366 FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION August 



manxer of occurrence charac- brown. The wood shrinks and checks 



teristics of growth. considerably in drying, splits and 

 Within the limits of its range the works easily, and because of the tan- 

 chestnut occurs either singly or in mC acid !t . contains is very durable in 

 scattered groups or groves, usually CO " taCt Wltl ? the soiL Jt is used in 

 most abundant on the high, gravelly ^ abl I iet w ? rk ' c operage, for interior 

 well-drained hillsides and ridges and ^^S* fe nce posts, telegraph poles, 

 seldom in pure stands a 1 nd cr oss-ties. About 5 per cent of 

 Chestnuts grown in the forest vary the railr ad ties in the United States 

 greatly in general form and habits are ? f cnes tt. The original chest- 

 from those grown in parks, pastures nUt 0I T Sts have everywhere been cut, 

 and other open places. The forest f XC u e . pt in parts of the Southern Appa- 

 tree soon loses its lower branches and lachians >. but the reproduction of the 

 develops a tall, tapering trunk, adapt- c oPP lc eis so rapid that a fair supply 

 ed for telegraph poles, ties, and for 0t smalI " slzed timber is still available, 

 general use as lumber. But when PROP , r , TTnv 

 grown in the open and given plenty 



of room, it develops a broad, spread- Chestnut reproduces easily both by 

 ing crown, and short, thick trunk. seeds and stump sprouts. Nuts are 

 The chestnut's rate of growth is the borne nearly every year and a full 

 most rapid of any of our truly valu- cro P occu f s usually every other year, 

 able hardwood trees. Seedlings usu- thus keeping the ground well seeded, 

 ally attain a height of 10 to 15 inches The nuts th at are spread by the squir- 

 the first year and continue growing rels germinate readily and, if there 

 at the rate of 15 to 20 inches per an- are enough of them, quickly reclothe 

 num for twenty to thirty years. the ground with seedlings. They 

 Sprouts grow even more rapidly than g row > however, only in pasture land 

 this, often attaining a height of 4 to and P en woods, since they can not 

 6 feet the first year, and in twenty to tolerate dense shade. Their growth 

 twenty-five years make timber large mav be encouraged by leaving seed 

 enough for ties and poles. After trees, protecting the nuts from chip- 

 thirty years, however, the rapid mun ks and squirrels, and breaking the 

 growth ceases. In New Jersey a chest- ground where the nuts fall, 

 nut is recorded which had a diameter By far the more common and rapid 

 of 60 inches when 70 years old. In means of chestnut reproduction is by 

 the same State several trees 35 years the coppice sprouts which spring from 

 old ranged from 24 up to 34 inches in the newly cut stumps. While not so 

 diameter, with a height of 40 to 50 long lived nor so sound as seedling 

 feet. The average rate of growth is, trees, the coppice sprouts should be 

 of course, far less than the above. It encouraged because of their rapid 

 varies according to the nature of the growth and ease of propagation. A 

 soil, the thinner soils being less favor- clear cutting of chestnut forest in the 

 able to rapid growth than rich upland fall or winter when the trees are dor- 

 s 1 '; niant, taking care to leave smooth 

 1 he root system spreads out exten- stumps, is all that is needed to insure 

 sively, but no deep tap root is de- a future growth. In the Middle and 

 veloped. This makes transplanting less New England States a clear cutting 

 difficult than with many other nut- system with a rotation of twenty-five 

 )eanng trees. The chestnut is rather to thirty years gives the best results 

 intolerant of shade. and will in that time produce trees 



the wood its economic uses large enou n for fuel, ties, or posts. 



. Ap, , . A stump will retain the power of 



coarse JJSll 1S J^S 1 -S*^ S ft ' s P rout ing with almost undiminished 



wood ZZ Vif / nfle f Xlble ' th f sa P" vi g r through several rotations. By 



wood white, the heartwood darker starting a small number of seedling 



