CHINQUAPIN. 297 



abruptly pointed than that of the American chestnut. Its burrs are 

 very large and its nuts are larger but not so sweet as the Ameri- 

 can chestnut. The skin enclosing the nut is bitter and tough. 

 This species is variously known as European, Spanish, French, 

 Italian and Sweet Chestnut. Among the best of the European 

 varieties are Numbo and Paragon. The latter is most widely 

 planted and the most successful of all cultivated introduced 

 chestnuts. It is sometimes classed as a hybrid. Both of these 

 nuts originated in the United States and are of good quality. 



Japan chestnut (Castanea crenata). — This tree is said to 

 reach a height of fifty feet in Japan but the varieties that are 

 grown for fruit are dwarfish in form and slender, with a close 

 head. Its leaves are much smaller than those of the American 

 or European chestnuts and the burrs are small with a thin, pa- 

 pery lining and short spines. The nuts are large and glossy, 

 but inferior to the other chestnuts in quality as a rule, though 

 good when cooked. A few varieties are of good quality when 

 fresh. Among the best of the Japanese chestnuts are Parry and 

 Reliance, both of which are of fair quality. 



Chinquapin (Castanea pumilaj, (G. alnifolia). — The Chinqua- 

 pins are dwarf chestnuts, extending, in their native range, from 

 Massachusetts south to Florida and Texas. The fruit of the 

 Chinquapins is edible and used in a local way throughout their 

 range. 



Propagation. — The different species of the chestnut are usu- 

 ally propagated from seed, which may be sown as soon as 

 gathered in autumn, or stratified and sown in the spring in 

 rich, porous soil. They may be whip-grafted in the nursery 

 when one year old. This should be done by using dormant cions 

 after the buds have swollen and covering with wax in the or- 

 dinary way. 



Top-working of large trees has not been successful except 

 where it has been practiced on the young sprouts. Great care 

 should be taken to secure a good union, and if possible th« cion 

 should unite with the stock on both sides. 



The flowers of the chestnut open in early summer and the 

 long, conspicuous, light colored, male catkins are quite ornamen- 

 tal. The pistillate flowers are Inconspicuous and grow from 



