404 PRACTICAL ARBORICULTURE 



Chestnut timber is inferior for railway ties by reason of its tendency to 

 split, not clinging tenaciously to the spikes as do the oaks. 



It is frequently sawn into lumber, and for many purposes is quite valuable as 

 such. 



Chestnut wood is largely used as fuel, although inferior to some other woods 

 for heating. 



While the nuts are not so large as the Italian or Spanish, yet they are far su- 

 perior in quality, and always find a ready market in the cities and towns. 



In the open woods, when the early frost opens the burrs, and the winds 

 shake them to the ground, swine procure the greater portion of their food from 

 the chestnut. 



The nuts grow readily if kept from drying out during winter. It is usual to 

 keep them in sand until ready to plant. 



This tree sprouts from the stump, when cut down, and quickly makes new 

 growth, coming to maturity much quicker than from the seed. 



For the Western farmer the Chestnut possesses several qualifications as a 

 timber which may well be considered. Its easy culture, rapid growth, admitting 

 of close planting, being of utility for poles when necessary to thin out the trees, 

 even the very young poles having a value for barrel hoops, making fuel rapidly 

 and soon growing to a size for fence posts. Still, enough may be allowed to re- 

 main for a dense wood. 



It will quickly form a screen, or windbreak, to protect the home and orchard 

 as well as to furnish abundant supply of delicious edible nuts. 



In planting, the rows should be four feet apart, and from a few inches to four 

 feet distance in the rows, depending upon the quantity of seeds or plants on hand, 

 and area desired to be planted. 



Eventually, the trees should be left eight feet apart each way. Young trees 

 of one year's growth may be bought cheaply from the nurseries, and are easily 

 transplanted. 



OSAGE ORANGE. BOIS D'ARC. 



Madura. 



The Red River country of the South has furnished the Northern and West- 

 ern States with this invaluable wood. In its native region it is an irregular grow- 

 ing, crooked and but little valued tree, so hard and iron-like it is difficult to work, 

 and edge tools are quickly dulled while cutting the Bois d'Arc. 



On an ancient wood pile in Arkansas a chopping block was used which 

 showed signs of age, but not of decay. Upon inquiry it was learned that this 

 block of wood had been used for the same purpose during the past sixty-five years 

 by the family who yet owned the homestead. 



The wood is very dense and fine grained, of a handsome yellow, and useful 

 for many purposes where durability overweighs the difficulty of manipulation. 



It has long been used in wagon work in the South, where the shrinkage of 

 most other woods make them undesirable. 



The wood is so strong, and its fibres so closely woven as to give great flexi- 

 bility, and, as its name implies, it was the favorite wood for the bow with the In- 

 dians of the Southwest. 



