THE SWEET CHESTNUT. 331 



fungi do a moderate amount of damage. The elm suffers 

 from two scale-insects, Schizoneura lanigera and Lecaniiun 

 vagabunchnn ; the latter lives on the stems of saplings, destroy- 

 ing large patches of bark. Elms have been much injured by 

 two bark-beetles, Hylcsinns vittatas in Central Europe, and 

 Scolytus Geoffroyi {destructor, 01.). The latter is exceedingly 

 harmful to the mihealthy elms growing near large towns ; it 

 also attacks trees in the open country, selecting weak spots, 

 generally the extremities of old branches, at the summit of 

 the tree, and working down the trunk year by year. Of funyi 

 nothing need be mentioned. 



Elm generally holds its own against the species with which 

 it is usually mixed, except perhaps beech, but from middle age 

 upwards it must be given a liberal growing space by thinning 

 aw'ay the other species to a sufficient extent. 



6. Sweet Chestnut — Castanea resca (Gsertn.). 

 a. Uiility. 

 The chestnut yields a fairly hard, moderately heavy timber, 

 specific gravity air dried = '61, splits well, durable. Used 

 for building, in carpentry, staves for wine casks, vine stakes, 

 hop poles, pit timber, etc. It is not a very good firewood, but; 

 the charcoal is much appreciated by blacksmiths. The bark 

 is used for tanning. The fruit is eaten. 



h. /Jis/n'buf/o/i. 



Asia, Europe, North America. In Europe it is indigenous 

 in the south and west ; introduced into Britain, where the 

 fruit rarely ripens fully. It rises to 2,800 feet in the Alps. 



In its natural home the chestnut is a tree of the lower hills 

 and mountains, preferring northern and eastern aspects, 

 rarely found in the low lands. 



r. Locality. 

 Climate. — Kequires a mild climate, is tender against late 

 and eai'ly frost and also severe winter cold ; drought also does 



