LUTHER BURBANK 



the seed or by transplanting seedlings, it is recom- 

 mended that it should be located on a well drained 

 gravelly soil. The trees thrive well on rocky hill- 

 sides, and even on rather poor sand, but observa- 

 tion has shown that they are somewhat uncertain 

 of growth on stiff clay soils in the east, although 

 Italian chestnuts in California are said to thrive 

 on heavy clays. In general, the experts consider it 

 more important to have a thoroughly drained soil 

 than soil of a particular character. 



The authors of the Government Bulletin that 

 has urged the merits of the chestnut as a commer- 

 cial crop show that the chinquapin chestnuts are 

 practically free from the blights that have hitherto 

 menaced the American species. 



It will be recalled that my new varieties were 

 developed on the foundation of stocks imported 

 from Japan. It will also be understood, as a mat- 

 ter of course, that my selections with this tree as 

 with all other plants have been made always with 

 an eye to the exclusion of any races that showed 

 susceptibility to fungus pests of any kind. 



As an illustration of the care with which these 

 selections were made, in the development of the 

 perfected varieties, I may note that in various 

 instances only three or four seedlings were selected 

 out of a company of ten thousand. I may add that 

 orchards made by grafting cions of these im- 



[120] 



