174 CONVERSATIONS ON THE 



about two inches wide, with very large, deep, 

 sharp-pointed teeth, and ribs running all 

 along from the stem in the centre to the 

 edges. The flowers are very small, and grow 

 in Ion0" slender bunches or stalks, somewhat 



o 



like the seeds of the plantain that people give 

 to birds ; they are whitish, and have an un- 

 pleasant smell. The fruit I suppose you can 

 describe to me." 



" Oh, you mean the nuts, Uncle Philip ; 

 they are very nice raw, and boiled, too, and I 

 have heard that they are good roasted, but I 

 never tried them that way. They grow two 

 together in a large thick husk, covered all 

 over with sharp stiff prickles, standing as 

 thick as they can ; they hurt us sometimes 

 when we take them up in our hands." 



" I see you understand them very well : 

 the wood of the chestnut is strong and elastic, 

 and bears exposure to changes of dryness and 

 damp remarkably well, and this makes it a 

 very good material for posts and fences : I 

 have heard it said that chestnut rails well 

 seasoned will last nearly fifty years : chest- 

 nut-wood makes very good shingles, too, 

 but they are apt to warp ; it is also used for 

 staves for flour-barrels, and sugar-barrels 



