330 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



MAY 1, 1833. 



For llie New England Fanner. 

 THE SPABflSH CHESIVUT. 



(Castanea vesca.) 

 The Spanish chesnut is one of the most magnif- 

 icent of the European trees, exceodiug the oak in 

 height, and equalling it in bulli and extent. It 

 has long been naturalized to tlie southern coun- 

 tries of Europe. It is said that Tiberius Ca'sar 

 first brought it from Sardis in Lydia to Italy, 

 whence it was introduced into France, Spain, and 

 Britain. It is indigenous, also, in many parts of 

 Asia, in Cliina, Coehin-China, Japan, &c. It 

 grows in the greatest abundance, at present, in 

 the mountaiuous parts of Italy, in the south of 

 France and Spain, in Switzerland, and many parts 

 of the Alps towards Italy, in Corsica and Sicily, 

 where it grows halfway up Mount ^tna. 



This tree seems to be very long-lived, and 

 grows to a very great size. The famous Castairno 

 de Cenio Cavalli,on Mount jEtna, as measured by 

 M. Brydone, in 1770, is 204 feet in circumference, 

 some, however, have doubted whether this be 

 really one tree. Brydone says, it had the api)ear- 

 auce of five distinct trees, but tliat he was assured 

 the space was once filled with solid timber, and 

 that there was no bark on the inside. Kircher, 

 about a century before Brydone, afiirms tliat an 

 entire flock of sheep might be cominodiously en- 

 closed within it, as a fold. // Casiagno del Galea, 

 of which tliere is no doubt, measured then seveuty- 

 six feet round, at two feet from the eartli. Biu 

 those trees grow on a deep, fertile soil, formed 

 irom the ashes of the volcano. 



This tree deserves our care as much as anj' 

 which are propagated in this country, either for 

 use or beauty ; being one of the best sorts of tim- 

 ber, and affording a goodly shade. The leaves 

 continue late in the autumn, turnit^g then to a 

 golden hue ; nor are they so liable to the depreda- 

 tions of insects. The fruit is a desirable nut for 

 autumn or winter, and is eaten roasted, with salt, 

 and sometimes raw. It is the usual, and in some 

 places almost the only food of the common peo- 

 ple in the Apennines of Italy, in Savoy, and some 

 parts of France and Spain. They are ijot only 

 boiled and roasted, but puddings, cakes and bread 

 are made of them. " Chesnuts, stewed with 

 cream," according to Phillips, " make a much 

 admired dish, and many families prefer them to 

 all other stuffings for turkies. It is considered to 

 be a flatulent diet, and hard of digestion ; yet 

 there are instances in Italy where men have lived 

 to the age of 100 years, who have fed wholly on 

 chesnuts. These nuts are used for bleaching lin- 

 en, and for making starch ; they are also reputed 

 excellent food for deer, sheep, and other domestic 

 animals. The wood is used by the cabinet-maker 

 and cooper ; makes an excellent coppice-tree, for 

 poles and hoops ; the bark is equal in astringency 

 to that of the larch and mountain-ash for tanning; 

 the wood is also esteemed for timber and fuel. 



Propagation and Culture. — This tree is propa- 

 gated by planting the nuts early in spring in beds 

 of uninanured sandy loam with a dry bottom, but 

 will grow in any soil, on a dry sub-soil. Before 

 planting, it will be proper to put the nuts into 

 water to try their goodness, which is known by 

 their weight ; those which swim are generallv 

 good for nothing ; but such as sink to the bottoni 

 are sure to be good. In planting, a drill should 

 be made about four inches deep, in which the 

 nuts should he placed at about four or six inches 

 apart, with the eye uppermost ; then draw the 



earth over them with a rake, or some other suita- 

 ble instrument : then make a second drill at about 

 the distance of a foot from the former, proceeding 

 as before, allowing three or four rows in a bed, 

 with an alley between, three feet wide, for the 

 convenience of cleansing the beds, &c. In about 

 three months the nuts will appear above ground, 

 after which, they should be kept clean of weeds, 

 especially when young. In these beds they maj 

 remain for two years, when tiiey may be removed 

 into a nursery at a wider distance. The best sea- 

 son for transplanting is late in autumn, or early 

 in spring. The time generally allowed them in 

 this nursery is three or four years, according to 

 their growth ; but the younger they are tran; 

 planted, if designed for timber, the better they 

 will succeed. They should be kept clear of 

 weeds, observing to prune oflf lateral branches, 

 which would retard their upright growth ; and 

 when they are disposed to grow crooked, they 

 may be cut down to the lowermost eye, next to 

 the surface of the ground, the first year after 

 planting, which will cause them to make one 

 strong upright shoot, and afterwards may be 

 trained into straight, good trees. After having 

 remained three or four years in this nui-sery, they 

 may be transplanted, either in rows to grow for 

 timber, or in quarters to grow for wilderness |)lan. 

 tations, avenues, clumps, or the orchard. If they 

 are intended for timber, it is much better to trans- 

 plant them and let them remain umnoved ; for 

 these trees are apt to have a downright tap-root, 

 which, being bent by transplanting, is often a 

 check to their upright growth. But when they 

 are intended for fruit, permit the trees to brancli 

 out freely above, mostly in their natural order, to 

 advance in large regular heads. Give occasional 

 pruning only to very irregular and cross branches, 

 and low stragglers. fcfter they have attained 

 some tolerably branchy growth, they will come 

 into hearing in moderate plenty ; and when they 

 have expanded into large, full heads, they may be 

 expected to yield in abundance.* 



The foregoing remarks will, I hope, have some 

 tendency to encourage the growth of this invalua- 

 ble tree in this country. There can be no doubt 

 of its succeeding to perfection in the Middle and 

 Western States ; and a high probability in the 

 Northern. Every patriot and friend to posterity 

 can do no less than make the experiment. Let us 

 hope, however, to see it rear its head among our 

 fi)rests and plantations, and, 'ere many years, be a 

 source of health, ornament, and of profit. B. 



.Note. A nuanlily of tlie iiuls liave recenlly been imporlod 

 by I. Thonidike, Esq., of ihiscitv, for graluilous distnbulinn 

 to lliose who wish lo make the experiment of cultivating Ihcni. 

 Small parcels may be had gratis at the oflice of the New-Eng- 

 land Farmer. 



HINTS TO HOUSEWIVES. 



Vessels intended to contain liquid of a higher 

 temperature than the surrounding medium, and 

 to keep that liquid as long as possible at the high- 

 est temperature, should be constructed of materi- 

 als which are the worst radiators of heat. Thus, 

 tea-unis and tea-pots are best adapted for their 

 pur|)ose when constructed of polished metal, and 

 %vorst when constructed of black porcelain. A 

 black porcelain tea-pot is the worst conceivable 

 material for that vessel, for both its material and 

 color are good radiators of heat, and the liquid 

 contained in it cools with the greatest possible ra- 



* See Loudon's EncyclopEDdia of Gardening, and Miller's 

 Gardeners' and Botanisu' Dictionary, by Martin. 



pidity. On the other hand, a bright metal tea-pot 

 is best adapted for the purjiose, becaui-e it is the 

 worst radiator of heat, and therefore cools as slow- 

 ly as possible. A polished silver or brass tea-urn 

 is better adapted to retain the heat of the water 

 than one of a dull brown color, such as is most 

 commonly used. A tin kettle retains the heat of 

 water boiled in it more effectually, if it be kept 

 clean and polished, than if it be allowed to col- 

 lect the smoke and soot, to which it is exposed 

 from the action of the fire. When coated with 

 this, its surface becomes rough and black, and is 

 a powerfid radiator of heat. A set of polished fire- 

 irons njay remain for a long time in front of a 

 hot fire, without receiving from it any increase 

 of ftmperature beyond that of the chamber, be- 

 cause the heat radiated by the fire is all reflected 

 by the polished surface of the irons, and none of 

 it is absorbed ; but if n set of rough, unirolishcd 

 irons, were similarly placed, they would become 

 Speedily so hot, that they could not be used 

 Wthout inconvenience. The polish of fire- 

 irons is, therefore, not merely a matter of orna- 

 uent, but of use and convenience. The rough, 

 inpolished poker, sometimes used in a kitchen, 

 becomes speedily so hot that it cannot be held 

 v(ithout pain. A close stove, intended to warm an 

 a()artment, should not have a polished surface, 

 for in that case it is one of the worst radiators 

 of heat, and nothing could be contrived less fit 

 for the purpose to which it is applied. On the 

 other hand, a rough, unpolished surface of cast 

 iron, is favorable to radiation, and a fire in such 

 a stove will always produce a most powerful ef- 

 fect, — Cabinet Cycloprtdia — Dr. Lnrdner on Heat. 



HORTICUL,TURE IN SIARYLAND. 



At the stated meeting of the Society for the 

 present month, several members exhibited plants 

 or other objects of horticultural interest. A no- 

 tice of some of them is annexed : — 



The finest plant exhibited was a really splendid 

 specimen of Azalia, (the Phenicea of Loddiges) 

 in fulLflower. The bush was upwards of three 

 feet high, well branched from the earth upwards, 

 and covered with a profusion of delicately tinted 

 purple blossoms, each about two inches in diam- 

 eter. It was certainly well calculated to furnish 

 additional p-oof (were any such necessary) of the 

 reward which a careful culture of the Azalia will 

 afford the amateur. The species in question, is 

 undoubtedly a very fine one, and when contrasted 

 with the scarlet and white flowered kinds, the 

 effect produced by the varied hues of their inter- 

 mingled blossoms, whether in the parlor or the 

 conservatory, is quite enchanting. Exhibited by 

 Mr. Kurtz. 



Two specimens from South America were sent 

 by Dr. Cohen to the Society. One, the fruit of a 

 palm tree, supposed a sjiecies of Caryocar. The 

 other, a most singular production, bristled on 

 every side with enormous spines of most repulsive 

 appearance. It is a dried portion of the stem of 

 a Cereus, supposed to be true Spinosissimus. At 

 events, its claim to at least a similar appella- 

 tion cannot be disputed. Both these were re- 

 served for the Museum of the Society. 



Zebulon Waters, Esq. presented a most charm- 



» production discovered by him last spring, in 

 a wild state, in the neighborhood of this city — the 

 double-flowered Wood Anemone, (Anemone Tha- 

 lictroides.) The single variety is quite plentiful 

 in our woods, but the double one is very rare. 

 It is well worthy of cultivation, and the delicate 



