14 LUTHER BURBANK 



approaches. The amount of fat in the chest- 

 nut is proportionately small — only about 5V2 

 per cent, as against the 64.4 per cent of the 

 English walnut and the 71.2 per cent of the 

 pecan. 



As to protein — muscle-forming matter— the 

 chestnut has but a little over 6 per cent, while the 

 English walnut has 16.7 per cent, and the 

 American black walnut and the butternut head 

 the list with 27.6 per cent and 27.9 per cent 

 respectively. 



Chestnuts when fresh have a very much higher 

 percentage of water than other nuts — no less 

 than 45 per cent, whereas nuts in general have 

 but three to five per cent. 



It appears, then, that the meat of the chestnut 

 furnishes a less concentrated food than other 

 nuts supply, but one that is rich in digestible 

 starches, of which it contains six or seven times 

 the proportion common to other nuts. This 

 excess of starchy constituents explains why the 

 chestnut is not generally relished so much as 

 many other nuts in the raw state. But it explains 

 also why this nut may be eaten in quantity when 

 cooked. 



In France and Italy chestnuts are very gen- 

 erally eaten, usually being prepared by boiling, 

 and they constitute a really significant item in 



