LUTHER BURBANK 



having a relatively high percentage of starchy 

 matter, 42 per cent of its edible portion being 

 found in the carbohydrate division a proportion 

 which no other nut except the acorn approaches. 

 The amount of fat in the chestnut is proportion- 

 ately small only about 5% 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 Ameri- 

 can 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 the generality of nuts 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, and one that is rich in digestible starches, 

 of which it contains six or seven times the propor- 

 tion common to other nuts. This excess of starchy 

 constituents explains why the chestnut is not gen- 

 erally relished so much as many other nuts in the 

 raw state. But it explains also why this nut may 

 be eaten in large quantities when cooked. 



In France and in Italy chestnuts are very 

 generally eaten, usually being prepared by boiling, 



