ON THE CHESTNUT 



varieties. Quite aside from the matter of produc- 

 ing trees that are immune to the fungus pest, the 

 orchard may be made far more productive if 

 grafted with foreign stock than if the native 

 species were used. And of course my new hybrid 

 varieties offer attractions that excel those of any 

 other variety of chestnut. 



Some of my seedlings, for example, produce 

 nuts two inches in diameter, each weighing an 

 ounce or more; and these are borne in clusters of 

 from six to nine nuts to the burr. It is notable, 

 however, that the excessively large nuts are usually 

 lacking in flavor; although the reasonably large 

 ones are of the best quality. 



These hybrid varieties graft readily on the 

 native stock. They may be counted on to bear 

 abundantly in their second season. It may be 

 well, however, to pick off the burs as soon as 

 formed during the first year or two, in order that 

 the energies of the tree may be given over to the 

 production of branches. 



Even where the blight has destroyed the chest- 

 nut, the sprouts that spring up everywhere about 

 the stumps of the trees may be grafted and trees 

 of more satisfactory shape than the old ones and 

 far more productive may thus be developed in the 

 course of a very few years. 



Where the chestnut orchard is developed from 



[119] 



