THE SWEET CHESTNUT. 388 



it is grown mixed with many species, as beech, oak. ash. ehn 

 maple, lime, birch, hazel, willow, aspen, etc. 



If. Sulririillural Si/steiua. 

 High forest, standards in coppice, but chiefly coppice. In 

 Southern Europe it is much grown as a fruit tree in open 

 woods. As high forest it is treated under a rotation gener- 

 ally not exceeding 100 years, as coppice under one of 5 to 80 

 years, according to the size of the required material. 



//. Formation of Woods. 



Direct sowing is done, but chiefly planting. The chestnuts 

 ripen in October and fall immediately. They retain their 

 germinating power for about six months. Of good chestnuts 

 not less than 60 per cent, should germinate. One pound 

 contains about 115 chestnuts. 



Direct sowings should be made in spring, as the chestnuts 

 are liable to be eaten by mice if sown in autumn ; they should 

 not be sown too early, as the young seedlings are tender 

 against late frosts. The chestnuts should be covered with 

 about 1^ inches of soil ; they germinate after five or six weeks. 



The treatment of chestnut in nurseries is similar to that 

 described for oak (page 323). 



/. Tendiwi. 



Young chestnuts must be protected against late and early 

 frosts, either by sheltering them artificially or by raising 

 them in sheltered localities. They also require protection 

 against cattle and deer, which browse them. Further on in 

 life chestnut suffers much from frost cracks. 



Damage by insects and fungi is not of much importance. 

 The only part of the sweet chestnut liable, as a rule, to damage 

 by insects is the fruit, the crop of which may be much lessened 

 by the internal-feeding larvfe of species of Carpocapsida 

 among the Tortrkcs. 



The chestnut stands pruning well. 



Thinnings are made as in the case of oak. 



