted, and fine varieties are extended 

 by grafting. A sandy or gravelly loam, with 

 a dry subsoil, best suits them. 



The Spanish or Portuguese chestnut suc- 

 ceeds well in the United States, and produces 

 fruit in about seven years from the seed. Its 

 growth is more rapid than that of the native kind. 

 The fruit is more than four times larger, and 

 brings a much higher price in the market. It 

 may be budded on the common chestnut, but 

 is apt to overgrow the stock. The large Spa- 

 nish chestnut deserves to be extensively propa- 

 gated. 



Michaux, in his North American Sylva, vol. 

 iii., gives the following directions for the cul- 

 ture of the chestnut : 



" After the ground has been carefully loos- 

 ened with the plough and harrow, lines are 

 drawn six feet apart, in which holes about a 

 foot in depth and diameter are formed, at the 

 distances of four feet. A chestnut is placed in 

 each corner of the hole, and covered with about 

 three inches of earth. As the soil has been 

 thoroughly subdued, the nuts will spring and 

 strike root with facility. Early in the second 



321 



