66 MAKING HORTICULTURE PAY 



to gather chestnuts as one of the ways to earn a 

 little pin money. 



^' I have practiced only one form of grafting, viz., 

 the ordinary cleft, the same as is used in grafting 

 the apple. The twigs are cut early in February 

 and put in the icehouse so as to be held back. By 

 April 20, when we are done with other grafting, we 

 start with chestnuts. Alany scions die back, but 

 we keep working away year after year until we get 

 a stand. The chestnuts have always paid. I en- 

 joyed the work at once and began to sell wood for 

 grafting, and very soon began to derive revenue 

 from the nuts. The sprouts on which grafting is 

 done are cut about as high up as my eyes'; at that 

 height they are about as thick as my two fingers. 

 This size heals over much more readily than larger 

 sizes. In this respect the chestnut is more difficult 

 to graft than apples. I care for my chestnut trees 

 at odd times with ordinary farm help. I was able 

 to buy a large orchard adjoining me a few years 

 ago for a good deal less than the owner had spent 

 on it. It has paid me well. 



" Up to the present time we do not understand 

 how to keep or cure the nuts, but are learning. One 

 of our great troubles is the worm. I found in treat- 

 ing the nuts with carbon disulphide it did the work. 

 As soon as gathered the nuts are put in a barrel 

 and a saucer with four or five tablespoonfuls of 

 liquid placed at the top of the barrel, which is then 

 closed up tight. After three or four hours the 

 barrel is opened and the nuts dumped on the pack- 

 ing house floor to air. To be sure, the worms are 

 there just the same, but the buyers do not object, 

 because the w^orms do not come out and crawl all 

 over their stores. 



